The first two clinics, in East Tacoma and in the Hilltop area of Downtown Tacoma, were operated one or two nights a week by volunteer physicians with the help of other citizens handling logistics and paperwork. In the early 1970s limited funding was obtained from the federal Model Cities Program to support the continuation of the clinical services. In 1980 a new federal funding resource called The Urban Health Initiative made it possible for the county Health Department to take over the operation of the two clinics and to establish two additional clinics, one in Sumner and one in Lakewood.
In 1987, with the passage of the federal Public Health Service Act, funds became available to place the clinic operations under the leadership of a private, non-profit organization separate from the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. Community Health Care Delivery System (CHCDS) was chartered in late 1986 and took over the operation of the four clinics under the direction of Ms. Florence Reeves as Executive Director. Ms. Reeves was a Registered Nurse who had headed the clinic program within the Health Department. CHCDS, under the federal funding guidelines, was (and is) governed by a Board of Directors which is composed of clinic patients and other local citizens. By federal requirement, 51% of the Board members must be patients of the clinic system.
With the early addition of a dental clinic to the initial four medical clinics, CHCDS began a consistent pattern of growth in an attempt to better meet the needs of the low-income, uninsured and under-insured residents of Pierce County. In 1995 David Flentge became the new President and CEO of the organization and in 1997, on the 10th anniversary of the organization, the name was officially changed to Community Health Care.
This organization currently operates five medical and behavioral health clinics,four dental clinics, and five pharmacies throughout Pierce County. Clinics are located in Eastside Tacoma, Hilltop Tacoma, Lakewood, Parkland and Spanaway. Community Health Care provides medical, dental, pharmacy and behavioral health services to our patients.
This health center receives HHS funding and has Federal Public Health Service (PHS) deemed status with respect to certain health or health-related claims, including medical malpractice claims, for itself and its covered individuals.
Community Health Care is a Patient Centered Medical Home for your entire family. Our patients have their own health care team that uses a whole care approach which identifies your medical, dental and specialty needs.
Thank you for your interest in Community Health Care. Below are answers to some of our most frequently asked questions. If your question is not answered below please use the Contact Us page to submit your question.
Community Health Care serves more than 45,000 patients each year at five medical clinics, four dental clinics, and five pharmacy locations. One of every eighteen people in Pierce County is a Community Health Care patient.
No, Community Health Care is a 501 (c)3 non-profit network of community-based Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) offering comprehensive medical, dental, pharmacy and behavioral health, and specialty healthcare services in Pierce County. Community Health Care is a HRSA FTCA deemed facility
1) Patient fees (83%). These are fees received from insurance companies, Medicare, Medicaid, and the patients themselves. Uninsured and under-insured patients are charged on a sliding fee scale based on family size, income and services provided. 2) Government grants (10%) are used to help provide services to uninsured and under-insured patients. 3) Other grants, donations and miscellaneous (7%).
All of our medical and dental providers are employees of Community Health Care. Most work full-time but some work only part-time due to the program in which they work. We also have some volunteer providers who provide specialty care.
Community Health Care accepts the majority of all Health Insurance plans, including all Apple Health/Medicaid plans and Medicare. If you want to know if your insurance is accepted, please call your clinic.
Yes, no one is denied care due to inability to pay. If you are uninsured or under-insured, we offer a sliding scale based on family size and income. In some instances, the sliding fee discount may also apply to a patients co-pay or deductible.
For those living at 200% of poverty and below Community Health Care uses a sliding fee scale to reduce cost. The reduction is based on your income and family size. This discount applies to all Community Health Care services and fees: medical, dental, behavioral health and pharmacy. At Community Health Care no one is denied care due to inability to pay.