About

Western North Carolina Community Health Services (WNCCHS) is a Community Health Center / Federally Qualified Health Center that offers primary care, behavioral health, and dental services, discounted pharmacy services, and a sliding fee program for insured and uninsured patients. We are private nonprofit serving 13 counties in Western North Carolina.

Community Health Centers

Patient Governed

FQHCs must maintain a patient-majority Board of Directors that reflects the people we serve — ensuring that our organization and the care we provide are directly impacted by real patients and members of our community.

Affordable

FQHCs can never turn away patients based on their ability to pay. WNCCHS accepts many major insurance plans, including Medicaid and Medicare. We also offer pricing discounts and sliding scale discounts that are based on a patient’s family size and income. 

Necessary

FQHCs remove common barriers to care by serving communities whose residents have historically experienced financial, geographic, or cultural barriers to receiving care. FQHCs must operate in a federally designated “medically underserved” location.

Integrating Care

FQHCs provide patients with a health care home that integrates high quality medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, and enabling services.

Mission

To provide high-quality and life-enriching whole-person health care.

Vision

A healthy, thriving Western North Carolina.

Values

  • Compassion

  • Diversity

  • Quality

  • Integrity

  • Teamwork

History

  • In 1993, a group of community activists led by Carlos Gomez, Minnie Jones, and Dr. Polly Ross formed a non-governmental organization that began providing HIV medical care to patients at the Kenilworth Presbyterian Church.

  • ​In the following years, WNCCHS acquired additional federal funding and became a health center that provides services to the general community.

    In 1996, WNCCHS-Minnie Jones Family Health Center opened in the Pisgah View Apartments, Buncombe County's largest public housing development. In 1998, WNCCHS inaugurated the Ridgelawn Clinic in West Asheville.

  • WNCCHS obtained designation as a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike in 2002, and then as a Federally Qualified Health Center in 2007.

    In 2010, Buncombe County asked WNCCHS to provide comprehensive primary health and oral health care to low-income residents. 

  • In 2010, WNCCHS moved WNCCHS—Minnie Jones Health Center to 257 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville, NC. Today, WNCCHS provides services to 13,000 patients in Western North Carolina and employs over 240 staff members.

  • In May 2022, WNCCHS opened the Hominy Valley Health Center in Candler, NC, in partnership with Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM).

  • In April 2023, WNCCHS opened the first Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in McDowell County: WNCCHS—McDowell Health Center. School-based behavioral health services were also launched at East McDowell Middle School and West McDowell Middle School.