Our Journey
The growth of Hamilton is rooted in strong community support. As a result, Hamilton became, and remains today, the only Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) within a 30 mile radius of Harrisburg.
1969
Community leaders Mrs. Sarah Jones, Mr. Lorenzo Roland Sr., Mrs. Coleen Ivey, Dr. Claude Nichols, Mr. William Schirmer and Mr. Peter G. Alapas turned their vision to reality with a part-time clinic staffed by Harrisburg Hospital personnel in the basement of the former Augsburg Lutheran Church. The organizers recognized the importance of the clinic and began to explore longer term funding sources.
1970
With the technical assistance of Harrisburg Hospital, Hamilton applied for and received a $1.25 million grant from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to provide health services in 1972. Over 265 volunteers from the Greater Harrisburg area participated in a fund raising drive to purchase and renovate the Augsburg Lutheran Church Education Center at 1821 Fulton Street in Harrisburg. **
1971
Hamilton Board of Director appoints Dr Walter Kirker as its first medical director.
1973
Renovations were completed and Hamilton began offering full-time services in its new center. This continues to be the site of Hamilton’s main medical practice.
1976
Hamilton expands its scope of services to include the WIC program serving all of Dauphin County.
1988
Hamilton becomes the only community health center in Pennsylvania to contract with the Department of Public Welfare (PA Healthmate, Inc.) to provide managed care to Medical Assistance recipients. **
1993
Hamilton’s Walnut Street facility opens to provide WIC, dental & medical services to the residents of Dauphin County.
1995-96
With assistance of former PA Governor George Leader, school based clinics at Foose and Camp Curtin Elementary Schools in Harrisburg were added to Hamilton’s roster of services.
2000
Under new leadership and direction Hamilton expands services and partners with other organizations to better respond to the needs of Dauphin County residents.
2002
Hamilton receives a grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services and the PA department of Health to provide HIV/AIDS counseling, testing, and treatment services to hard to reach populations.
2004
Hamilton enters into agreement with Harrisburg Housing Authority to provide medical services to Senior Citizens at the Lick building.
2005
Hamilton’s Board of Directors, Senior Management Team, and community members form a strategic planning committee and develop Hamilton’s 2006 – 2009 Strategic Plan that identifies the need to acquire a larger facility to meet the growing demand for service.
2006
Hamilton enters into an agreement with C.L Cressler, to open a Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy at Hamilton’s Fulton Street location and begins offering low cost medications to Hamilton patients.
2007
With funding from Highmark Foundation the Harrisburg School District enters into an agreement with Hamilton to provide medical and dental services to the school district students at the newly remodeled Downey and Camp Curtin Elementary Schools.
2008
Hamilton develops plans for a new facility and implementation of an electronic medical record system.
2009
Hamilton expanded its hours of operation to 56 hours per week from 40 hours making services more accessible to working patients.
** Healthmate was sold in 1999, which adversely affected Hamilton’s financial condition for several years. In 2000 Hamilton hired a new management team that has stabilized and improved the financial condition such that the company has had unqualified audit opinions of its financial statements for the last ____ years and the last fiscal year ending 2009 audit showed an increase in unrestricted net assets of $335,000.
