Community Health of Central WA Celebrates 20th Anniversary

YAKIMA, WA – Community Health of Central Washington (CHCW), a not-for-profit healthcare provider, is proud to announce the 20th anniversary of its founding.  The originating members joined together 20 years ago to form a grassroots movement with the primary goal of providing access to affordable and appropriate health care.

Today, CHCW is the medical home for more than 30,000 people in the Central WA area, providing them comprehensive care for all ages, regardless of the ability to pay.  CHCW offers prenatal and obstetric services (in Yakima and Kittitas Counties), preventative medical services, care for acute and chronic illness, and care in our clinics and hospitals.  In addition, its family medicine residency program, which has operated since 1993, is responsible for graduating nearly 30 family medicine doctors who practice in our area and continue CHCW’s vision to help ease the primary care shortage.

Founded by Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital and Providence Yakima Medical Center (now Yakima Regional) in 1992, CHCW initially started as their Central Washington Family Medicine Clinic and Residency.  For the past 20 years, the original goals continue to stay constant: to provide affordable, accessible and compassionate quality healthcare and support services to individuals and families and help fill the void of medical providers, especially family practice physicians in the Central WA area regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.

"Prior to CHCW being formed, the health care community of Yakima was overwhelmed,” says Mike Maples, MD, co-founder and CEO of CHCW.  “Our goal was to address the increasing need in the community by providing primary care service, and by training family doctors for the community.  That continued vision has allowed us to grow and to provide a wide array of services throughout Central WA.”

The Central Washington Family Medicine clinic was opened for patient care on September 21, 1992.  Today the organization provides services to about 30,000 medical patients through over 100,000 visits annually.  Its budget is now $24 million, and staffing has grown to over 200 employees.

“CHCW success grows from its committed and courageous founders, staff and board of directors,” Maples adds.  “They have continued to refine our mission of increasing available healthcare to all while maintaining quality, accessibility, and affordability.”

CHCW is recognized as a health care model for delivering quality and much needed medical care services to everyone within the community.  Over the years, it has partnered with federal, state, and local organizations to ensure that residents have the care they need.