McAuliffe spoke at the health clinic in Chantilly in front of an audience of nearly 80 people, including Fairfax County Supervisor John Foust (D), local state Del. Kathleen Murphy (D) and former state senate candidate Jill McCabe (D).
After a short prayer from the Qu’ran and a Pledge of Allegiance led by a group of local boy scouts, the board of directors, doctors and delegates spoke to reinforce the notion that, the clinic is open to all faiths.
‘Interfaith Outreach’
ADAMS Compassionate Healthcare Network (ACHN), founded in 2013, is a volunteer nonprofit clinic, which provides healthcare to uninsured, low-income individuals.
‘’Health insurance is an obstacle to so many patients needing care,’’ chairman of the clinic’s board and director of health services Dr. Yahya Alvi said.
Prior to his speech, Gov. McAuliffe took a tour of the health clinic, which provides services including routine check-ups and lab work. He also met a patient who received his first 3D printed prosthetic arm, which the governor praised as “innovative and incredible.”
Commending the center for its contribution to the state, McAuliffe said, “We are different here in Virginia.” The governor cited the commonwealth as the first state to accept all faiths when President Thomas Jefferson signed the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in 1786 and set a precedent for religious liberty that was later set in the First Amendment of the Constitution.