January 19, 2021

The Good Samaritan Free Health Center, the largest urban free health center in the state of Ohio, is celebrating its 10th anniversary on January 22, 2021. In Cincinnati, life expectancy drops by 8.5 years for people with lower income. The Free Health Center provides care to the uninsured and disadvantaged members of our community who need it most.

 In 2010, a group of generous community supporters came together to address a growing need. A community health assessment revealed an increasing percentage of uninsured residents living in the area were not receiving proper healthcare. When their chronic conditions worsened, they sought care at an emergency room, which could have been avoided with access to routine medical care. The result was a devastatingly negative impact on the health of these vulnerable populations and our local health care system. From that collaboration, the Good Samaritan Free Health Center was founded.

Located in Price Hill, the Good Samaritan Free Health Center provides health care services including dental care for medically uninsured community members 18 and older, who are not pregnant, and who are not Medicare or Medicaid eligible. The population of patients served at the Free Health Center is disproportionately affected by chronic diseases, many of which are either attributed to or exacerbated by poor social determinants of health such as housing, transportation, income, and more. With the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for our services has grown as more adults have lost jobs and health insurance.

The Free Health Center is 100% philanthropically funded through the Good Samaritan Foundation. It operates through the generosity of donors and an extensive volunteer network of more than 130 physicians, nurses, medical assistants, dentists, hygienists, interpreters, pharmacists, psychologists, clerical volunteers, and other providers. Along with volunteers, our core staff provides care through a comprehensive model that puts the needs, goals, and empowerment of patients at the center of their care.

“It is encouraging and heartwarming to see the caring work of our volunteers and staff at the Free Health Center,” said Steve Eby, MD, Medical Director, Good Samaritan Free Health Center. “They go above and beyond to provide needed care for the working poor, those whose pressing needs are frequently not met by the traditional health care system. TriHealth’s ongoing support shows a commitment to our mission of caring for the people of our community, simply because it is the right thing to do.”

The Good Samaritan Foundation offers our deepest gratitude to all the individuals, foundations, businesses, and more who have provided the philanthropic support to make the Free Health Center possible for the past 10 years. It is only because of these donors and the dedicated volunteers that the uninsured members of our community have access to quality, comprehensive, compassionate care.

I can't express enough gratitude to the volunteers, staff, the TriHealth Institutes and specialists, imaging, lab, the Foundation and other doners, all of the people who make the FHC work so we can take care of the people who need our help. They get the credit.
Posted by: Stephen Eby on January 22, 2021
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As we say every day "And may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in this world, so that we can do what others claim cannot be done" Happy Birthday!
Posted by: Jamie Easterling on January 22, 2021
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Congratulations!
Posted by: Linda Estep on January 20, 2021
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Congratulations Linda Smith Berry and Dr. Eby!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Vesta Johns on January 20, 2021
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