St. Mary Health Center Medical and Dental Clinic in Wilmington, N.C., has begun to move out of its building after facing a legal battle with the Basilica of St. Mary, WECT reported Nov. 16.
Seven notes:
1. The clinic is the city's only surgical dental clinic that provides free services to low-income patients.
2. The clinic received a notice from the Basilica of St. Mary in April to vacate the building by July 1, and was later served an eviction notice in August.
3. A judge dismissed the eviction notice in September, allowing the clinic to continue operating while working with the church on a new timeline to vacate the building.
4. After a video came out in October that allegedly showed the locks on the clinic being changed, the clinic filed a restraining order against the church to allow it to begin serving patients again.
5. Laura Vinson, executive director at the clinic, said she was offered to keep the clinic open until Dec. 13 if the clinic released a joint statement with the church, which she declined.
6. The clinic began transporting its equipment and other items to a nearby warehouse in order to be out of the building by Nov. 20.
7. The clinic plans to announce its new location in the next two weeks.