TAMPA, Fla. — It's been nearly a year since a Florida immigration law took effect, requiring hospitals receiving medicaid funding to ask patients about their immigration status.

Since taking effect, some groups that work with immigrants say they are noticing more people avoiding the hospital.

What You Need To Know

  • Ministerio Mujeres Restauradas Por Dios is a religious organization that gives back to the community through food and help for women of domestic violence

  • Nancy Hernandez is the owner of the organization, she say the impact of a recent law on her clients is what led her to open a clinic to help immigrant families

  • The organization partnered with VARK Industries to open the clinic free of charge for the community

  • One is in Pasco County and another has since opened in Tampa

One Tampa group is trying to curb that issue, opening heath clinics in Pasco County and now Tampa.

The clinics are run as a partnership between religious organization Ministerio Mujeres Restauradas Por Dios and VARK Industries.

Nancy Hernandez, who runs the organization, says she wanted to offer free medical help, specifically for the immigrant community.

“After seeing all those people that would come scared and asking for help, I decided to open this as a blessing for them,” she said. “Offering them medical service at no cost to them.”

Patients at the clinic will see health care workers like Luiz Gonzalez Delgado, VARK industries’ lead phlebotomist.

Gonzalez Delgado has a history of volunteer work, doing it on and off for 36 years.

Over the years, he’s built a rapport with his patients, something he’s hoping to do at this new location in Tampa.

“A lot of these patients, I know them,” said Gonzalez Delgado. “They’re friends, they’re family.”

He says VARK Industries’ partnership is about an aligned goal of helping an underserved population.

Gonzalez Delgado says this clinic is aimed at helping patients get the best care. That process starts with registration, which lasts about an hour.

“We’re here to educate the people and those people that need treatment,” he said. “(Patients are) not afraid of asking questions because they don’t understand the language. That’s what we’re here for.”

The clinic is located at 4310 North Nebraska Avenue in Tampa. It is open on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.