Knoxville

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The Knoxville Division honors Dr. Tom Keun Kim for establishing the Free Medical Clinic of America, a non-profit organization that provides health care to the uninsured citizens of Knoxville, Tennessee.

As a physician specializing in internal medicine and hematology-oncology, Dr. Kim founded the non-profit health clinic to “repay his debt to America for the gift of a new life.” Originally from North Korea, Dr. Kim’s family escaped the communist country when he was 6 years old and eventually moved to the United States.

In 1993, Dr. Kim founded the Free Medical Clinic of America as a Christian mission to serve the working poor by providing totally free health care services, including lab work and radiology services. This care is provided to those who often most desperately need medical attention but have no means to pay for their care. Since opening his first clinic, Dr. Kim has opened four additional clinics in the East Tennessee area. The five clinics dovetail nicely with Dr. Kim’s “five fingers” philosophy—“one day, one doctor, one patient, one church, and one dollar”—to deliver free medical care to underprivileged citizens. Dr. Kim believes his faith calls him to love his neighbors, including providing the less fortunate with the health care they deserve.