History

History2021-07-21T19:56:24-04:00

Timeline

July 1994

AxessPointe received funding from the Bureau of Primary Health Care to establish the first federally qualified health center in Summit County.

July 1995

Services began at the Wilbeth-Arlington homes, a subsidized housing complex.

July 1996

The clinic moved to its new location in the Arlington Plaza.

July 2008

The Kent location opened, convenient to both Kent and Ravenna.

July 2013

The Barberton site opened in February.

July 2014

Portage Path and Broadway sites opened. The Broadway location is the first CHC in Akron providing OB/ GYN and IM services.

July 2017

The Kent location moved to a new facility on Gougler Ave.

January 2022

We enhanced our healthcare offerings by expanding services and introducing optometry.

January 2024

Established partnership with Family & Community Services to improve access to healthcare, behavioral health, and social services in Summit, Portage, Trumbull, and Mahoning counties.

Our Story

Dr. Bill Keck, the director of the Akron City Health Department at the time, had previously tried to start an FQHC in Akron, but there were not any federal funds available and he was discouraged from applying. In the mid-1990s, Cleveland State graduate Ralph Faulkner connected with Dr. Keck with an idea. At the time, Akron was the only metropolitan area in Ohio without a federally qualified health center to deliver medical care to medically underserved areas. So, Faulkner and Keck decided to join forces to provide this invaluable asset to the Akron community and create a culture of community care.

However, securing federal funds isn’t easy. The two men had to gain support from the City of Akron, Akron Children’s, Akron General, and Summa Health to forge a city-wide partnership that could sustain a community health center. Though the process was unconventional and took time, they eventually had the funds and support to push for the creation of a health center. After a series of rejections and compromises, Akron Community Health Resources was established. In 1994, AxessPointe received funding to establish the first FQHC in Summit County and then in 1995 began seeing patients out of the Wilbeth-Arlington homes. Since then, we’ve been able to expand and change lives throughout our community, never forgetting our humble beginnings and the work it took to get here.

Go to Top