Caring Health Center

Our medical team is staffed with dedicated, caring, skilled physicians and nurses who are committed to providing clinical excellence and best practices in the delivery of health care services. We take pride in being the only community health center in the City of Springfield and provide treatment to over 15,000 patients annually.

Routine Medical Care:
• Sick Visits
• Adolescent Health Care
• Pediatrics and Adult Medicine
• Immunizations
• Physicals (annual, employment, premarital, and camp physicals)
• Obstetrics/Gynecology
• Refugee Health Assessments
• Case Management
• Nutrition Programs
• Routine Dental Cleaning
• Dental Emergencies

[Back to top of page]

What if I don’t have health insurance?
Caring Health Center is your Partner in Health Care Reform. A new law is now in effect! By July 1, 2007 all residents of Massachusetts age 18 and over are required to obtain and maintain health insurance that meets minimum coverage requirements.

By July 1, 2007 all Massachusetts employers with 11 or more full time equivalent employees must adopt and maintain a Section 125 pre-tax contribution Health Care Plan even if they already offer another insurance plan to their employees.

These State mandates, and the penalties for non-compliance, can be frightening and confusing for individuals and small businesses, but they are designed to take advantage of substantial tax credits for both individuals and businesses. Our enrollment specialists at Caring Health can help you wade through the process.

If you feel that health care insurance has always been out of reach for you and your family, we may be able to find a policy for you at a pre-negotiated affordable price with approved private insurance providers, or at a reduced rate adjusted for your income, or in many cases for free if you qualify.  

If you are a small business owner offering support to your employees, we can work with you to find a suitable and cost effective insurance package to meet your needs and provide value to you and your work force. Aid packages  are available for qualified small businesses.

The Commonwealth has taken a new look at the way things have been done and taken the first bold steps in the nation to improve them. They have combined the individual’s responsibility to obtain insurance coverage with market reform and subsidies to ensure cost-effective access to medical insurance. When everyone participates, the result will be universal, affordable, quality health care for everyone in our community.

[Back to top of page]

Can I walk-in and get care?
Emergencies happen. Caring Health Center is not an Emergency Care Facility, but we will NOT turn emergencies away. We ask that our patients make every effort to follow appointment procedures in the interest of fairness, efficiency, and the health and well-being of our entire community. Your concerns are our concerns and your health is our priority. If you are sick, seek treatment – with or without an appointment.

What is walk-in care?
As a Caring Health Patient, you may seek treatment for an urgent problem without an appointment.  Because staffing and time are limited, and pre-scheduled appointments are usually booked to capacity, we ask that you first use your own good judgment to determine if your situation is a true emergency or one that can wait for a standard appointment with your primary care provider. If you are not sure, you may ask for a professional evaluation. A triage nurse will determine the nature and extent of your urgency.

When will I be seen?
•   As a walk-in patient, you do not have an appointment.
•  Patients who arrive after you for a scheduled appointment may be    
    seen ahead of you.
•  You will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis as providers
    become available
•  Any patient with a medical emergency will be seen ahead of  both  
  scheduled and walk-in patients.

What services will be provided?
•  By providing walk-in service Caring Health Center hopes to treat only
   our patients’ most urgent and pressing concerns in a timely way.
•  A regular appointment should be made with your primary care
    provider for medical testing, follow-up treatment, new prescriptions
    or refills, or less urgent concerns.
•  If you are out of medications, please ask the nurse to fill out a
   medication refill request.

[Back to top of page]