Community Health Northwest Florida Celebrates 30 Years of Care

April 24, 2022

Community Health Northwest Florida is celebrating three decades of providing acessible health care.

The health center is celebrating 30 years of providing comprehensive primary outpatient care to citizens of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and surrounding areas. To commemorate this milestone anniversary, over the next 12 months the organization will host a series of events with the intent to share the celebration with all who have played a part in its growth over the years: patients, community partners, staff, and the people of the communities in which they serve, including Cantonment.

“This milestone anniversary is a great opportunity for us to pause and reflect with gratitude on the past 30 years and how many lives we have been able to impact since first opening our doors,” remarks CEO Chandra Smiley. “ As we look ahead to the next 30, we remain committed to ensuring that we are providing quality, comprehensive healthcare services to all who walk through our doors, regardless of.”

After the closing of University Hospital on West Leonard Street in Pensacola, in early 1992, through financial support from Escambia County government, Baptist Hospital and Sacred Heart Hospital, Escambia Community Clinics was established to provide outpatient primary care for the uninsured. Throughout the first decades of service to the community, former Executive Director Don Turner, along with the clinic’s Board of Directors, had a goal to expand access to primary care to the uninsured, underinsured and medically needy residents of the area. In 2007, the organization achieved designation as a Federally Qualified Health Center by the Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration. In 2009, the health center expanded its reach to Santa Rosa County, bringing Santa Rosa Community Clinics in Milton into its list of service sites. Throughout his 22-year tenure, Mr. Turner remained unwavering in his dedication to fulfill the mission of providing compassionate care to the most vulnerable.

In late 2014, Don Turner retired, and Chandra Smiley, MSW, was selected as the next Executive Director and CEO of the health center. Under Ms. Smiley’s leadership, the organization experienced steady growth, adding sites and
services, and consistently increasing the number of patients served each year. In 2018, the organization re-branded under a new name, Community Health Northwest Florida, to better reflect the health center’s service to the community.

Today, 30 years after opening their doors as Escambia Community Clinics, Community Health Northwest Florida has successfully expanded access, services and sites, with 17 care locations along with two mobile dental units and a mobile medical unit.

Community Health offers a wide range of healthcare services including Adult & Family Care, Pediatric Care, Women’s Care, Optometry, Chiropractic Care, Dental Care, Behavioral Health and Wellness as well as four new in-house
pharmacies, Ancillary Services and more. It is the work home to over 300 dedicated employees, including physicians, APRNs, PAs, dentists, LCSWs, dental hygienists, optometrists and countless other professionals who keep operations running smoothly. Since 1992, the organization has provided 1.8 million visits to over 450,000 people in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.

Community Health Northwest Florida kicked off its 30 Years of Care event series by hosting a backyard community party at its main site on Jackson Street on Saturday.

Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News