Our
Vision
A world where patient care draws on the best of our country’s basic values: welcoming, respectful of diversity and the dignity of every human soul, human-centered, and holistic.
Our
Mission
The Clarkston Community Health Center is a non-profit organization that provides a compassionate, welcoming medical home to uninsured individuals in and around Clarkston, Georgia, in order to unlock the inherent dignity and opportunity of those we serve.
Our History
Clarkston, Georgia, is an incredibly diverse community with great resilience and significant assets, but also with need. In addition to the native-born population, Clarkston has been a major refugee resettlement area for decades. According to the 2000 census, the foreign-born population hails from over 50 countries (spanning 6 continents) within this 1.1 square mile enclave, leading TIME magazine to refer to Clarkston as the “most diverse square mile in America.”
Unfortunately, lack of access to healthcare is a major challenge. In a state that has the third highest uninsured rate in the country, in a county (DeKalb) where 1 in 6 residents do not have health insurance, and in a city (Clarkston) where half of the population recently reported being unable to reliably access healthcare, the need is clear. Nearly a third of Clarkston's residents live in poverty. 1 in 2 of every child in Clarkston lives below the poverty line. Not surprisingly, Georgia has an uninsured rate comparable to our high poverty rate.
Clarkston Community Health Center (CCHC) opened our doors in 2015 to meet this need. Founded in May 2013, CCHC is a non-profit 501c(3) clinic that provides a patient-centered medical home for low-income residents of the City of Clarkston and surrounding communities. CCHC was founded by Mr. Saeed Raees, the late Rev. Ben Johnson and Dr. Gulshan Harjee to establish a health center for uninsured and underinsured individuals in metro Atlanta. In February 2015, CCHC began providing a much-needed medical care that is culturally and linguistically sensitive for the diverse population of Clarkston. In August 2015 CCHC expanded its services to include Mental Health services and in October of 2015 CCHC established an onsite Pharmacy by becoming an authorized site for Dispensary of Hope.
CCHC has established strong collaborative partnerships with institutions across Atlanta, partnering with top-ranking medical programs in the greater Atlanta area including Emory University Healthcare, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University School of Nursing, and Emory University Rollins School of Public Health.