News & Events

ECHO Secures Permanent Building for Free Health Clinic!!!

At 10 o’clock the morning of Friday, September 4, 2009, Eureka Christian Health Outreach, more commonly known as ECHO, took a giant step to securing a permanent home for their free health clinic that extends medical services to those in the Eureka Springs (AR) area who cannot afford health care. The site for this “step” was on the steps of the Carroll County Courthouse-Western District when Dr. Dan Bell, Medical Director, placed a winning bid on a building located here at 4004 East Van Buren. Formerly operated as the Yesteryears Antique Mall, the building sits at the corner of U.S. Highway 62 and Rock House Road.

“Ever since we opened our clinic doors at Faith Christian Family Church four years ago, we have dreamed of and prayed for a permanent home for our clinic,” Bell explained. “Not only will it make it easier on our nearly 100-plus volunteers who have to set up and then take down a full-blown medical clinic twice a month, it will allow us to eventually expand our services offered to our patients. We have placed bids on two other buildings over the last few years, but this facility is far superior. It is in a better location with good parking; and we are acquiring it at a remarkably good price. I personally feel some divine intervention with this development.”

ECHO, which serves patients in need on the second and fourth Thursday evenings of each month, has been recognized “around the world” as a loving, professional, faith-based clinic through news accounts from such sources as ABC World News Tonight, People Magazine, and Oprah Winfrey’s television program. Numerous local and regional news sources have added to the positive publicity of this clinic located in a town of 2,200 citizens.

“What we do for our patients has everything to do with our incredible volunteers and medical staff, but also the generous financial support that the community has given to ECHO,” Bell noted. “With all glory going to God, our thanks go out to those who have helped us get to the level we are at today. But today, we are calling on those same friends and fans and a whole host of new ones to step up and join with us as we take ECHO to the next level as a free-standing clinic with a fund-raising retail business to more effectively provide health care for those in need.”

Bell stated that an ECHO building fund capital campaign will be launched in mid-September outlining the design of the new clinic, the estimated cost of such construction plus the cost of needed clinic equipment, and how corporations, businesses, clubs, churches and individuals can get involved to help raise the needed funds.

“I explained during our interview on Oprah that to date no one has ever turned us down when we presented a need for our clinic. I have faith that this remarkable community will continue to support ECHO in an incredible way on through the ribbon cutting of our new facility,” Bell concluded.

ECHO volunteers gathered on the steps of the Carroll County Western District Courthouse to hear the good news regarding the acquisition of a building providing a permanent home for their free health clinic for those unable to afford healthcare.

The volunteers are pointing to the sky giving God the glory for the blessing of the acquisition.