Groundbreaking ceremony for St. Louis City’s most populated neighborhoods’ new community health center

ST. LOUIS, MO – One of St. Louis’ most populated neighborhoods is getting a new neighbor. Family Care Health Centers (FCHC) held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday, 11/22, for its 27,000-square-foot state-of-the-art healthcare facility. The new health center will provide comprehensive primary care, behavioral health, nutrition services, WIC, and pharmaceutical services at the corner of Grand and Chippewa, alongside Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis.

There is a great need for a community health center in Dutchtown. With 32% of the population in zip code 63118 below the Federal Poverty Line and 27% without a vehicle, having a community health center, with multiple services, closer is critical.

Local communities and organizations attended the groundbreaking ceremony, showing their support for this much-needed addition to the community.  “This is a very exciting occasion for not just myself, but my neighbors as well.  I am so happy to be able to partner with Aramide on the groundbreaking today.  This is such an exciting opportunity. … This was the old St. Anothony’s Hospital that stood here for nearly a hundred years and was actually one of the largest maternity hospitals in the entire state of Missouri. … Now we are finally in a place where we are reinvesting in our community,” said Alderman Shane Cohn of Ward 3.  “This {corner} is the entryway into Dutchtown. …  Having Family Care Health Centers prominently at the intersection of Grand & Chippewa welcoming people into Dutchtown, taking care of the people of Dutchtown is such a tremendous thing for us.”

The Dutchtown STL community association welcomes the addition.  Jarred Irby, Dutchtown Main Street Board member said, “There are not many health care options in this part of town.  …  I actually started using Family Care Health Centers on Holly Hills.  To see that there is another option for the many families, a lot of them from different ethnic backgrounds, can be served specifically in our community I think is a major, major win.”

As FCHC celebrates 55 years of service, this new facility is a cornerstone of the organization’s mission to expand access to high-quality healthcare in St. Louis. Since 1969, FCHC has been driven to ensure that the health care needs of the most vulnerable populations are at the core of their mission.  “We are excited to be expanding to the Dutchtown community. Family Care Health Centers has had a long-standing history in providing quality healthcare services and this new site location will allow us to continue delivering such services to the community. We are most excited about the expanded behavioral health services this location will offer”, says Aramide Ayorinde, CEO.

Construction begins Monday, 12/2/24, and the facility is slated to open its doors in 2nd quarter 2026.

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About Family Care Health Centers

Family Care Health Centers (FCHC) is a non-profit community health center dedicated to providing affordable and accessible comprehensive primary health care services to the residents of St. Louis and the surrounding communities.  For over 50 years, FCHC has been committed to offering a full range of services, equalizing the accessibility of quality healthcare to our hometown community members.  FCHC can be found online at www.fchcstl.org, Facebook at facebook.com/FCHCstl, and LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/family-care-health-centers.

Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis
Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis (HFHSL) is a not-for-profit, affordable housing nonprofit working in partnership with individuals and communities to improve housing conditions and provide safe, decent, and affordable housing in St. Louis City and County. With more than 400 homes already built or rehabbed, HFHSL is one of the leading housing developers in St. Louis. HFHSL regularly ranks among the top Habitat for Humanity affiliates in the country. HFHSL donors, volunteers, and partner families work side-by-side to build or rehab homes ensuring that every deserving family in St. Louis has a decent place to live. Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis:  Building Homes, Building Hope, Building St. Louis.  For more information, visit: www.habitatstl.org.