Choptank Community Health System is celebrating its 40th anniversary in connection with National Health Center Week this Aug. 9-15. “Community Health Centers: Lighting the way for healthier communities today and in the future” is this year’s theme for the National Association of Community Health Center initiative.
Choptank Community Health System first opened in 1980 with one location and two health care providers in Goldsboro, Md. Choptank Health now provides medical, dental, pediatric, behavioral health, wellness, and school-based programs from six primary care centers in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot counties, serving nearly 30,000 patients in 2019.
“Community Health Centers: Lighting the way for healthier communities today and in the future” is this year’s theme for the National Association of Community Health Center’s Aug. 9-15 National Health Center Week.
Health centers are community-based organizations that serve all populations including those with limited access to health care. Choptank Health is one of 17 centers in Maryland serving more than 377,000 individuals, including those without insurance or an ability to pay.
“This year’s National Health Center Week honors those front line providers, staff, and patients whose lives have been lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Choptank Health CEO Sara Rich. “We are joining other Health Care Centers across the nation to ask you to light a candle during this week as a remembrance of those lost to the virus.”
Rich says Choptank will also highlight the innovative ways health centers are providing high-quality care, improving health outcomes, and narrowing health disparities through focused communications during the Aug. 9-15 promotion. Focus areas include children’s health; healthcare for people facing homelessness and agricultural workers; and appreciation days for patients and staff.
Choptank Community Health System CEO Sara Rich stands in front of Choptank Health’s newest facility that opened in Denton, Md. in Oct. 2019.
“Community Health Centers are not just healers; we are innovators who look beyond medical charts to address the factors that may cause poor health, such as poverty, homelessness, substance use, mental illness, lack of nutrition, and unemployment,” said Rich. “We are a critical piece of the health care systems and collaborate with hospitals, local and state governments, social, health, and business organizations to improve health outcomes for medically vulnerable people. We have pivoted to serving our communities through telehealth and drive-through COVID-19 testing, all while ensuring patients can access necessities like food and housing resources.”
Health Centers serve more than 28 million people nationwide and provide affordable, high-quality, comprehensive primary care to people from throughout the local communities, including those underserved and uninsured.
Choptank Community Health System’s mission isto provide access to exceptional, comprehensive, and integrated health care for all. Choptank Health’s vision is to improve the health and well-being of people in the communities served by providing outstanding care experiences while being an exceptional place to work and make a difference. More about National Health Care Week and Choptank Health is at choptankhealth.org.
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