A beacon of hope and healing serves Harrisburg's Uptown neighborhood

HERSHEY, Pa. — For decades, Jeanette Van Deusen, 52, had health insurance through her job. After her husband’s death, she returned to her hometown in central Pennsylvania to be near family. However, she said, she wasn’t able to find a job that provided insurance and couldn’t afford to see a doctor or refill her prescriptions. Her cousin recommended Beacon Clinic, a free primary health care clinic in Harrisburg’s Uptown neighborhood.

There, doctors got Van Deusen back on medication for her high blood pressure and gave her a cuff to monitor her readings between checkups.

Click here to view a gallery of photos from Beacon Clinic.

Penn State Health doctors and nurses volunteer at the clinic, working alongside Penn State College of Medicine students and residents who gain experience caring for diverse populations. Several Penn State Health employees and retirees also support the clinic as volunteers or board members. 

“I’m so grateful I found Beacon Clinic,” Van Deusen said. “They helped me stay on my medication and directed me to other resources I didn’t even know I needed. They open so many doors for you.”

‘Free care is not less-than care’

With blue and green walls lined with artwork, tables topped with complimentary personal care products and a fridge full of healthy snacks, Beacon Clinic aims to be a welcoming place. Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2025, the clinic serves uninsured and underinsured adults in Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry counties. Beacon Clinic cares for people of all backgrounds; patients speak more than 40 languages and come from more than 50 countries.

Bernadatte Gilbert, a family medicine physician at Penn State Health, volunteers her time to help people manage acute and chronic health problems such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, asthma and arthritis. 

For Gilbert, a Harrisburg native, improving community health is personal.

“My mom always says if you can help one person, you've done what you need to do,” Gilbert said. “I keep that in mind every time I go to Beacon Clinic.”

At the clinic’s dispensary, volunteers filled nearly 4,000 prescriptions last year. Thanks to a partnership with the Dispensary of Hope and local Harrisburg Pharmacy, patients can access any medications not in stock at no cost to them. 

The clinic also refers patients to specialty providers — dentists, eye doctors, neurologists, orthopedists, cardiologists and obstetrician-gynecologists — who offer their services free of charge.

“Free care is not less-than care,” said Debra McClain, executive director of Beacon Clinic.

Touching generations ahead

Beacon Clinic offers more than primary and preventive care and disease prevention — it also offers dermatology specialty clinics.

“We’ve helped patients with psoriasis, acne, pigmentary disorders, atopic dermatitis, fungal infections, and we’ve even caught a few skin cancers,” said Matthew Helm, a Penn State Health dermatologist who volunteers at the clinic. “Wait times at dermatology offices can be months long, so our Beacon Clinic patients are grateful that we can help them so quickly.”

Steve Gill, a 57-year-old carpenter and roofer, has had several basal cell carcinomas removed at the clinic. He said he suspects he developed those skin cancers from many years of working in the sun.

“I'm one of those people who falls between the cracks,” he says. “I'm self-employed and don't make enough to afford the high cost of insurance.”

Now, he said, Gill refers family members to Beacon Clinic. So does Van Deusen.

Access to health care is crucial, said Olivia Alcaraz, a nurse and clinical director at Beacon Clinic. “You're not just helping the individual — you’re also helping their family and generations to come.”

Medicine on your plate

Leesha Helm, a family medicine physician at Penn State Health Medical Group – Nyes Road in Harrisburg and associate medical director at Beacon Clinic, began volunteering at the clinic when she was a resident at Penn State College of Medicine.

“I quickly learned that patients and their families needed something that would ultimately impact all of their health outcomes – sustainable access to nutrition and food,” she said.

Together with Penn State College of Medicine and Beacon Clinic staff, Helm started the "Food as Medicine" program at the clinic in 2019. The initiative improves food access and food security through education and an on-site pantry with nonperishable and frozen foods.

“This is one of the few free clinics in our area with a strong nutrition education program and food insecurity support, which is crucial for the unique population we serve,” Helm said. 

Medical students from Penn State College of Medicine also play an important role in the clinic’s operation. Among their efforts was analyzing appointment no-show rates and recommending a text messaging app to remind patients about their visits. After this change was implemented, attendance improved.

Beacon Clinic also helps patients enroll in health insurance, including Medicaid, and connects them with transportation and housing. 

“We aim to have holistic appointments so that by the time patients walk out of here, we’ve addressed multiple social determinants of health to promote their well-being,” said clinical director Olivia Alcaraz.

Expanding access to quality health care is a key part of Penn State Health’s commitment to improving health equity. Learn more in the Penn State Health Community Health Needs Assessment and Implementation Strategy.