Dear Friend,

As we reach the halfway point of 2025, I think about how far we’ve come together. 

From January through July, we had 3,216 patient visits and delivered over $1.5 million in healthcare services. Our volunteers put in more than 10,500 hours, valued at just over half a million dollars worth of their time and expertise. Wow!

But numbers only tell part of it. In this issue, you will meet some of the people behind those numbers: real patients, real stories, and real lives changed.

• Josefina's Path to Wellness – One patient's inspiring journey from overwhelming health challenges to wellness.
• Meet The Team – Learn about how Oakland University medical students provide quality healthcare while gaining invaluable experience through student-run free clinics.
• Celebrating Partnership – Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation’s renewed support with a generous $25,000 grant strengthens our foundation.
• Dr. Weitzman's Well-Deserved Recognition – Dr. Raymond Weitzman has been named a Crain's Detroit Business 2025 Health Care Hero.
• Dr. Gary's Pickleball Classic Returns – Save the date for our largest annual fundraiser on September 29th!

But here's the bottom line: none of this works without you. Every person reading this, whether you volunteer, donate, or just spread the word, you're a part of something special.

We're changing lives, one patient at a time. I can't wait to see what the rest of 2025 brings.

Hope to see you at the pickleball tournament!

Onward and Upward,



Meet the Team cont... So how does it all work? "On any given night, we have 10 to 15 students on site in each clinic," Dr. Yedavally explains. Third-year and fourth-year medical students see patients with physician supervision, while first-year and second-year students assume other roles like medical scribes or Spanish translators if they are fluent, since more than 60% of GBCHC patients are Hispanic. A few second-year students also take leadership roles managing the clinics.

Dr. Yedavally teams up with other physicians like Dr. James Rosbolt, alternating months as attending physicians, supervising students, and providing exposure to various teaching styles.

The pace here is intentionally different. "We see eight patients an evening over three hours instead of 12 to 15 as in a typical clinic setting." For medical students who are used to high-pressure hospital rotations, the GBCHC learning environment allows them to build skills and be supported by experienced physicians and residents without being graded or judged.

As Dr. Yedavally puts it: "We are not only taking care of patients but also training future physicians about giving back to the community.

Dr. Yedavally has many stories about patients facing barriers to healthcare, but one sticks with her: "There was a patient who had recent bypass surgery. The hospital discharged him just four days after his surgery with no pain medicine. He was homeless with limited options when he came to the clinic." The team was able to work with his surgeon to develop a post-operative plan and provide the right medications while housing resources were secured.

Without this kind of comprehensive care, she believes many patients would face unnecessary difficulties. “They probably would end up in the emergency room in a more serious condition with severe complications that could be avoided with a few office visits."

Benefits aren't just experienced by patients, but also the volunteers themselves. "You hear about physician wellness and burnout. Giving back to the community is a great antidote for that. Do it in whatever capacity you can," Dr. Yedavally says. The gratitude from patients creates something powerful. "Sometimes, I think I get more out of it than the patients do."

For patients who might otherwise go unheard, unseen, and untreated, these SRFCs provide care and dignity. For the physicians and students, Dr. Yedavally says, "There's nothing like delivering care to those who need it the most."

When the clinics meet:

• Family Medicine: First Thursday night of every month
• Gynecology: Third Tuesday night of every month
• Dermatology: Every other month on Monday nights

For more information about volunteer opportunities, email Linzie Potts at LPotts@GBCHC.org.

Amazing Partners, Amazing Impact!

Another generous foundation has made an investment in GBCHC!

Pickleball Classic cont... Linda adds, "So your donations are more important than ever with all the cutbacks in grants and funding. It's so important that people give, so we can continue supporting people who need this help."

The impact of your generosity will be life-changing. "The care patients get is second to none at the clinic. For example, if they have diabetes, first they get diagnosed. Then, they receive needles, swabs, medication, a glucose monitor, and everything they need to take care of themselves and get healthier. And they have a team helping them every step," Linda explains.

Lori says, "We know our patients don't get personal time off to go to a doctor. We make sure they can see the dentist, the internist, a neurologist, do their labs, and get their prescriptions, all in a single visit. We are meeting people where they are, giving them confidence and health."

Thank you, Linda and Lori, for your leadership, dedication, and generosity in making this incredibly successful event possible. 

As Lori shares, this work is deeply personal: "My dad never got to see the clinic open, but it was his dream. He believed everybody deserves quality care, no matter what. And that's what the clinic has been doing for 20 years." 

Click here to help continue Dr. Gary Burnstein’s dream! Sponsor, register, or donate to the event.

For event questions and auction donations, please email Lori Burnstein Taylor at taylorlori73@gmail.com and Linda Kovan at lkovan@aol.com for details. 

Inspired to Organize Your Own?

For anyone thinking about starting their own fundraiser or community event for the clinic, Lori offers this encouragement: "If you're passionate about the clinic and what we do, and you start your own event, you can create a ripple effect and inspire others to give." Send Mary Lewis an email with your ideas to mlewis@gbchc.org. 

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