When Lutfun Nessa pushed her walker slowly through the doors of the Cordoba Healthcare clinic in Peoria, she had no idea she represented the goal of an idea born 20 years ago in the mind of a young medical student in Chicago who had seen the devastating effects of inaccessible medical care in Pakistan.

Nessa, born in Bangladesh, has suffered from increasing, debilitating back pain for almost 20 years. It was 20 years ago when Dr. Wasim Ellahi, now a physician at Illinois Gastroenterology Institute in Peoria, first started thinking about a free specialty medical clinic.

His idea became a reality in Peoria recently.

Cordoba medical clinic aims to fill a gap in the community’s healthcare network. Peoria has free primary care clinics, but no access to specialists for people with chronic conditions and no money or insurance. This cuts off an estimated 7,000 people in the Peoria area from access to medical specialists for their chronic conditions. When these chronic conditions go untreated, they snowball into an increasing cycle of health issues. Even inadequate dental care can trigger cardiac problems and worse. Treated early, chronic conditions can often become manageable, less traumatic for patients and less costly for society.

That was the reasoning behind Ellahi’s thinking since his residency at Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Rush Medical University, Chicago. Ellahi grew up in Pakistan and saw the devastating effects of inadequate medical care. He didn’t think medical care had to be inaccessible in America, one of the wealthiest countries in the world.

“This idea germinated for 20 years,” said Ellahi.

He was having dinner several years ago with Muhammad Yousaf and other friends when the idea of a free specialty medical clinic was discussed. Everyone became engaged and committed. Their question was, why not?

Yousaf, now president of the board of directors at Cordoba Healthcare clinic, said, “This community has been good to us and our families. We are blessed with good jobs. We are safe here. We want to pay this community back.”

Board member Syed Uzzaman said, “We are part of this community it’s been good to us and our families. Health care is one way we can give back.”

Ellahi thinks the number of uninsured in the Peoria area may actually exceed the estimate of 7,000 people. The Illinois Association of Free & Charitable Clinics based in Chicago estimates there are 750,000 Illinoisans without health insurance.

Ellahi’s idea has grown. Associates who have worked with him for years came on board to volunteer.

After an intense year of research, planning and coordinating with the medical community in Peoria, Cordoba Healthcare was born in July. The free specialty clinic treats patients from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays at Heartland Community Clinic at Carver, 711 W. John Gwynn Jr. Ave.

Areas of specialization range from oncology, cardiology, gastroenterology and nephrology to pediatric gastroenterology and pulmonology. A dentist is available for exams and to review basic oral hygiene. Almost all these medical volunteers have full-time jobs during the week.

Jessica Davis, a medical assistant, and Kathy Mohns, R.N., have worked with Ellahi for years and were instantly on board with Cordoba.

“We are serving people who are underinsured or uninsured. They do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid, and Obama care is not an option for them because of cost,” Davis said. “They’d be going to the E.R.”

In that sense, Cordoba saves local hospitals the cost of dealing with patients with chronic conditions in the emergency rooms. Local hospitals, Heartland Clinic and the medical school were all supportive of the formation of Cordoba. Heartland Clinic and local hospitals refer patients to Cordoba.

“With the medical students, their excitement is palpable. He (Ellahi) teaches how to chart. They observe him and his diagnostic process. His passion, dedication and care for patients . . . ,” Davis said choking with emotion. “After working at this clinic, these medical students may never work at their medical career the same way again. This changes people.”

The clinic board of directors represents all faiths and professions from lawyers to engineers and physicians.

Up to this point, the clinic has operated with financial donations from the volunteers, their colleagues and families to cover the cost of lab work, insurance and equipment. The group is ready to reach out to the community to ask for donations.

Nicole McDonnough, a medical assistant, drew blood on a recent Sunday for complete lab testing for a patient who had a severe soccer injury.

McDonnough said her 8-year-old son had asked her that morning what she was going to do with her day.

“I told him I was going to volunteer at a doctor’s clinic that cares for people who wouldn’t otherwise have access to medical care,” she said. “His response was, ‘That’s awesome. That’s what I want to do when I grow up.’”

For more information:

Cordoba Healthcare, Heartland Community Clinic at Carver, 711 W. John Gwynn Jr., Peoria 61605; 309-340-8165; www.cordobahc.org; email, admin@cordobahc.com.