History

Swope Health Services was originally named Model Cities Health Corporation (MCHC) in recognition of its source of seed money – the Johnson Administration’s Model Cities program. In 1969, MCHC opened a clinic in the basement of Metropolitan Baptist Church. E. Frank Ellis, Chairman, and his dedicated board saw the need to provide primary health services to those who fell through the cracks of the health care system – the working poor. That first year, with a budget of $100,000 and 20 employees, 2000 patients were served.

Many of our patients often were coming in with the same symptoms. In addition to medical problems, patients were victims of substance abuse or physical abuse – all were victims of the cycle of poverty.

Staff understood that both symptoms AND causes would have to be addressed by determining what was going on in individuals’ homes and neighborhoods – if they hoped to ever break the cycles of poverty and abuse that carry on from one generation to the next.

That’s how Swope Health Services’ holistic approach to health was conceived – embracing the total health and well-being of the individuals they served.

In 1980, a comprehensive mental health center was added so that the behavioral health issues that impacted the lives of the high-risk population the Health Center served could be addressed. Today, primary care and community mental health are housed under one roof at Swope Health Central and the preventive, wholistic model that distinguishes Swope has blossomed into many new programs and outreach services designed to meet patients’ needs identified in the communities surrounding all our clinic locations.

Click here to view Swope Health Services' Historical Timeline