By Amy Hadley, Community Outreach Ministry Chair
April 2023
Neighborhood Health is an organization that Good Shepherd supports through Community Outreach. Their mission is to improve health and advance health equity in our community by providing access to medical care regardless of ability to pay.
Recently, Nara Hojvat-Gallin, Neighborhood Health's Development, and Communications Manager, gave us a tour of their Casey Clinic, located at Alexandria Hospital.
Neighborhood Health began 25 years ago as a small clinic in the Arlandria neighborhood and has grown to include 14 facilities in Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax, providing over 100,00 care visits in the last year. They provide high-quality primary care services, including prenatal care, dental care, behavioral health care, Covid vaccine and testing, and pharmacy services (which is, according to Nara, crucial to patient care).
Nara described Neighborhood Health as a landing place for many new immigrants, including the Afghan refugee families that Good Shepherd is hosting. Over half of their patients are uninsured, and while Neighborhood Health determines cost on a sliding scale based on ability to pay, care is never denied to any patient.
Most patients find their way to Neighborhood Health through ER referrals, community organization referrals, and community outreach events such as open houses and neighborhood canvassing. Nara believes that given the lasting effects of the pandemic and inflation, the need for Neighborhood Health’s services will continue to grow.
Neighborhood Health works with many community partners, including civic groups and faith communities. We are deeply grateful to this organization for their important work in the community and plan to continue to support their mission.