About Us

The mission of the Rockbridge Area Health Center is to promote and provide access to comprehensive, high-quality, and affordable healthcare to improve the health and well-being of the greater community.

Young child visiting the doctor

Our Vision

The vision of the Rockbridge Area Health Center is to serve as a vital and caring resource, promoting and providing access to quality health care to build a healthier community.

Our History

Anyone who has visited or lived in or around Rockbridge County knows it is an area of immense natural beauty coupled with cultural and intellectual opportunities. With its population of approximately 36,000, three institutions of higher learning, and the continued influx of new residents from across the country, the location gives the appearance of wealth. However, beneath the appearance of wealth exists a substrate of significant poverty.

The City of Buena Vista has traditionally been and remains a working-class town of industry. Rockbridge County has a primarily farming-based economy. This way of life hasn’t changed much over the past 60 years, and many of these residents are uninsured. The Rockbridge Area Free Clinic was born in the early 1990s to meet the needs of our area.

In 1992 a group of concerned citizens began to develop the concept of a free clinic in Rockbridge County. They organized interested medical and non-medical community volunteers in a project that became the Rockbridge Area Free Clinic (RAFC). The first clinic was located in the local public health department and continued to grow with the patients it served and the services it provided.

Rock Bridge Area Free Clinic historical team photo
History grand opening

%

increase in patients served since 2014 of which 67% are low income

%

increase in patient visits since 2014

%

increase in value of charitable care provided since 2014

patients served daily

Community Health Needs Assessment

RAFC recognized the need to develop a sustainable healthcare system for the medically underserved Rockbridge area. With an $80,000 Health Center Planning Grant from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, a 12-month project was funded to broadly define and assess our community’s health and develop a community health improvement plan.

Data from the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) in 2012 concluded that Buena Vista, Lexington, and Rockbridge County are all designated as low-income and are considered a “Medically Underserved Population” and “Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas.” “Low-income” is defined by Health Resources and Services Administration as an income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. In the Rockbridge area, 38% of residents are low-income.

As a result of the 2012 CHNA, the RAFC was renamed the Rockbridge Area Health Center and reopened as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), which enabled the expansion of medical, dental, and behavioral health care services to uninsured, underinsured, and insured patients. Explore the results of the 2015 CHNA here.

RAHC along with other community entities continue to assess the health concerns of the community periodically to ensure that current needs are being addressed. The most recent Community Health Assessment was published in 2018.

Ground breaking ceremony for new Rockbridge Area Health Center building
Rockbridge Area Health Center building

To serve the ever-growing healthcare needs of the community, RAHC embarked upon a building expansion project in 2018 which more than doubled the size of the facility.

Our History

Anyone who has visited or lived in or around Rockbridge County knows it is an area of immense natural beauty coupled with cultural and intellectual opportunities. With its population of approximately 36,000, three institutions of higher learning, and the continued influx of new residents from across the country, the location gives the appearance of wealth. However, beneath the appearance of wealth exists a substrate of significant poverty.

The City of Buena Vista has traditionally been and remains a working-class town of industry. Rockbridge County has a primarily farming-based economy. This way of life hasn’t changed much over the past 60 years, and many of these residents are uninsured. The Rockbridge Area Free Clinic was born in the early 1990s to meet the needs of our area.

In 1992 a group of concerned citizens began to develop the concept of a free clinic in Rockbridge County. They organized interested medical and non-medical community volunteers in a project that became the Rockbridge Area Free Clinic (RAFC). The first clinic was located in the local public health department and continued to grow with the patients it served and the services it provided.

Rock Bridge Area Free Clinic historical team photo
History grand opening

%

increase in patients served since 2014 of which 154% are low income

%

increase in patient visits since 2014

%

increase in value of charitable care provided since 2014

patients served daily

Community Health Needs Assessment

RAFC recognized the need to develop a sustainable healthcare system for the medically underserved Rockbridge area. With an $80,000 Health Center Planning Grant from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, a 12-month project was funded to broadly define and assess our community’s health and develop a community health improvement plan.

Data from the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) in 2012 concluded that Buena Vista, Lexington, and Rockbridge County are all designated as low-income and are considered a “Medically Underserved Population” and “Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas.” “Low-income” is defined by Health Resources and Services Administration as an income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. In the Rockbridge area, 38% of residents are low-income.

As a result of the 2012 CHNA, the RAFC was renamed the Rockbridge Area Health Center and reopened as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), which enabled the expansion of medical, dental, and behavioral health care services to uninsured, underinsured, and insured patients. Explore the results of the 2015 CHNA here.

RAHC along with other community entities continue to assess the health concerns of the community periodically to ensure that current needs are being addressed. The most recent Community Health Assessment was published in 2018.

Ground breaking ceremony for new Rockbridge Area Health Center building
Rockbridge Area Health Center building

To serve the ever-growing healthcare needs of the community, RAHC embarked upon a building expansion project in 2018 which more than doubled the size of the facility.

Our Partners

We are pleased to have the opportunity to partner with other agencies as we work towards our shared goal of building a healthy community.

Health Resources & Services Administration

Health Resources and Services Administration

Health Resources and Services Administration programs provide equitable health care to people who are geographically isolated and economically or medically vulnerable. HRSA programs support health infrastructure, including through training of health professionals and distributing them to areas where they are needed most, providing financial support to health care providers, and advancing telehealth. In addition, HRSA oversees programs for providing discounts on prescription drugs to providers..

Virginia Health Care Foundation

Virginia Health Care Foundation

The Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF) is a public/private partnership that helps uninsured Virginians and those who live in underserved communities have access to medical, dental, and behavioral health care. With VHCF’s support, the Rockbridge Area Health Center has expanded the types of services offered, increased the number of patients able to receive care each year, and serves as a healthcare safety net for our community’s most vulnerable population.

Additional Partners

Support Us

As a local, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, we rely on our community’s support to provide high-quality, affordable, and accessible healthcare to anyone, regardless of income or insurance status, especially our underserved neighbors.

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