Cempa Community Care has achieved the designation as a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike, awarded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

This designation marks the first time that an infectious disease-focused health center in the state of Tennessee has been awarded the status, which applies to both the organization’s Chattanooga facility and mobile clinic sites. FQHC Look-Alike centers must serve an underserved area or population, offer a sliding fee scale for payment, provide comprehensive services and have both an ongoing quality assurance program and a governing board of directors.

In 2017, Cempa announced an expanded mission and new name, formerly Chattanooga CARES, to reflect a transition into becoming a community-based healthcare system offering primary care services while still specializing in infectious disease with a focus on underserved populations. Look-Alike status recognizes the success of the organization’s revamped healthcare delivery model, and it will help increase Cempa’s ability to address the health needs of the area’s most marginalized and vulnerable populations, officials said.

“Our health centers provide access to compassionate, quality and culturally sensitive preventive and primary healthcare services,” says Cory Howard, chief operating officer of Cempa. “We establish and coordinate preventive and educational activities for both the general population and specifically for groups experiencing disproportional health disparities. This, along with our designation as an FQHC Look-Alike, will allow us to better provide care for patients who are most in need of our services.”

"Cempa’s mission is to champion healthy communities by providing affordable, compassionate and high-quality care through advancing comprehensive support services and person-centered best practices," officials said.

“This is an important achievement, further demonstrating our commitment to providing comprehensive healthcare services, regardless of the ability to pay, to uninsured and underinsured individuals experiencing limited access to care,” says Shannon Stephenson, chief executive officer of Cempa. “As an FQHC Look-Alike, we are poised to further increase primary healthcare accessibility to the communities we serve.”