Good health
is priceless.
So is our care.

Our beginnings

In 2005, the Unitarian Universalist Society of Oneonta, New York
(UUSO), as part of a long-range plan to improve the community,
identified the need for a free health clinic for those struggling
with the costs of medical care and insurance. Dr. Benjamin
Friedell, a UUSO member, spearheaded the project, which began
with extensive research and detailed planning by a committee.
After about two years of preparation, they opened a free primary
health care center: the Oneonta Community Health Center (OCHC).

The first meeting of the OCHC's Founding Board was in 2007.
Bylaws, mission, and vision statements for the non-profit
organization were created. State and local health laws and
requirements were studied. After consulting with three other
free clinics (as well as Fox Hospital CEO John Remillard), it
was decided not to become an Article 28 facility, which required
the same standards as hospitals. Instead, they opted for
individual providers to practice under their own licensure and
malpractice insurance, with "Friends of Oneonta Community Health
Center, Inc." as the name of the 501(c)(3) providing the board of
directors' oversight of the facility's operations, staff, and
fundraising.

A public meeting was held at the UUSO to explain the project and
seek financial and operational support from the community.
With tremendous local support, it was decided to establish a
community health center without publicly identifying it as an
offshoot of the UUSO. To survive, the health center would need
the volunteer and financial support of the greater Oneonta
community, not just the UUSO.

Serendipitously, a local midwife who had a fully furnished health
facility on the first floor of her house needed to relocate to
another state. She offered the house to the OCHC for zero rent
for the first year and only asked that the utilities be paid.
The location on Academy Street was ideal, and the center opened
on July 29, 2008, remaining there for several years until the
house was sold.

Growing with our community

During the search for a new location, Fox Hospital provided a
suite space that was used for other purposes during the day.
The OCHC moved into its current location on Main Street in 2012.

In 2013, the OCHC began offering dental services to its
established patients through FoxCare Dental Associates.
Subsequently, in 2022, a mental health program was added, also
for the center's established patients.

One of the ongoing challenges for the OCHC to continue providing
free primary healthcare is to keep spreading the word about our
services through marketing efforts and networking with other
health and social service providers who can refer patients to
our services. Increasing support from institutional and
individual donors is also vital to continuing free health
services.

The OCHC's Board of Directors has recently been working on a
strategic plan that includes marketing strategies and research
to explore other health care services that could be incorporated
into our mission to best serve the needs of the greater Oneonta
area.