Programs

Specialty Physician Program

The Specialty Physician Program enables qualified residents of Manatee County to receive specialty medical services that they could not otherwise afford.  All services provided through this program are done by various specialists within the County on a completely voluntarily basis. 

The current specialties offer through this program include:

• Cardiology (acute care only)
• Chiropractic
• Dermatology
• Gastroenterology
• General Surgery
• Gynecelogic Oncology
• Gynecology
• Internal Medicine
• Nephrology
• Neurology
• Neurosurgery
• Ophthalmology
• Orthopedics
• Orthopedic Surgery (hips and knees only)
• Otolaryngology (ENT)
• Physiatry
• Plastic / Reconstructive Surgery
• Radiation Oncology
• Rheumatology
• Urology

Based on the current demand for some specialties, referrals will be denied due to the inability to provide services in a timely manner.

Please Note: For high demand specialties eligible patients will have a significant wait. Please be patient. We are not an emergency provider.

To enroll in this program an individual needs to be referred by his or her primary care physician (Patient Referral Form (pdf) and must meet the following criteria:

• 18 to 64 years of age
• have no form of health insurance coverage
• reside in Manatee County, Florida
• earn at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level and cannot pay for the needed speciality medical services

Pharmaceutical Program

The Pharmaceutical Program provides individuals who are enrolled in the Specialty Physician Program to obtain prescription medication prescribed by one of We Care's volunteer specialty physicians free of charge. This allows We Care Manatee physicians to medically manage their patients more effectively. Some restrictions apply.

Free Primary Care Clinic

We Care Manatee operates a Free Clinic to provide primary medical care to low-income residents who do not have health insurance and who cannot afford the cost of a doctor's visit.  The clinic is located at:

One Stop Center
701 - 17th Avenue West
Bradenton

Appointments are required: 941-755-3952 x2

The clinic is open the 3rd Saturday of each month (closed annually in June) from 9:00am to 12:00pm and provides primary medical care to low income Manatee County residents.  As with We Care's Specialty Program, all medical care provided through the clinic is by volunteer physicians and nurses.

To learn more about our clinic, please call We Care Manatee's administrative office at 755-3952.

Program Exclusions

Exclusions to Specialty Physician and Pharmaceutical Programs include, but are not
limited to, the following:

• Victims of motor vehicle accidents still under investigation or not settled
• Disability determination or any open disability cases
• Outside requests for medication or medical devices/equipment only
• Workman’s Compensation cases from any state
• Patient involved in litigation or potential litigation regarding a specific condition
• Second medical opinions
• Diagnostic testing (e.g. x-rays, MRI, EKG)
• Previous medical bills or expenses
• Birth control
• Infertility
• Pain management
• Chemotherapy
• Elective cosmetic surgery (e.g., varicose veins, benign skin lesions)