Bluegrass Community Health Center is dedicated to contributing to the lives of patients through the compassionate provision of comprehensive primary healthcare. The BCHC was originally established in 2001, with a federal 330 health center grant to serve local farm workers. In 2007, additional grant funding awards allowed an expansion to serve the greater community, including low income families, the homeless, the uninsured, and Medicaid and KCHIP recipients. Originally governed through a co-applicant agreement with Eastern Kentucky University and its Community Board of Directors, BCHC became an independent Health Center on April 1, 2020. BCHC has continually maintained its federal 330 health center funding that includes support for migrant and seasonal farmworkers and those experiencing homelessness.

From just over 900 patients in its first year, BCHC grew to serve over 6,000 patients in 2008 and projects further growth in the coming years. BCHC is currently welcoming new patients. As many of Kentucky’s migrant and seasonal workers are Spanish speakers, the BCHC employees bilingual staff who speak English and Spanish and utilizes language line interpretation to ensure that all patients have access to clinic services. Additional services that embrace the farmworker community include extended clinic hours, outreach services, and culturally responsive programming.

Services

BCHC provides preventative and primary healthcare for pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients at three Lexington clinics, including a homeless day shelter, New Life Day Center, in downtown Lexington. Additionally, BCHC has a school-based clinic in Winchester, KY and provides Mobile Clinic and Outreach services to all its eight-county service areas. Services include acute care, chronic disease management, adult and pediatric physicals, well-child exams, immunizations and counseling. Case management is available to facilitate patients’ connection with social services and specialist referrals, including diagnostic procedures, dental care, and radiology.

BCHC’s dedication to serving a diverse population encouraged the employment of many Multilingual/English bilingual employees to supplement Language Line interpreting service, including Spanish, Arabic, Nepali, Swahili and others. Other services include: 24 hour emergency on-call, basic needs (Food and Clothing Banks), behavioral/mental health care, blood pressure monitoring, cancer screening, case management/social services, contraceptives (issued w/counseling), intimate partner violence screening and services, electronic medical records, financial counseling, influenza, COVID, and most other vaccinations, health/nutritional education, HIV/AIDS screening/education and PrEP and PEP Services, interpretation services, labs, pharmacy services (both dispensing of prescriptions and clinical education), outreach, referrals and care coordination for specialty care, STD testing, substance use treatment (MOUD), Hepatitis C treatment, TB screening/education, transportation services.

Statistics

Estimated homeless population: 1,551

Patients served: 1,984 in 2022