March 1st marked the one-year anniversary of our Atwood Health Center opening its doors to the community. In its first year, more than 13,600 patients visited Atwood for medical care. The 26,600 square-foot state-of-the-art health center is home to a variety of services including Adult Medicine, Family Medicine, Ob/Gyn, Pediatrics, Behavioral Health, Express Care, Diagnostic Imaging, and Lab Services.

“In its first year, Atwood has been home to more than 34,000 patient visits,” said Merrill Thomas, President & CEO of Providence Community Health Centers (PCHC). “The need in our community is real which makes this an ideal time to reflect on what those visits have meant to our patients.”

The decision to build a health center in this location was driven by a board-led strategic plan and market assessment that identified Olneyville as the neighborhood with some of the worst health outcomes and data in Providence in critical areas like prenatal care, low birth weight, and control of both blood pressure and diabetes. PCHC’s existing health center in Olneyville was at capacity in terms of accepting patients so the decision was made to explore building a second site in this community.

The center has become a beacon in Olneyville, delivering on its promise of superlative health care. “Watching the joy on patients faces when they see this building for the first time is heartwarming,” said Jamie Brooks, Director of the Atwood Health Center. “We are partnered with many key stakeholders in Olneyville to help our patients improve their health and quality of life.”

Jamie feels the purposeful design of the building make it a unique fit to the neighborhood. “From Route 6, the building looks like a health center,” said Jamie. “When you look at it from the Atwood Street side, it looks like a collection of town houses. It helps us seamlessly blend into the neighborhood.”

Haley Cahill-Williams, RN, joined Atwood from our Olneyville Health Center and knows that the additional capacity was necessary. “The opening of Atwood allowed us more space to serve our patients, and the ability to offer care to new patients who were in need,” said Haley. “Our Express Care facility on the first floor is also great for patient access.”

That sentiment was echoed by Dr. Carla Martin, who works per diem in Express. “So many patients have expressed their appreciation for Express being located in Olneyville, especially when the ERs were so full during the RSV/flu/COVID tripledemic,” said Dr. Martin. “On an everyday basis, patients also appreciate receiving culturally appropriate care.”

Merrill noted that the project was years in the making, with the initial purchase and sale agreement signed five years ago. “It took years of planning, renovations, and construction to make our newest health center a reality,” he said. “Thank you to everyone who contributed to its construction and to all our Atwood team members for providing high quality health care in a neighborhood that faces significant health challenges. Along with our existing Olneyville health center, you are helping change the overall health of an entire community.”