A Federally Qualified Health Center.
Founded by Community Action in 1991, the Center for Healthy Beginnings began 30 years ago as a small prenatal clinic, caring for pregnant women and delivering babies. In 1994, the Center changed its name to the Center for Family Health (CFH), adding primary medical services and serving individuals in Jackson County and the surrounding areas. In 2000, the Center was named a federally qualified health center (FQHC) serving babies, children, teens, and adults of all ages regardless of ability to pay.
The Centers’ mission is “Opening the door to health care for all,” and our vision is “together we make good health happen.” In 2020 the Center served more than 36,000 patients, 95% of whom are considered low-income and racially diverse. Our health center provides comprehensive primary health care, behavioral health services, and dental services through a 22-chair dental clinic. We operate seven sites which include a main medical facility, a dental clinic, three urban and one rural school health centers, and a part-time primary care clinic co-located with the local community mental health agency to serve its population.
The Center accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and most commercial health insurance, and it works with patients to enroll them in appropriate health-care plans. However, no one is turned away due to inability to pay. The Center also operates an onsite pharmacy and a walk-in clinic.
Health Centers are Rooted in the Civil Rights Movement
Learn more from the latest article by the National Association of Community Health Centers.
The Center for Healthy Beginnings opens at 817 W. High St. Founded by Community Action Agency, the Center hopes to bring down Jackson County’s high infant mortality rates by offering prenatal medical care.
Center for Healthy Beginnings' name changes to the Center for Family Health as primary medical care services is added.
Center named a Federally Qualified Health Center
Dental services are added through a merger
with Jackson Area Dental Clinic.
The Northeast Health Center, the Center’s first school-based clinic, opens through a partnership with Jackson Public Schools.
Behavioral health services added.
The Parkside Health Center opens at the Middle School at Parkside.
The mobile dental unit starts visiting area schools.
After a successful capital campaign, the new Downtown Facility opens at 505 N. Jackson St., bringing all of the Center’s services under one roof and adding a Pharmacy.
Third school-based clinic, Jackson High Health Center, opens.
Walk-In Clinic opens at the Downtown Facility.
Fourth school-based clinic – Northwest Community Health Center – opens at R.W. Kidder Middle School, through a partnership with the Northwest School District.
Center for Family Health at LifeWays opens.
Center is designated a Patient-Centered Medical Home by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
Medical residents, through a partnership with Henry Ford Allegiance Health, start seeing family-medicine patients.
Northwest Community Health Center serves adults in addition to children and teens.
New medical-care center opens in Hillsdale
New Dental Clinic opens at 500 N. Jackson Street, extending dental services beyond children to all adults.
Northeast Health Center expands services to offer primary medical care to adults.
All patient medical records were transferred from one digital system, NextGen, to another, Epic. Called MyChart, the system is available 24/7, is private and secure, and enables doctors to access all of an individual patient’s records easily.
All four Center school health centers received a Level 3 Patient-Centered Medical Home Certification from the National Committee for Quality Assurance.
Through a partnership with the Jackson County Jail, the Center helps inmates fight opiate addiction, using Vivitrol, a medication that reduces cravings for illegal drugs.
Parkside Health Center accepts adult patients.
Services of a psychologist and a psychiatrist are added for patients.
The Center is tapped as a community COVID-19 testing site.
The Center celebrates 30 years!
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