TRI-CITIES, Wash.- August 3-9 is National Health Center week celebrating America’s 1,400 health centers.
Tri-Cities Community Health is a health center providing medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, and vision services. CEO of Tri-Cities Community Health, Kristy Needham, said it is their mission to eliminate reasons people may not have access to health care.
“Whether that’s cost, location, transportation, our job is to make sure that patients have access to affordable, high quality healthcare,” said Needham.
This year is the 60th anniversary of community health centers across the nation, highlighting 60 years of progress.
“One in eight people in the United State are actually served by community health centers for primary care,” said Needham.
Tri-Cities Community Health was founded by two women in the 80s who saw a need to serve the migrant and farmworkers community. According to Needham, during that time the center was called “La Clinica”eventually rebranding when they got their federal health care status in the 90s.
“The unique thing about us is our governing board has to be 51% patient majority,” said Needham. “That allows our patients to have a say in the care that’s given to them.”
