About Cooperative Health
Eau Claire Cooperative Health Center
(dba Cooperative Health)
Eau Claire Cooperative Health Center (dba Cooperative Health) was founded in 1981 by Dr. Stuart Hamilton to address the pediatric primary health care needs in the Eau Claire community of Columbia, South Carolina.
That year, the local poverty rate was at 25% (in 1981), it was rationalized that one in every four patients was the federal poverty level (FPL). This ratio could conceivably sustain the operation of the pediatric clinic. This was not the case. When it was learned that Dr. Hamilton provided services to uninsured patients, the percentage of uninsured versus insured patients shifted, resulting in a financial crisis. To continue providing healthcare services to the Eau Claire community, the decision was made to change the standard private practice model and reemerge as a nonprofit organization and seek grant support.
In 2000, Cooperative Health received its first Service Area Competition (SAC) grant, thus officiating its designation as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) – a nonprofit community health center. Today, our organization has expanded to become an extensive healthcare network providing primary and specialty medical services across four counties in the Midlands of South Carolina. We have more than 80 highly qualified providers delivering integrated healthcare services to more than 61,000 individuals annually in Richland, Lexington, Newberry, and Fairfield Counties. Our clinical teams have tremendous expertise in the delivery of a wide variety primary care services to include pediatrics, adult and family practice, obstetrics & gynecology, dental, podiatry, behavioral medicine, orthopedics, and pharmacy services. We’ve had the honor of assisting hundreds of thousands of individuals to successfully navigate their life’s healthcare journey.
Cooperative Health is driven by its vision, guided by its value, and rooted in the mission of providing accessible, high-quality, compassionate healthcare in the spirit of the Good Samaritan.
Mission - Vision - Values
Our mission is to provide accessible, high-quality, compassionate health care in the spirit of the Good Samaritan.
Our vision is to be recognized as a premier community health center in the country.
Our values, we believe in:
- Treating each other with respect and dignity
- Putting people first
- Being excellent at what we do
- Promoting a collaborative work environment
- Improving community/population health
- Fostering innovative thinkers
- Getting results
The Good Samaritan
Taken from LUKE 10:30-37 NIV
A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho; and he fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went off leaving him half dead. And by chance a certain priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
And likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him, and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
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For more information about how we can help you, call Cooperative Health in South Carolina at (866) 405-9438. To schedule an appointment with one of our providers, contact the location nearest you.
