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Community health clinics could be on the front lines of seeing patients with the coronavirus disease, especially people without health insurance.

William Ostdiek, a family physician and the chief medical officer at Charles Drew Health Center, said it’s likely that people exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 will show up at community health centers like Charles Drew and OneWorld. No Charles Drew patients had tested positive for the coronavirus as of Friday.

“The reality of it is we are going to be primary first contact for a lot of people with illness or suspected illness as we see this spread in the community like most people think it’s going to,” he said.

More than 40% of Charles Drew Health Center’s patients do not have health insurance, and the center sees a lot of walk-ins, too. Providers there continue to hammer home the message that people can seek care there if they suspect they have COVID-19 or any other health condition, regardless of insurance coverage or ability to pay.

“We exist as a health care organization to do everything we can to make lack of insurance not be a barrier to care,” Ostdiek said. “And that’s always ... our message to our patients.