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Federally Qualified Community Health Center
New Horizon Family Health Services, Inc. is a Federally Qualified Community Health Center (CHC). It is one of more than 1,200 such community-based non-profit corporations in the country. (National Association of Community Health Centers – NACHC) Health centers were originally legislatively authorized more than 40 years ago, under President Johnson’s Administration’s war on poverty, to ensure access to care for the low-income and medically underserved. They provide a “medical home” and focus on basic health needs as well as addressing health disparities in their communities. CHC’s are partially federally funded to subsidize the cost of care to uninsured patients. They also accept private insurance, Medicaid, and Medicare. Additionally, many veterans, with health care coverage provided through the Veterans Administration, receive medical services at health center facilities.
Every CHC must comply with the following statutory requirements: be governed by the community served, with 51% of board members being users/patients of the center; target resources on high need areas; provide treatment regardless of income or insurance status; and provide comprehensive primary care. They do not provide free care, but must instead offer a sliding-fee scale discount to eligible patients who cooperate with federal requirements to provide proof of income. The effective financial operation of the CHC must be validated through an annual independent financial audit, as required by DHHS/HRSA.
CHC’s serve over 20 million people at 8,000 delivery sites throughout the US and its territories. According to NACHC “Health Centers save the national health care system between $9.9 billion and $17.6 billion a year by helping patients avoid emergency rooms and making better use of preventive services.” They serve 20% of low-income uninsured people, and provide comprehensive care, including physical, mental and dental care.
Beginnings of New Horizon in Greenville County
Greenville County’s CHC was established in 1992 as Greenville Community Health Center (GCHC) and initially provided services from the 8th floor of the old Greenville General Hospital (GGH). The first Board of Directors included local physicians, Ron Rolett MD at the Health Department and Jim Alexander MD, then at the GHS ER. At that time, the center had only a few doctors and served about 2,500 people. After a couple of years on the 8th floor, the old Emergency Room at GGH was renovated and provided a more convenient home for GCHC At the same time an independent Rural Health Clinic (RHC), Slater-Marietta Health and Human Services, was located in the mill village of Slater in Northern Greenville County. There was a nurse practitioner on site supervised remotely by Donna Millar MD at GHS who served as the RHC’s Medical Director. In 1998, Greenville Community Health Center moved into its current permanent site. In 1999 the two organizations merged, forming New Horizon Family Health Services. Dr. Millar continued as the Medical Director until 2002. Lori Malvern MD served as the Medical Director from 2002 through 2006. Stephanie Brundage MD is the current Chief Medical Officer.
New Horizon Today
Today, New Horizon Family Health Services operates a system of free-standing practices, including seven primary care offices. The headquarters and main practice site is a 16,000 s/f facility with over 24 exam rooms located on Mallard Street in downtown Greenville. The remaining offices are strategically located in high need areas of the county, including Simpsonville, Berea, Travelers Rest and Greer. Additionally, it operates a dental practice, a Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) Mobile Medical Unit, serving 13 upstate counties, and a Mobile Dental Unit in collaboration with Bon Secours St. Francis and Greenville Technical College. The center’s Ryan White Part C HIV/AIDS program, serving 850 patients in 10 counties, is administered from one of its adult medicine primary care satellite offices. Full-time pharmacies are located at the downtown Mallard Street location, at the West End Medical Alliance office off Pendleton Street, the Greer and Travelers Rest locations.
Over 70,000 medical, dental and behavioral health visits are provided to 20,000 patients annually. Over 140,000 prescriptions are filled on site. Currently 25 full and part time physicians and three dentists are employed by New Horizon. Also serving are 12 nurse practitioners and 3 private specialty groups who rotate in the office. The organization employs nearly 150 people in total.
Services include comprehensive primary and preventive care; same day/sick care; lab testing; pediatric, adolescent and adult medical care; limited specialty care; family planning, immunizations, management of chronic diseases, dental services, pharmacy, behavioral health, health education, nutrition counseling, Medicaid eligibility, case management and translation. The medical team includes Family Medicine Physicians, Internists, Pediatricians, Nurse Practitioners, Dentists, Hygienists and MSW Clinical Counselors. Pharmacists, Patient Educators, Dieticians, Patient Care Advocates and a full complement of support staff complete the care team.
New Horizon maintains strong working relationships with many other health and human service providers, hospitals and other agencies. These relationships and its medical home model support the goal of everyone in the community having a healthy and productive life. NHFHS’ mission is to improve the health of our communities by providing quality, affordable, compassionate, patient-centered health care.
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