When I was a child, without fail, if our family passed a wreck, my dad would pull over to the side of the road and say apologetically to my mom, "Ann, I just feel like I need to see if I can help."

He taught us to be aware of what a privilege it is to be skilled and educated, believing that with training and opportunity came the responsibility to be available anytime people needed him, even if it happened to be inconvenient. As his daughter, I often felt that it was indeed inconvenient.

Both he and mom made the sacrifices they believed were necessary and so their offspring learned: compassion is a verb and a lifestyle.

There was a time in our recent history, as late as the early 70s, when needing a doctor meant that the doc saw you for free if you couldn't afford to pay.

"The good thing about being a doctor," my grandfather would tell his two sons who were also MDs, "is that your family never goes hungry, even in the Depression, because people will pay you with homegrown vegetables if they don't have money."

That was, of course, before the government stepped in, complicating the practice of medicine by introducing convoluted rules, massive paperwork, and the expense of extra staff to handle it all.

The good news is that there is a place where people are finding a way to serve patients again without any governmental programs.

It is Bethesda Health Clinic.

Walk in almost any day of the week, even Saturday, and the place is hopping with activity and volunteers.

Volunteer doctors and nurses provided over 11,000 patient visits last year. The folks at Bethesda, in a co-effort with PATH, connected patients with over a million dollars in free medicines in 2008.

Patient Advocates at Bethesda spend countless hours helping patients get the other non-medical attention they need. They connect patients with churches and other non-profits, along with government programs.

Do you know someone who desperately needs health care and can't afford it?

Bethesda serves the working uninsured of Smith County; patients must be no more than 200% above the poverty rate. All they need is proof that they have a job. The number is 903- 596-8353 to call for an appointment.

Patients are expected to make a small payment that is adjusted according to their income. In a way, the payment can't really be called a "co-pay" because there is no third party pay-er involved.

Just a bunch of doctors, nurses, volunteers, and donors giving their time and money to make Smith County a better place. To make life better for their neighbors.

The Gift of Compassion: pulling off the fast lane of life for a moment and doing whatever can help.

Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http://checklistcharlie.bl ogspot.com or cathykrafve@gmail.com.