A Free Clinic Breaking the Cycle of Crisis Care

For many individuals living with chronic disease, healthcare becomes a cycle of crisis—relying on emergency rooms for reactive treatment rather than receiving consistent, coordinated care. The Bread of Healing Clinic (BOHC) is changing that reality through an integrative model that treats the whole person, not just the condition.

Founded in 2000, BOHC provides free, trauma-informed healthcare across three Milwaukee locations, serving low-income, uninsured adults with complex medical needs. This approach is especially critical for patients managing chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease—many of whom have also experienced trauma.

Screenings show that 30–50% of patients have faced traumatic events, increasing their risk for both physical and mental health challenges. In response, BOHC combines clinical care with counseling, care coordination, and connections to resources like food, housing, and insurance—helping patients stabilize their lives and actively manage their health.

“When care is coordinated and centered on the whole person, patients move from surviving crisis to managing their health with dignity.”

~ Dr. Barbara A. Horner-Ibler, Medical Director and Physician at the Bread of Healing Clinic.

As demand has grown, including a 30% rise in visits tied to Wisconsin’s Medicaid re-evaluation, BOHC has strengthened partnerships with local educational institutions and Advocate Aurora Health to expand capacity.

For one patient seeking a diagnostic mammogram, this model meant the difference between delay and action. After exhausting other options, she turned to BOHC and was quickly connected to imaging, diagnosis, and treatment—along with ongoing support to navigate her care.

This work reflects nearly three decades of investment from Siebert Lutheran Foundation. It also builds on recent capacity-building support, including participation in Siebert’s Major Gift Cohort, which strengthened fundraising efforts and generated new support from individual donors.

By shifting healthcare from reactive to relational and preventative, the Bread of Healing Clinic is helping individuals manage chronic disease, regain stability, and move forward with dignity.