The Centra Foundation presented a $23,000 grant to the Heart of Virginia Free Clinic (HOVFC) on Monday.

The funds will sustain the operations of the HOVFC’s pharmacy, which provides antibiotics as well as medication for conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, heart disease, arthritis, gastronomical diseases and anxiety to those without insurance. As the HOVFC is a free clinic, the medication that it provides comes at no cost to the patient.

Previous grants from the Centra Foundation have enabled the HOVFC to establish its Medication Access Program (MAP) and provide dental services to patients who need them most.

“As the results of our most recent Community Health Needs Assessment indicate, access to affordable health care ranks as the number one need in the Farmville area,” Centra Foundation Executive Vice President Beth Doyle said in a statement. “Partnering with the Heart of Virginia Free Clinic (HOVFC) to serve this need allows Centra to reach outside of our hospital’s walls to improve the overall health of our community members. HOVFC does a great job in providing critical medications to low income patients throughout the Piedmont health district and Centra is pleased to help.”

The Centra Foundation, founded in 1993, provides resources to enhance medical services in communities throughout Central Virginia.

HOVFC Director Pat Payne thanked members of the foundation for the grant.

“It enables us to continue to give medicine to 100 people,” Payne said in a statement. “And there’s nothing more important than that.”

The HOVFC serves the seven counties within the Piedmont Health District, which includes Prince Edward, Cumberland, Buckingham, Nottoway, Lunenburg, Charlotte and Amelia. To learn more about the HOVFC, located at 1702 S. Main St. in Farmville, call (434) 315-5701.