It is easy to see why Wiggin finds her job as the clinic’s prescription assistance specialist and certified counselor for the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program so rewarding.
“The thanks that people give us,” said Wiggin, who has been named a Dayton Daily News Community Gem.
The 81-year-old Troy woman started as a volunteer at the clinic in 2009 and became a staff member just a month later. More recently, she was named the 2024 Free Clinic Staff Member of the Year by the Charitable Healthcare Network in partnership with the Ohio Department of Health.
“I cannot imagine anyone more deserving,” said Deb Miller, the executive director of Health Partners Free Clinic, which serves the uninsured and underserved in Miami and surrounding counties.
The clinic receives many drugs for free for its patients, but getting them takes time, Miller said. Wiggin’s tenacity and persistence makes it happen. Miller said Wiggin can sometimes be found on two different phones, talking on one and on hold on the other.
“We’re very blessed to get the free drugs, but it’s not an easy process,” Miller said.
While part of Wiggin’s work is behind the scenes, she also talks to clinic visitors face-to-face.
Many of them have never had insurance, and Miller said that Wiggin has the patience to explain the industry terms they encounter. In addition, she offers Medicare counseling sessions.
Her roles at the clinic have saved patients thousands of dollars.
In 2023, she provided more than 200 Medicare counseling sessions, helping those she served understand their options and saving them almost $100,000.
Wiggin said that those who visit her may be completely bewildered by Medicare, and she provides unbiased information.
“We try to simplify it for them,” she said.
Miller said that some that Wiggin counsels don’t know what they are eligible for. Some have never before enrolled in Medicare, and Wiggin helps them find the best option and avoid penalties.
What’s more, Wiggin’s role as a prescription assistance specialist enabled her to acquire 541 no-cost prescriptions in 2023, with a value of more than $550,000.
In addition to medical care and medication assistance, the clinic’s services include chronic care management, acute care and patient education.
Miller noted that not every county has a free clinic. Not only is it a benefit to be home to one, but it is an honor to provide services there.
“The community is only as healthy as the people who live there,” she said.
Wiggin grew up in New Jersey, where she went to college and met her husband of 57 years, Keith. His work as a pastor took them across the country and continent, from California to Canada, before settling in the Miami Valley in 2001.
For now, Wiggin steadily helps patients no matter what the hours might bring.
“There is no typical week,” Wiggin said.
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