Ithaca Health Alliance

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In 1997, activist and 'social entrepreneur' Paul Glover, then living in Ithaca, launched the Ithaca Health Fund, a coop run by, and to help meet the healthcare needs of its members. The Ithaca Health Fund (IHF) [1] is now a part of the broader Ithaca Health Alliance (IHA) organization.

IHA states that the IHF "has been established to facilitate access to health care and increase wellness in our communities. IHA General Members are eligible for grants or interest free loans to help with specific health care expenses: these include preventative care, certain emergency procedures, and dental care" [2].

Launched in January 2006, the Ithaca Free Clinic (IFC) is one of the Ithaca Health Alliance's other major projects. The Ithaca Free Clinic "offers totally free integrative health & wellness services, combining complementary / alternative and mainstream medicine" [3] provided by a volunteer staff of doctors, herbalists, acupuncturists, massage therapists and other health care practitioners. Other programs of the IFC include a health resource library, and nutritional and educational programs [4].

IHA operations are based on transparency in finances and decision making; complete lists of grants approved, applications rejected, and annual financial summaries and quarterly financial reports are available online [5]. The Board of Directors is elected by a direct vote of IHA's membership [6].

IHA itself is part of a wider Health Democracy movement [7] in which Paul Glover is a leader and advocate. In 2006 he published the book Health Democracy which has received the support of prominent figures such as Hazel Henderson and Patch Adams [8].