Faces of 340B

Clarence Long, Chicago, IL

Clarence Long was laid off from his job in the Illinois Department of Corrections in 2001. It was a lousy time to get sick. He had diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Clarence’s medications cost up to $500 per month and he quickly depleted his savings. Happily, he found his way to a Mile Square Health Center run by the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System. “They became my caretakers,” says Long. The center supplied free medications and connected Clarence with a pharmacist who specialized in diabetes treatment, thanks to savings from the 340B program. They made him start paying attention to his health and enrolled Long in a class for diabetics. He took it seriously. “I went from being a patient to being a diabetic instructor,” Long explains. His health has stabilized and Long continues to use Mile Square for his medical needs. “I hope that Mile Square can last forever,” he says. “As far as I’m concerned, there are no better people on earth.”