Partner Partner Content Matthew 25 & Parkview Health provide a safety net of free health care

This article was made possible by Parkview Health.

Dr. Mark O’Shaughnessy entered the medical field to help people. He’s spent 32 years working as a cardiologist at Parkview Physicians Group (PPG) Cardiology. With a strong conviction that helping others can and should be done anywhere and everywhere, he says he believes that each human life has the same intrinsic value, no matter what kind of financial standing or difficult circumstances a person is facing – everyone is deserving of help. 

Dr. O’Shaughnessy is one of the many doctors, physicians and staff who donate their time, talent, and services to provide no-cost health care to thousands of people in the Fort Wayne community through a partnership between Matthew 25 and Parkview Health. Together, the two organizations are working to keep folks out of the hospital and keep them healthy and able to live their lives. For Dr. O’Shaughnessy, the work holds a personal connection. 

“My father was instrumental in starting Matthew 25 back when it started almost 50 years ago,” he explains. “He was a dentist in town and started the dental clinic, and realized there was a need for the underserved population to have dental and health care.”

He adds, “The reason I do it is because I was taught by my father to give back to the community. Matthew 25 fits right into the idea of giving back to the community and taking care of people, no matter where they’re at and no matter what their social status is. It’s a great partnership and a great need, and we just have to be willing to help anybody and everybody. That’s why we do medicine, regardless of what their station of life is, that’s really important.”

Matthew 25 Health and Care provides care for 18+ adults who are low-income and do not have health insurance across northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio. Since 1976, the nonprofit healthcare center has provided everything from primary care, specialty care, dental care, vision care, and medications at no cost to individuals.

Prior to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), there was a large population of patients who were underserved, underinsured, or uninsured who couldn’t seek care until it was too late, says Dr. O’Shaughnessy. 

“They ended up in the emergency rooms with crises and bad medical problems that could have been prevented had we seen them earlier on,” he says. “Matthew 25 stepped into that gap and provided preventative care for these patients.”

While the introduction of the ACA lessened the load of many of these providers, Dr. O’Shaughnessy anticipates another rise in need due to changes in Medicaid via the Big Beautiful Bill. 

“I strongly suspect that the need for Matthew 25 is going to be increasing exponentially,” he says. 

Currently, in northeast Indiana counties, 13 percent of adults are uninsured, and 12.6 percent of adults in Allen County live below the poverty line. With help from trusted professionals and Parkview Health physicians who donate their time and talents, the partnership is able to serve an average of 120 patients a day — more than 30,000 patient visits each year. 

In 2025, Parkview Regional Medical Center and Affiliates supported Matthew 25 with $230,000 of granted funds, along with a partnership to provide charity care for underserved populations across 15 counties. With more than 25 specialty clinics, Matthew 25 proived more than 13,000 dental procedures, filled over 28,000 prescriptions, and dispensed 225 eyeglasses to patients last year alone. 

Michelle Creager, CPA, and CEO of Matthew 25, says this partnership fills a vital need in the community, impacting lives every day. 

“While I am not directly providing hands-on patient care, I take great joy in knowing that the work I do behind the scenes plays a vital role in transforming lives,” she says. “Each day serves as a reminder of the importance of humility and gratitude. The individuals we serve truly embody ‘the least of my brothers and sisters,’⁺ and when we care for them with kindness, dignity, respect and humility, we are living out God’s work and it’s incredibly rewarding.”

At Matthew 25, Dr. O’Shaughnessy sees cardiology patients who have hypertension and cardiac problems. 

“The patients I’m seeing are not ending up in the emergency room, they’re not ending up with a heart attack that could have been a preventable thing,” he says.

If they need a procedure like a stress test, electrocardiogram or heart catheterization, he refers them to Parkview. These expensive procedures are paid for by Parkview, helping alleviate those costs for patients. Volunteering his services at Matthew 25 has been incredibly rewarding for the doctor. 

“A lot of the patients, once they get on Medicare, they’ll see me at Parkview,” Dr. O’Shaughnessy says. “That’s been rewarding to see those patients I’ve been following for 30 years down at Matthew 25, and once they get Medicare, they’re able to see me in my office at Parkview.”

He also attributes the flow of medical information, via the electronic health record, as a game-changer for the partnership. This allows conversation back and forth between Parkview and Matthew 25, increasing the ability to best serve patients. 

While there are sometimes stigmas surrounding free health care, Dr. O’Shaughnessy wants the community to remember that these patients are people, and they’re hardworking people —  they’re friends, family, and neighbors. 

“It’s easy to make assumptions about populations using free clinics like Matthew 25, but I think it’s really important that the community understands this is a group of very hard-working people,” he says. “Some of them are working three jobs, but they aren’t able to access health benefits through their employers.  We’re filling that gap for them, and they are incredibly appreciative of the care they receive.  Every human life has the same intrinsic value.”

Both organizations hope to see the partnership continue for another 50 years, positively impacting the lives of those throughout the Fort Wayne community. 

“The opportunities before us to expand our reach, touch more lives, and bring hope to those in need are endless, and that keeps me inspired,” says Creager. 

⁺“The least of my brothers and sisters” refers to the most vulnerable or marginalized members of the community, according to Matthew 25:31-46 in the Bible.