By Raquel Daisy 

Photo Courtesy of Cornerstone Assistance Network

Fort Worth, Texas (July 15, 2011) – NTSP physician, Dr. Rebeca Sharp, is exceeding the needs of her patients and lending a hand to the less fortunate in her community through volunteer work with Cornerstone Assistance Network (CAN).

Dr. Sharp began her work at Cornerstone Assistance Network 10 years ago and was recently named Medical Director of Health Services. “For all I have given, I have received three times back,” said Dr. Sharp. “Watching people smile and being so grateful helps keep me balanced.”

Cornerstone Assistance Network (CAN) is a non-profit, faith-based organization located in Fort Worth, Texas. Founded in 1992, CAN works to meet the needs of individuals and families in Tarrant County by offering free services and programs including:

• Free health clinic providing
• Non-emergency services
• Diabetic and Heart Education including cooking classes and exercise facility
• Women’s healthcare through Texas Health Resources Mobile Unit
• Lab work, medications and medical supplies
• Job re-training and GED programs
• Men and women re-entry programs for former inmates
• Transitional and permanent housing assistance
• Access to their thrift Store
• Food Pantry

Cornerstone was recently named one of three recipients of an NTSP Charitable Fund grant. This grant has allowed Cornerstone to complete a new exercise facility that will be open for their clients very soon. CAN is continually growing with the help of its community partners. Later this fall, CAN’s medical clinic will be the first free clinic in North Texas to offer free cataract procedures to eligible individuals. This would not be possible without the help of community partners and donated equipment from Alcon.

Over 700 volunteers give their time and expertise to keep CAN going. The organization is always in need of more volunteers; especially physicians who would like to lend their time and skill to assist the individuals in the medical clinic. “If you have one weekend or half day or less than that, we’ll take it,” said Dr. Sharp. “These people are really loving people.”

Dr. Sharp was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island in 1986, completed her medical studies at UT Southwestern in 1992 and completed her medical residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in 1995. She was Texas Health Resources 2010 physician of the year. A free moment is often far and few between for this active mother of two teenagers. However, when she does have time, Dr. Sharp enjoys walks with her husband, cooking, scrapbooking and reading a book.

Dr. Sharp is an internal medicine physician and assistant medical director with Northeast Tarrant Internal Medicine Associates. She has been with NTSP since 2001 and is a participating physician in the Care N’ Care Medicare advantage plan. For more information about Cornerstone Assistance Network, visit their website at www.canetwork.org.

For more information about NTSP, visit www.ntsp.com.