The History of PrimaryOne Health

PrimaryOne Health has gone through significant changes since the first community health center was established in Columbus/Franklin County more than 40 years ago (Neighborhood House/Billie Brown Jones, 1973). We grew from one center to seven by the 1990’s. The seven centers were: Billie Brown Jones Health Center (Atcheson/Mt. Vernon Avenue); ECCO Family Health (E. Main Street); Franklinton Health Center (W. Broad Street); Hilltop Health Center (Sullivant Avenue); John R. Maloney Health Center (Parsons Avenue); St. Mark’s (N. High Street); and St. Stephen’s (E. 17th Avenue). Each of the centers was independently operated by a board of neighborhood residents. Only one of the centers was designated a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), ECCO Family Health Center which was located on the near eastside.

In 1997, the city of Columbus, which funded all seven neighborhood health centers, established a new organization, Columbus Neighborhood Health Center, Inc. (CNHC) under the leadership of Councilwoman Les Wright and Health Commissioner William “Bill” Myers. This was done to create a primary health care system and to ensure federal funding provided through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) continued to flow to Columbus through the FQHC. CNHC was established in May, 1997 as a Section 330(e) funded non-profit community health center organization (better known as FQHCs), and a Section 330(h) funded Health Care for the Homeless Program. This new non-profit organization brought all seven independent health centers together under one umbrella with three board members from each to form a new 21-member board.

CNHC provided an opportunity to grow our FQHC system from one site to seven. Over the course of the last twenty-three years, CNHC has continued to work to build a cohesive, consistent and quality system of health center sites throughout Columbus and Franklin County to serve the health care needs of vulnerable, un/under and insured residents within the community. Today, the organization has eleven (11) locations located throughout the medically underserved areas of Columbus, Franklin and Pickaway counties.

In 2012, CNHC was awarded Level 3 Patient Centered Medical Home recognition, the highest designation conferred by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). In May 2015, the board and staff worked with a marketing firm to develop a new name, logo and tagline that reflects who we are, what we do and our aspirational goal of being one voice and system in order to be “Your first choice for quality care”. Our new name honors our past and celebrates our future. We are one system with ten sites, speaking with one voice, under one moniker, PrimaryOne Health.

Economic Impact of Community Health Centers

Community Health Centers (CHC) are successful, low-cost options for primary care access in a nation that spends $2 trillion a year on health care. Medical cost for CHC patients are 41% lower compared to patients seen elsewhere such as a hospital emergency room. As a result CHC’s save the healthcare system between $9.9 billion and $17.6 billion a year. If community health centers received the funding from Congress, an estimated 30,000,000 Americans. This means a $40.7 billion dollar impact on the U.S. economy and 460,000 full-time jobs. If every American made use of preventative primary care, the healthcare system would see $67 billion in savings annually.

– The Robert Graham Center
“Access Granted: The Primary Care Payoff”

A Level 3 Patient-Centered Medical Home

PrimaryOne Health has been recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance as a Level 3 Patient-Centered Medical home. Our team received this accolade because of its focus on physician-patient relationships. This transparency with each patient allows us to best serve each person as an individual. To this day, only 0.3% of primary health centers have received this PCMH recognition across the United States. As we move forward, we will continue performing at this level, while encouraging patients to be an active participant in their health.

This health center is a Health Center Program grantee under 42 U.S.C. 245b, and a deemed Public Health Service employee under 42 U.S.C. 233 (g)-(n).

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.