Access to quality healthcare is a challenge for thousands of families. Dr. Syed Irfan Ali and Dr. Masood Khan founded Pioneer Medical Foundation to bridge that gap in care. For their work, Pioneer Medical Foundation has won the Creative Cooperation Award for 2023-24. Pioneer Medical Foundation was founded in 2016 to bring healthcare access and wellness to the community they serve. The Pioneer free clinic is staffed with 1-2 medical providers and 2-3 support staff in conjunction with USF, the Department of Health, and AdventHealth. They provide no-cost medical services as well as toiletries, free prescription medications, clothing, food and even help securing housing. Pioneer Medical’s free clinic partnered with Soaring City to see patients at their Rithm office for a number of years and in just 2022 alone, served 383 patients there.
“The decision to self-fund these efforts has allowed for the foundation to achieve the goals of developing an outlet to inspire other healthcare professionals to serve those in the community without the traditional barriers of operating needs, staff, office, etc.,” said nominator Melanie Brown. “What sets Pioneer Medical Foundation apart from other organizations is their unwavering commitment to bridging the gap of access.”
Pioneer also partnered with Dr. Brian Palumbo to bring free orthopedic care to uninsured patients in dire need of assistance. Since this vital partnership began, they have served 301 patients, providing intra-articular injections and a clear pathway to free joint replacement surgery. This collaboration with other community partners has resulted in 36 individuals undergoing life-changing knee and hip joint replacement surgery – all at zero cost. Their commitment extends beyond the operating room, ensuring that these patients receive home health support, physical therapy, accommodations, medications, food, and transportation.
Recently, Pioneer Medical Foundation opened a new clinic at 3500 E Fletcher Avenue in Uptown designed to offer brick-and-mortar to other physicians in the community who choose to serve the underserved at no cost without the limitations of street clinic sites or mobile units for further in-depth services.
Pioneer Medical Foundation accepted the Creative Cooperation Award at Soaring City’s Verizon State of Uptown event on February 29th. The award is one of three Community Impact Awards presented annually by Soaring City in partnership with the University Area Community Development Corporation (UACDC). The awards are intended to recognize organizations that have shown exemplary leadership in building a cohesive community in the Uptown area. The Creative Cooperation Award has a focus on partnerships and community and is for an organization or project that demonstrates exceptional collaborative impact.