JUNE 29 • 2023 | 41

physicians. He welcomes 
this opportunity to give back 
to the community and is 
impressed with the clinic and 
its patients.
In order to receive the clin-
ic’s free care, patients must be 
Michigan residents who are 
uninsured and ineligible for 
Medicaid or Medicare, with 
an annual income no higher 
than 250% of the federal pov-
erty level. While some clinic 
patients are unemployed, oth-
ers have jobs — often multiple 
part-time positions — that 
don’t provide health insurance. 
Others can’t afford insurance 
premiums or deductibles. 
Sheila Louris, a Pontiac 
resident, had just retired from 
an airline and returned to 
Michigan to be with fami-
ly members. She wasn’t old 
enough for Medicare but was 
rejected by Medicaid because 
her income was too high for 
this government insurance 
program for low-income indi-
viduals. Louris knew about the 
clinic but was initially uncom-
fortable seeking its care.
“I put my pride aside. I 
thought that a free clinic was 
a handout or sub-par, but it 
was the best thing that hap-
pened to me health-wise. They 
treated me like I had the best 
insurance possible — with 
respect and dignity, despite 
the fact that I wasn’t paying,” 
she said.
When Louris needed 
extensive imaging tests, clinic 
staff helped her obtain assis-
tance from St. Joseph Mercy 
Oakland Hospital in Pontiac. 
She subsequently agreed 
to join the clinic’s advisory 
board.
“St. Joe’s has been a fantas-
tic partner,” said Justin Brox, 
M.D. He explained that most 
of the clinic’s laboratory tests 
are processed at the hospital. 
Dr. Brox, whose association 

with GBCHC began in 2011 
as a volunteer physician, was 
named its CEO in 2015. 
Patients typically hear about 
the clinic by word of mouth. 
Most patients live nearby but 
others travel as far as three 
hours, says Dr. Brox. Some 
staff members and volunteers 
are bilingual, which is helpful 
for patients whose primary 
language is Spanish. Recently, 
Jewish Family Service has 
referred Ukrainian refugees to 
the clinic.
Dr. Brox says that most 
patients seek care for chronic 
conditions such as hyperten-
sion and diabetes. Without 
the care provided by GBCHC, 
many individuals would end 
up in hospital emergency 
rooms — an expensive and 
often ineffective option, 
explains Ian Burnstein, Dr. 
Gary Burnstein’s son, who is 

the clinic’s board president. 
“There are delays for the 
patient and no continuity of 
care, and there is a financial 
loss to hospitals (for unin-
sured patients.) Here you’ve 
got great care, you’re not 
rushed, and you leave with a 
90-day supply of medicine,” 
he says. 
The clinic’s annual budget 
of $2.5 million is provided 
by individual and founda-
tion donations, government 
grants for special programs 
such as COVID vaccinations, 
and fundraising events. In 
its early years, much of the 
funding came from the local 
Jewish community, including 
the Jewish Fund, which was 
critical to its start-up, says Ian 
Burnstein. 
Jewish foundations, busi-
nesses and individuals have 
been major contributors, but a 
professional development per-
son and the board are work-
ing to expand and diversify 
funding sources. In addition, a 
golf outing, Esteemed Women 
of Michigan awards dinner, 
and Hands that Care — a card 
playing event organized by 
Dana Burnstein — have all 
contributed to clinic opera-
tions. 

The clinic’s high quality of 
care and compassionate staff 
members are the elements that 
attract patients, volunteers and 
donors alike. Ian Burnstein, 
who is the founder of Storage 
Pros Management, says that 
whenever he brings business 
or personal acquaintances to 
visit GBCHC, they are always 
impressed and want to con-
tribute. 
Volunteers are equally 
engaged. “
Anyone who volun-
teers one shift is hooked,” says 
Lori Burnstein Taylor, Ian’s 
sister, who is the clinic’s board 
secretary and an administra-
tor in the Waterford School 

District. Volunteer providers 
include not only physicians, 
nurses, dentists and dental 
hygienists but also health care 
students from local universi-
ties who eagerly sign up for 
volunteer slots. 
Recently, the Burnstein fam-
ily worked with a consulting 
firm to plan for the clinic’s 
future. Lori Burnstein Taylor 
explains that their goal is for 
GBCHC to evolve from a fam-
ily organization into a com-
munity organization in order 
to ensure its longevity.
As a result, they decided 
that it was advisable to expand 
board leadership beyond the 
family. In September 2023, 
Linda Kovan, who has served 
on the board for eight years 
and is currently its secretary, 
will take over as board presi-
dent. Kovan, a businessowner 
and experienced volunteer 
leader, was formerly a dental 
hygienist and comes from a 
family of physicians. Burnstein 
family members will continue 
to serve on the board. 
The need for free medical 
care continues. As Sheila 
Louris says, “There are a lot of 
people out there like me.” 
According to the U.S. 
Department of Health and 
Human Services, in early 
2022, 11.8% of American 
adults were uninsured.
Ian Burnstein says that his 
father “would just be blown 
away” by what the clinic has 
become. Dana Burnstein is 
pleased at “how good his 
legacy is but he would have 
wanted to take his name off 
the building.” Ian and Lori 
agree. 
In addition to his name 
on the building, inside the 
clinic a smiling portrait of Dr. 
Burnstein reminds everyone 
of how it was started by one 
doctor who wanted to help 
people. 

Ian Burnstein and Linda Kovan in 
front of a portrait of clinic found-
er Dr. Gary Burnstein

Mary Lewis and Dr. Justin Brox

