A free medical clinic is on the way to Macon's Unionville neighborhood, bringing no-cost screenings, immunizations, and basic primary care to residents who have long gone without nearby options. The roughly $1.3 million project is pulling together local and federal dollars and is slated to open in early 2027. Ground was marked at a site on Pansy Avenue, where planners say Mercer medical students and volunteer clinicians will help staff the new clinic.
Macon-Bibb County has committed $763,550 in American Rescue Plan funds as a local match for the project, according to Macon-Bibb County. A separate $400,000 congressional community project award was secured by U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop as part of earlier appropriations work, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Local officials say that when those funds are combined with private donations and fundraising, the money is enough to move the clinic from planning into construction.
Site And Local Partners
The clinic is planned for a church-owned parcel on Pansy Avenue in the heart of Unionville, and Rev. Henry Ficklin, director of Keryx Ministries and pastor of Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church, is leading the effort, Macon Newsroom reported. Mercer University medical students are expected to assist physicians in a student-run model that brings clinical hours directly into the neighborhood. Keryx Ministries will coordinate volunteers and handle day-to-day operations for the clinic once it opens.
Funding, Timeline And Services
Organizers told 13WMAZ that the facility, expected to cost about $1.3 million, will offer health screenings, immunizations, and basic primary care at no charge to anyone in the area and is targeting an opening in early 2027. The land for the clinic was donated by local resident Bill Lucas, who told reporters the project “makes him feel great because he is part of the community.” Mayor Lester Miller and Rep. Sanford Bishop attended the groundbreaking, and organizers and residents said easier access to care could help reduce deaths from high blood pressure and other untreated conditions.
What’s Next For The Neighborhood
City planners have already cleared the use of the Pansy Avenue parcel under existing zoning, a step local officials say should speed up construction, Macon Newsroom reported. Macon-Bibb's American Rescue Plan allocation will serve as the county match to the federal dollars while organizers finish permitting and additional fundraising, county officials say. Neighbors who have pushed for better local services say the clinic is a meaningful step toward closing long-standing gaps in care in Unionville.
