Athens Neighborhood Health Center

The concept for Athens Neighborhood Health Center began with discussions around the kitchen table of a Clarke County cook who later became a Clarke County commissioner.

 The women at the table (Virgina Walker, Jessie Barnett, Miriam Moore and Evelyn C. Neely) knew that many in Athens did not seek medical attention simply because they were not comfortable in doing so. Together, the four women, along with the support of elected officials and their community, made Athens Neighborhood Health Center a reality in 1971. Their desire to provide quality, affordable health care in a comfortable environment remains the focus of Athens Neighborhood Health Center. Today the Center’s three facilities are the medical homes for thousands of Athens-Clarke County residents as well as those from surrounding counties. 

In 2012, Athens Neighborhood Health Center (ANHC) became a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) by meeting the clinical service and organizational requirements of the Bureau of Primary Health Care within the Health Resources and Services Administration for funding support. As an FQHC, Athens Neighborhood Health Center is much better positioned to grow and expand its services to increase access to affordable care for the people of the greater Athens area. In 2018, ANHC earned the NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition. See below for a full description of the Patient-Centered Medical Home signifying an interprofessional team providing comprehensive primary care services to a defined population based on continuous quality assurance and improvement to enhance health outcomes. ANHC provides general, family medicine, pediatric, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, laboratory, podiatric, and mobile clinic services to its patient practice population. ANHC has 4 clinic sites in the greater Athens community.