About the Ithaca Health Alliance

Thomas Hoebbel Photography

2005 Annual Report
2006 Annual Report
2007 Annual Report
2008 Annual Report
2009 Annual Report

The Ithaca Health Alliance, Inc. was founded in 1997 as the Ithaca Health Fund by Ithaca area activist/advocate Paul Glover and other people concerned with the problems in our health care systems — especially the hardships faced by the uninsured. The mission of the Ithaca Health Alliance is to facilitate access to health care for all and to improve the quality of health choices and knowledge available to members of our communities.

When IHA first started in 1997, the idea was simple: create a community- and member-driven solution to these problems. Focus on the needs of people, create an organization that could do this, and ensure that the organization's structure would prevent it from becoming more focused on itself than helping people. Be democratic, and ensure that members have a voice in the organization's direction. Start small, but plan ahead for bigger efforts and grow as the organization's resources grow.

The first members of IHA were asked to join for a membership fee of $100 per year per adult, the same membership donation rate IHA uses today. At first, the only benefit program which the organization could offer was member networking: anyone could join IHA, and health service providers who joined (doctors, massage therapists, our local ambulance service, etc.) agreed to offer discounts to other IHA members. By 1998, enough people had joined to create a core pool of money from membership dues, and the Health Fund started to offer monetary help to members for certain medical expenses. Every year since then, the resources of IHA have been examined by the elected board of directors, and some funds have been set aside for future health projects while others have been allocated to the health fund and to increases in the grant payments and the categories of health cost which IHA makes grants to support.

In addition to expanding health fund assistance, IHA began to offer educational programs aimed at helping people be better informed about health and health choices. Books and other resources for health information are available for people to view or borrow from the IHA office. Simple aids such as crutches have also been made available for people to borrow at need.

In 2004, IHA began organizing its second major project, the Ithaca Free Clinic. Thanks to the efforts of volunteers and the funds provided by IHA members, the free clinic opened to visitors January 23, 2006. In its first year of operation, IFC served about 750 people, many of whom returned as patients; the clinic is becoming a primary care provider for many patients without access to insurance.

As an integrative health facility, offering both conventional and holistic medicine, IFC shows how diverse community members can make health care available to all. In 2005, IHA started to offer a small grants program for other community organizations that conduct health related projects.

In the future, IHA hopes to be able to offer even more free health services, and expanded health networks in other communities. We believe that access to good health care, a choice of health services, healthy environments, and quality of life are rights and not privileges. Today IHA maintains a membership of 900-1000 people. We have a staff of three employees (Office Manager, Outreach Coordinator, and Clinic Coordinator) and many volunteers who make our work possible: an entirely volunteer Board of Directors, volunteer-driven planning committees, and services offered directly by volunteer staff. We invite you to join us in our mission.