Philippine Cultural and Civic Center Foundation
Volunteers for a cause (Part 3 of "The Doctor is IN")

By Heidi M. Pascual

    The members of the Philippine Medical Association in Milwaukee have been volunteering their services at
the Free Clinic, headed by Dr. Violeta Singson, since its inception. This last installment will highlight two other
volunteers we talked to when we visited the clinic one Saturday last summer.
Dr. Johnny Singson
    Dr. Johnny Singson, like many Filipino doctors in Milwaukee, was educated in the Philippines. Unlike most
of them, however, he had his schooling from high school to college from the University of the Philippines (UP).
He immigrated to the U.S. in 1967 with Dr. Violeta Singson, his college sweetheart and wife of many years. He
has been in practice since 1973 in Milwaukee. "My practice is limited to hematology and oncology, so I don't
really see any general medicine cases," Dr. Johnny Singson said, but he has been a big help to the Free Clinic
since the beginning. "The Free Clinic has been busy since it started and it's really filling a void for those
people who are uninsured or underinsured. Many of them rely on this clinic as their primary care location. As
everyone else knows, the clinic is open to anybody. We don't discriminate."
    Dr. Singson admitted, however, that the Free Clinic's extent of care is limited. "I occasionally see somebody
with a possible diagnosis of breast cancer; but we don't really treat them at the clinic, we refer them elsewhere
if they need surgery or any other special medications," he explained, "because the clinic obviously cannot
afford to spend for these expensive drugs. We do some screenings; we've had mammograms done before in
cooperation with the health department, as well as a drug company that sponsored doing a mammogram
screen for patients. I think that was about three years ago. We've done some bone mineral density studies on
certain patients too, again in cooperation with some drug companies. We've been getting medical drug
samples from pharmaceutical companies, which is nice of them to donate."
    Dr. Singson usually helps in the pharmacy, filling prescriptions for  patients. "It gives you a good feeling that
you're able to help, of course," he said. "But I think one of our responsibilities as professionals and especially
physicians is, we have to realize that even in a rich country like the U.S., there are a lot of people who cannot
afford, or who do not even have access to medical care. Establishing a Free Clinic like this, hopefully, helps
the medical care of needy people. It's good to know that you can help and that the people are willing to come
and follow up with you in order for them to get better."

Barb Knippl
    Barb Knippl is an African American nurse who read a story about the Free Clinic and ha volunteered since
February last year. "It's fabulous; it's nice to see people that are gracious., who are happy to have health care;
who care enough to stay in the line to make sure that their blood pressure is OK," Knippl said. "They are happy
to receive medications for free. Plus, there's everything here; geriatrics, pediatrics, it's really a good
experience. To see the physicians helping people … I've done this work for 30 years, and I haven't seen a lot of
that. Everybody works well together; there's no ego around here. They take care of not just Filipinos but
everybody: White, Latinos, Serbs, Blacks. I'm sure the word spreads because they do a wonderful job; we've
seen some sick people and managed to get them to the right places so that they can get the medical care they
need. It feels good to be part of that. This is also the first time I have volunteered this way. I volunteer at my
church once in awhile. Here, it feels so good, everybody's like family."
    The Philippine Cultural Civic Center Foundation needs help to continue to provide services through its Free
Medical Clinic, and to realize its dream of building a center that will permanently house this clinic that serves
ALL people in need of medical help, as well as provide a space for community gatherings and activities that
benefit one and all. Please send your contributions/checks to PCCCF, 535 N 27th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53208.
Visit www.philippinecenter.com, or e-mail gerryramos@philippinecenter.com, for more information.
    Names mentioned by Dr. Elieser Suson --some of whom were present in the Clinic when Asian Wisconzine
visited it --  who were the foundations and "workers" of PCCCF: Thomas and Sue Sipin, Kris and John Suson,
Roger Austria, Asuncion Austria, Esmeraldo Rimande Davantes, Rica del Rosario, Salvador del Rosario, P.
Emraida Kiram, Corazon Loteyro, Gerardo Ramos, Manuel Ramos, Rudolfo Ramos, Michael Uy, Jocelyn "Jojo"
Ramos, Linda Ramos, Violeta and Johnny Singson, Jose Yamat, Jr., Dr. Primitivo Reynaldo, Atty. Manuel
Galang, Dr. and Mrs. Ramos Agor, Edna Lesada, Dr. Dexter Rebancos and many others.
(From top) Dr. Johnny Singson;
Linda Ramos (Clinic Administrator)
takes care of the pharmacy;
volunteers answer a patient's
query; Nieva and Ed Escall fill up
prescription bottles.