About & History

Before the Knox Community Health Center became a federally qualified health center, it started as a free clinic with limited services providing medical and dental care. Recognizing the fact that Knox County needed expanded health care for the underserved population, the Knox County Health Department and the Board of Health began the process of establishing a federally qualified health center (FQHC) in 2009. The first step in this process was to advocate for Knox County to be designated as a "medically underserved population".

In 2009 the Board of Health hired a consultant to assist with the application process. Later that year, the Health Department was awarded an $80,000 federal planning grant. The grant - funded by Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration - was the only such grant awarded in Illinois for that year. The grant was vital to the planning process, as it provided the funds for consultation, legal fees and adapting the building to meet the needs of a larger health center.

The Knox County Health Department began the Section 330 application in April 2010. On December 13 of that year the newly formed Governance Board signed the completed application. On June 12, 2012 the Knox Community Health Center was awarded FQHC status.

The Knox Community Health Center hired Dr. West as its first Chief Medical Officer in 2012. KCHC added Behavioral Health to its services in January of 2015.