Spotlight: Diversity Health Center
Diversity Health Center’s goal is simple: they strive to make sure everyone in the community can get quality healthcare, especially those who don’t have insurance or are unable to pay out-of-pocket. They offer primary care, preventive care, and mental health services. We sat with the CEO of Diversity Health Center, Stephanie Jones-Heath, to hear the story of how it all began and what they’re up to now.
How Diversity Health Center Began
Photo Credit: Ng Photography
Diversity Health Center (DHC) started in 2009 as part of the Liberty County Health Department. However, in 2009, it became a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), which meant it had to become its own organization and separate from the health department. This allowed them to receive special funding to provide healthcare services to people who needed it the most.
The first clinic they opened was in Long County. “Many people don’t know that our funding really comes from our Long County location,” Jones-Heath said. “The Liberty County location was opened after.” In 2015, she became the CEO. Her main goal was to reintroduce Diversity Health Center to the community because many people didn’t know about them, even though they had been around for six years. She also wanted to change the idea that they were just a, “free clinic.”
Not a Free Clinic Anymore
“Once you get the FQHC status, you have to charge patients on a sliding fee scale based on their income and family size.” This means that people pay what they can afford, depending on how much money they make. Many people think they are a federal agency because of their FQHC status, but that isn’t true. Being an FQHC just means they meet certain rules to receive federal funds, which helps them provide care to people who don’t have insurance or are underinsured.
One of the first things she did as CEO was to plan for a bigger clinic. The old Liberty County clinic on Fraser Drive was too small, with only five exam rooms and a few providers. She wanted the community to know that Diversity sees both insured and uninsured patients, no matter if they can pay or not.
Helping People Save Money
“We try to educate our patients when they come in on how applying for the sliding fee scale can be helpful to them, even if they have insurance,” she explained. For example, some medications or dental care might not be covered by insurance, and the sliding fee scale can help lower those costs. Diversity Health Center has pharmacies in both their Jesup clinic and the Fraser Drive Hinesville clinic, where patients can get discounted medications through the sliding fee scale.
Growing and Expanding Services
Photo Credit: Ng Photography
Today, Diversity Health Center has grown a lot since it first started. They now have four locations across three counties: two clinics in Hinesville, one in Ludowici and one in Jesup. They also have a mobile medical unit, a mobile dental unit and dental services in their Fraser Drive location. They even have a doctor just for kids at the Fraser Drive location.
They offer many services, such as care for feet (podiatry), blood diseases (hematology), vaccinations (including COVID shots), high blood pressure care, a sickle cell clinic, and more. Jones-Heath also mentioned they are planning to add services like OBGYN, mammography and radiology, and they hope to bring back their community garden. With the community garden, they want to offer “garden to table” classes to teach people how to eat healthier.
A Unique Board for Better Decisions
Diversity Health Center has a special board of directors that helps guide the organization. To keep their FQHC status, 51% of their board must be patients. This is to ensure they get feedback directly from the people they serve. It also helps them adjust their services to meet the changing needs of their patients.
The board members include Pastor Hermon Scott, Gwen Stewart, Connie Thrift, Paulette Robertson, Bridgit Shanken, Dr. Jeannette, Janelle Johns, and Daisy Jones. Many members are involved in other community groups, like the homeless coalition and re-entry programs. This allows Diversity to reach more people and teach different groups about the services they offer
With four clinics spread across three counties, Diversity Health Center is here to help all patients with their healthcare needs, whether they have insurance or not. They are dedicated to supporting the health and wellness of the communities they serve. You can learn more about them by visiting their website.
