Hero Story

Dr. Zielinski has been a longtime volunteer in the Dental Clinic at Care Free Medical, a nonprofit committed to providing high-quality, low-cost care for the un- and underinsured. He sees patients who would otherwise not have access to dental care, many of whom are people receiving routine dental care for the first time in their life. The absence of such care is severe and sometimes deadly. For over a decade, Dr. Zielinski has dedicated days away from his private practice and instead volunteered to see patients in need at Care Free. He provides many dental services to patients, one of the most vital being dental extractions. In the community served, many people have infected teeth needing extracting. These individuals cannot afford access to this operation, which can lead to serious health complications.

His impact in 2020 was more profound than ever -- when his private practice closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Zielinski chose to dedicate more volunteer time. He saw up to 30 patients a day (10 more a day than he normally would) at Care Free Dental, which was only open to see emergency patients. These patients were unable to be seen at hospitals already overrun and stretched thin by the pandemic. Dr. Zielinski made it possible for Care Free to keep providing emergency care to those most in need during a global pandemic. We owe Dr. Zielinski immensely for stepping up as a volunteer on the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic to help those most in need of care when it was more dangerous than ever.