By Cindy Peterson
State Leaders Present $400,000 to Lake County Medical Clinic
Florida Rep. Nan Cobb and Sen. Keith Truenow presented a $400,000 state appropriation check to the AdventHealth Community Primary Health Clinic in Eustis, which provides free primary care for uninsured residents of North Lake County. This year, the clinic celebrates 25 years of providing care and serves about 60 patients each week, many of whom have delayed care because of cost or lack of access to medical care.
“Our priority in the legislature is ensuring Florida families have access to quality health care close to home,” says Rep. Cobb. “This appropriation reflects our commitment to supporting the clinic and programs by meeting people where they are and remove barriers to care.”
Sen. Truenow added, “Partnerships like this show what happens when state and community resources come together. This funding strengthens the clinic, which has already proven its value, and it will extend that care to even more neighbors in need.”
The AdventHealth clinic provides free, non-emergency care, screenings and connections to services such as food, housing and transportation. Many patients arrive with unmanaged chronic conditions, while others are facing new or unexpected health concerns without anywhere else to turn.
“This clinic gives people the chance to take care of their health without the weight of wondering how they’ll pay for it,” says Edlyn Fernandez, manager of the AdventHealth Community Primary Health Clinic. “Thanks to this funding, we are able to expand our level of care so more people in our community can receive the consistent support they need to stay healthy and move forward with their lives.”
AdventHealth identified access to care, health education and service coordination as top local needs in its 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment. The clinic helps close these gaps by providing consistent, trusted care and by connecting patients to resources beyond medical treatment.
Supported through both public and private funding, the clinic provides compassionate care to uninsured residents of Lake County. This year, the clinic received a Gold Rating from the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, the highest recognition awarded to clinics caring for uninsured and underserved adults.
Originally from the small town of Berryville, Arkansas, Cindy has become a multimedia specialist in journalism, photography, videography, and video editing. She has a B.S. in Communications from the University of Central Arkansas and produces Style Magazine's Sports Hub Podcast and the Healthy Living Podcast. She also produces for Beacon College’s Telly Award-winning PBS show, “A World of Difference.” When she isn’t working, Cindy loves traveling the National Parks with her husband , Ryan, and son, David, photographing wildlife.
