Photo by Caleesha Moore
Neighborhood Medical Center is putting its money where its passion is, and is moving into a building of its own on the south side.
With more than $1 million in renovation costs, it is branching off just miles from the Richardson-Lewis Health Center where it shares a space with the Leon County Health Department.
Jeanne’ Freeman, CEO of NMC, believes this center has been in the making for quite some time.
“While we love our partnerships with the city and the county, it was time for us to have a space of our own,” Freeman said.
NMC began in 1974 in the basement of the Florida A&M University hospital. Later, it moved to the basement of a Presbyterian church and from there was located at its Brevard Street location — site of the former Lincoln HIgh School — and hasn’t stopped growing.
Photo courtesy Neighborhoodmedicalcenter.org
In 2014 it was awarded a grant from Health Resource Services Administration’s (HRSA) Service Area Competition grant after Bond Community Medical Center submitted an incomplete application. The funding from that grant allowed NMC to open two additional locations, in the Smith-Williams service center and in Havana.
NMC has a history rooted in the community and serves as a site for multiple opportunities for FAMU students.
“It’s a reciprocal relationship and it allows students to have exposure to the healthcare field before they actually start working,” Freeman said. “We have a relationship with healthcare management, social work, nursing, the pharmacy school and student health services.”
Juan Collins, chairman of NMC’s Board of Directors, hopes that the “community medical center that cares” can have a lasting effect near campus.
“We’re hoping to make a bigger footprint on the south side and hope to include FAMU students and employees as part of its expanding client base,” Collins said.
FAMU pharmacy faculty and students operate a pharmacy in two of the center’s facilities. They serve as a preceptor site for pharmacy students. NMC also serves as an internship site for social work and nursing majors.
Unlike their neighbors Care Point Health and Wellness Center, NMC sees patients who are underinsured and uninsured. At least 40 percent of NMC’s patients are uninsured.
“Our goal is to make sure those people receive the same level of care that anyone with private insurance would have. That’s why we offer a sliding scale for our services,” Freeman said.
JaKira Moore has been a patient at NMC and believes their expansion and willingness to help the community is a great move.
“There has been a time when I had to go there for treatment and I was grateful that even though I didn’t have the money, I was still able to get care at a great level,” Moore said. “If they can expand and keep helping the community, that’s great.”
Photo courtesy Neighborhoodmedicalcenter.org
The project will include medical and dental exam rooms, a laboratory, pharmacy, administrative offices, lobby, reception areas, storage, and break/conference rooms. NMC plans to renovate 8,000 square feet of the former Hancock Bank building located at 2613 South Monroe St.
The building was purchased in March 2019. Upon deciding to add a pharmacy, plans had to be reworked causing a slight delay in the process.
Currently, in the permitting process, renovations are scheduled to be completed by October at the latest.
NMC is dedicated to community healing and outreach with more than five locations.
For more information on the clinic, visit https://neighborhoodmedicalcenter.org