With a record-level of new patients this year, TOMAGWA HealthCare Ministries launched a new campaign Oct. 1 to raise funds for additional resources and meet the clinic's growing demand for service.

"The 'Pay It Forward for Annabel' site is an effort to reach people online that we haven't been able to reach before," said Steven Lightfoot, senior development director for TOMAGWA HealthCare Ministries. "We're community funded. We're hoping, as far as funding goes, we can reach beyond the limits of our service area to see if people that may not necessarily be in Tomball, Waller or Magnolia might be interested in our story."

The inspiration behind the "Pay It Forward for Annabel" online campaign is a single mother named Rachel who first visited TOMAGWA early this summer. Rachel recently lost her full-time job and was unable to afford medical care for her daughter Annabel. Lightfoot said Rachel and Annabel represent two of the thousands of low-income, uninsured patients who visit the clinic each year in search of medical care.

Spanning until the end of October, the goal of the campaign is to raise $150,000 to support the monthly cost of providing medical care for TOMAGWA patients, Lightfoot said.

In 2013, TOMAGWA treated 3,400 patients through 13,000 total visits. By June 2014, TOMAGWA was already on track to double its patient load to 6,800 for the year and has set a record-high level of service in the organization's 25 years in the community, Lightfoot said.

"We have experienced an unprecedented amount of patients," Lightfoot said. "The current health care environment has just produced a patient load we are just not used to. It took us by surprise this year. Unfortunately, our resources have not been able to keep up."

As of Oct. 1, Lightfoot said TOMAGWA has been forced to place a temporary moratorium on accepting new patients due to a lack of funding and significant rise in service demand. The implications of the Affordable Care Act and an increase in residents losing their jobs or being reduced to part-time work have played a factor in the surge of new patients this year, he said.

Instead of turning away new patients outright, TOMAGWA employees plan to meet with residents and direct them to other resources in the community until the organization has reached a stable funding level, Lightfoot said.

TOMAGWA announced additional budget cut measures Oct. 9, including staff cuts and reductions in hours and salaries, Lightfoot said. The clinic will now operate four days a week and close on Fridays to help conserve resources and utilities.

"If you're a new patient and you walk in here, more than likely we won't be able to treat you," Lightfoot said. "We don't want to just turn anybody down and put them on the street. The reality is with the patient load we have now and the lack of financial resources we're experiencing, we've got to draw a line until the community responds."

One day after its launch, the "Pay It Forward for Annabel" campaign has raised $245. Lightfoot said he encourages residents to read Annabel's story on the campaign website, donate funds, leave testimonies and share the message with others.

For more information on TOMAGWA's campaign, visit www.causewish.com/project/pay-it-forward-for-annabel.