Cahaba Medical Care

Cahaba Medical Care: comprehensive primary care in central Alabama

Cahaba Medical Care is a nonprofit community-based healthcare organization that operates as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and is accredited as a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and the Joint Commission. Its network of centers spans Jefferson, Shelby, Bibb, Perry, Chilton, and Wilcox counties in central Alabama, totaling 27 locations.

The entity defines itself as a training center for transformational primary care in rural and urban areas, with the stated goal of training the next generation of medical professionals. Its mission, as expressed on its own website, combines healthcare with Christian inspiration and the fight against health disparities.

Medical services and specialties

The care portfolio covers comprehensive primary care for all ages and medical conditions. It includes the treatment and monitoring of chronic and acute diseases, preventive care and cancer screenings, pediatrics, women's health, prenatal care and obstetrics, dermatology, geriatrics, sports medicine, mental health, and dentistry, among other services.

The organization also offers pharmacy services, school-based health services, a program called Ability Care, air medical exams, and health education. In addition, it has a patient portal and the option of virtual visits.

On-site procedures and diagnostics

Cahaba Medical Care centers perform on-site procedures and diagnostic tests that include ultrasound, X-rays, laboratory analysis, echocardiography, cardiac stress tests, fracture care with splinting and casting, wound care, joint injections, endoscopy, pulmonary function tests, and dermatological and women's health procedures.

Prenatal care includes delivery at Bibb Medical Center, St. Vincent's, and UAB Medical West. When additional imaging tests or specialist intervention are required, the entity coordinates those services and maintains a complete patient record. If the condition requires hospitalization, the team can continue care at Bibb Medical Center in Centreville, UAB Medical West in Bessemer, and Baptist Princeton in Birmingham, facilities where it has privileges.

Professional team

The clinics are staffed by more than 150 healthcare professionals, more than 40 licensed social workers and counselors, and a team of nurses and medical assistants. The staff is organized around a patient-centered care model.

Access for patients without insurance or with insufficient coverage

Since its opening in 2004, the organization has maintained its commitment not to turn away any patient due to inability to pay. It offers a discounted, sliding fee schedule based on income and family size. As a nonprofit FQHC, it receives annual federal funding that allows it to expand services to people without insurance or facing medical, social, financial, or emotional hardship.

The FQHC designation means operating under the supervision of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and meeting federal criteria, such as patient growth, providing services to everyone regardless of their ability to pay, offering a sliding fee schedule, providing comprehensive services with on-site or contracted dental and mental health care, and governance by a community board of directors in which at least 51% of members are patients of the clinic.

Medical training and residency programs

Cahaba Medical Care was the first Teaching Health Center in the state of Alabama and remains one of the few. It develops residency programs in family medicine, advanced practice nursing, psychiatry, and pharmacy.

Community initiatives

The organization maintains a community outreach line of work that includes community centers, The Studio, the Cahaba Medical Care 5K, River Walk, and the HOPE program in Bibb County.

Location and contact

405 Belcher St, Centreville, AL, 35042, United States · Phone: 205-926-2992 · Email: contact@cahabamedicalcare.com · Hours: Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 17:00