AxessPointe Community Health Centers, Inc. Expands Barberton Location
June 14, 2019 – AxessPointe Community Health Centers, Inc. plans to expand their scope of services at their Barberton location.
AxessPointe Community Health Centers has had a strong presence in Barberton since 2013 where they provide dental, medical, behavioral health and women’s health services. What they are expanding upon at this location are additional dental services, additional behavioral health services and a 340b pharmacy. The neighboring tenant in the building did not renew its lease and AxessPointe found this to be a perfect opportunity to expand and meet the needs of the growing patient base, which is primarily medically underserved and female. In 2018, they saw 7,539 medical visits, with 2,672 of those being unique patients. Their patient base is broken up between 19% commercial, 55% Medicaid, 14% Medicare and 12% self-pay. This new space will be 6,894 square feet featuring a new pharmacy, 11-13 exam rooms, three dental operatories, space for new behavioral health professionals and four physicians.
This mostly self-funded project will be incredibly impactful to the Barberton community, touching the lives of many more patients in need and bringing more jobs and growth to the city. Integrating a pharmacy where patients receive medical services will offer a conveniently located, one-stop shop healthcare experience. The skilled pharmacists will also be an educational resource for patients to utilize and ask questions about their prescribed medications.
The Barberton expansion will include the addition of an AxessPointe Pharmacy.
When asked what this opportunity means to executive employees, board members and community supporters of AxessPointe, they stated the following:
“I am excited that AxessPointe Community Health Centers is able to expand our scope of services to the Barberton community. Adding a 340b pharmacy, additional dental operatories and exam rooms further enhance AxessPointe’s integrated care approach that will reduce barriers to care. Our “one-stop shop” model is designed to keep our patients in mind. We look forward to serving the Barberton community for decades to come.” –Chris Richardson, Chief Executive Officer.
“I am pleased to be of assistance to any projects that show commitment and investment in the city of Barberton.” -Scott Read, Expansion Project Manager and Barberton community advocate.
“We are excited at AxessPointe to be able to expand our dental and medical services and add a new pharmacy option at our Barberton site. This is consistent with our mission to add services to those in need in Barberton and other communities in Summit and Portage counties.” -Jay Williamson, M.D. AxessPointe Community Health Centers Board President.
AxessPointe was the first federally qualified health center in Summit County when it opened its doors in 1995, making 2020 their 25th year serving the community. With five current locations in Northeast Ohio, including three in Akron, one in Kent and one in Barberton, the overall mission of the organization has been to deliver primary health care to medically underserved areas. Their pharmaceutical, women’s health, behavioral health, dental and medical services are located under one roof at their core locations, making for a seamless patient experience. While their focus is on uninsured, underinsured and Medicaid/Medicare patients who may not have access to affordable health care, their services are welcome to all. They also collaborate with other nonprofits and agencies, touching the same marginalized population, to connect patients with wrap-around services including food, housing and transportation.
AxessPointe would like to thank the community for the ongoing support. For this specific project, they would like to recognize the following businesses and individuals: Testa Companies, owner of the property; Summit Construction, builder; Four Points Architectural, architect; State of Ohio, grantor; University of Akron, grantor; Scott Read, Project Manager.
Operations will remain ongoing during the project, which began on June 3 and will end in September 2019. AxessPointe asks its supporters to stay tuned for a ribbon cutting event, celebrating the project and support for AxessPointe to serve the Barberton community for years to come. For more information about AxessPointe, visit: axesspointe.org.
