Denny Duquette Memorial Clinic

The Denny Duquette Memorial Clinic.

The Denny Duquette Memorial Clinic (The Clinic) is a free clinic and part of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, opposite the ER. It was established by Miranda Bailey and named in honor of Denny Duquette, Jr., funded by the 8.7 million dollars that he had left to Izzie Stevens as inheritance.

History

Opening

Bailey wanted to start a free clinic at Seattle Grace, to allow people to have problems seen to early and catch serious disease early, such as cancer. Many, including the senior surgical attendings and Richard Webber, scoffed at this, as this was not even a surgical issue. Sydney Heron believed was a ploy to become Chief Resident.

Bailey did encounter one problem after she had the senior surgical physicians sign on. She had no funding for the clinic. After weeks of having her inheritance check lying around at home, making everyone anxious, Izzie put nearly all the money from the $8.7 million check into the development of the clinic.

In the beginning, the clinic was free with not much success but in season four, Bailey told Addison that it had begun making money. ("Piece of My Heart")

Change of Management

Bailey originally ran the clinic, but at the end of season four, she handed it over to Izzie Stevens as she was finding it hard to manage her time between the clinic, her OR schedule, her Chief Resident duties, her paperwork, and her family, knowing Izzie was the right person and good hands to leave the clinic in. ("Freedom, Part 2")

However, after Izzie was fired, the clinic was probably placed back under Bailey's supervision, as she became the go-to person for affairs regarding the clinic.

After the shooting, Chief Webber tried to convince Bailey to close down the clinic so that the hospital could open up a bariatric center, which is apparently one of the leading moneymakers in hospitals. Bailey refused and insisted that she would fight for it. ("Can't Fight Biology")

While running for Chief of Surgery, Bailey revealed the clinic is open on Wednesdays and Fridays and that she's still in charge of it. ("Sledgehammer")

Equipment

The clinic has several beds, a private consultation room, and is stocked and equipped for primary care.

The clinic is, however, not prepared for some medical emergencies. Despite a crash cart present, Cristina was forced to take a patient to the ER following breathing complications from TEN syndrome.

Generally, the clinic appears to be staffed by nurses and surgical staff, mostly interns with a few residents, previously Bailey and later Izzie, to supervise, though consideration is taken that the ER is across the ambulance bay from the clinic.

Notes and Trivia

• The clinic is where George and Callie first announced their marriage.
• Although the clinic was the object of attention in some season three and four episodes of Grey's Anatomy, it remained largely unmentioned and unseen during season five and subsequent seasons, spare for a few episodes.
• A planned parody of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" involving Denny Duquette's ghost was written for season five but never filmed.
• The clinic issues its own lab coat and ID badge, with a slight variation of the SGH insignia.
• The clinic is only open two days a week, according to Bailey. ("Sledgehammer")
• When Alex faced legal trouble after attacking Andrew DeLuca, he was assigned to work there. ("Catastrophe and the Cure")