Sheridan’s Vision Has Guided RAHC

Thirty years ago in 1995, the board of directors of Rockbridge Free Clinic (RFC) hired its first employee, Suzanne Sheridan.  Incorporated in 1992, RFC had grown so fast, and the patient load was so high that the board decided the administrative needs of the Clinic required a full time person rather than depending on part time volunteers.  As Executive Director of the RFC, Suzanne worked from her office  at 712 North Main Street, where the RFC volunteer providers and staff saw patients during 9 service hours per week.   As the number of patients continued to grow and the waiting room was full, the overflow of patients would line up in the parking lot.  In the latter 1990’s, Suzanne and the board knew that the clinic needed more space to serve its growing patient population.  In the meantime, Suzanne had hired a few more paid employees.  By 2000, the RFC was offering 38 service hours per week, but most of the providers continued to be volunteers.

In 2001, Suzanne and the board purchased the property at 25 Northridge Lane, our current location.  Suzanne and the staff moved from a 1,000 sq. ft. to 9,000 sq. ft. facility.  What an improvement!  The clinic had so much space that Suzanne and the board rented part of the space to other healthcare providers.  Nevertheless, as time passed, patient population continued to grow and services were expanded to include a dental clinic and behavioral health. Suzanne and the board recognized that, again, we needed more space.  Suzanne also led the charge in 2014 for the board to change our name from Rockbridge Free Clinic to Rockbridge Area Health Center, and we reopened as a Federally Qualified Health Center.

As a Federally Qualified Health Center, the business model changed; Suzanne spearheaded this change from being a “free clinic” which could only see patients for medical care who had low income, were uninsured, or were underinsured.  At RAHC, Suzanne initiated the Health Center’s growth to be able to hire providers and to serve the entire community’s healthcare needs.

In 2018, Suzanne and the board mounted a financial campaign for the renovation of our facility ; in 2019, the new facility was opened with 23,000 sq. ft. available to serve our patients.  Subsequently, Suzanne, as a visionary and with the board’s authority, has opened clinics in Buena Vista, at Rockbridge County High School, and at Maury River Middle School; in addition, through her leadership, RAHC has added  two mobile units for medical and dental care for residents in the remote communities in our county.

For the past 30 years, Suzanne has used her visionary gifts to work with RAHC and its board members. During her 30th year as CEO, the RAHC will serve with quality healthcare more than 10,000 individual patients.  Thank you, Suzanne, for your vision, hard work, and commitment to making the RAHC the award-winning healthcare organization that it is today.