Opening the area’s second free health center is about more than just offering health care for Dr. Cristina Medrano, a surgeon and former volunteer for the Champaign County Christian Health Center.

“I wanted people to know that there is hope; so that people in need know society recognizes their pain and that there is someone that will provide a source of hope in the community,” Medrano said.

She plans to open the Hope Community Health Center in August, but the approval of a proposal for space in the Green Street Center on the intersection of Green and Neil is still pending. The inability to find a location and legality issues have slowed down the development of the health center, Medrano said. The health center is looking to provide medical and psychiatric services for the counseling of patients. It will offer basic primary care for chronic illnesses for those who are under insured. The center will also work with patients who need help managing mental illnesses and other chronic conditions such as diabetes.

“In the long run I’d like to be able to offer vision care and dental care,” said Medrano. “I want to develop a referral system that can create a network with dentists that may work without compensation.

“As time goes on I would like to hire a secretary, a social worker and make the workers salaried.”

Medrano plans to recruit financial support through government services, grants, individual and private donations during the next year in order to develop the clinic.

“This is a passion of mine, and I know since I volunteered at the Christian Health Center that affordable health care is such a present need,” said Medrano. “I can’t think that someone is going to fend for help until someone decides to step in, something has to be done now.”

Medrano is also hoping to attract possible interns from the University of Illinois in order for medical students to have the opportunity to learn their profession hands on.

“I’m looking for pre-med and social services students,” said Medrano. “I have also connected with some students in the College of Business.”

The Social Entrepreneurship Summer Institute, also referred to as SESI, is a program that teaches business students and local non-profit organizations about marketing, accounting and the legalities that come with starting businesses through various sessions.

Students work as volunteers with local businesses to help them develop and launch a business plan.

Matt Briskin, a member of the institute and senior in economics, is one of the students working with Medrano for the opening of the Hope Health Center.

“We’ve been helping with writing business plans, finding volunteers by contacting organizations such as the pre-med club, the College of Nursing and the College of Medicine to recruit volunteers,” Briskin said. “We are also working on a Web site, logo and getting that copyrighted.”

Although the institute only runs through the summer months, Briskin said his team of four plans on seeing Medrano’s project through.

“It’s our own desire to get this started and continue to have an impact on the community,” he said. “It’s a pretty inspiring project, this means more to us than just getting something on our resume.”