The Southside/Dodson Avenue Community Health Centers, a division of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Hospital Authority, provide affordable, accessible and high quality primary medical and dental care for families living in the tri-state region. The services area includes Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama; however, the majority of patients reside in Chattanooga.
The centers were established in 1968, with the opening of the Southside (formerly Alton Park) site in South Chattanooga, under the auspices of the Office of Economic Opportunity. The Southside site was managed through Baroness Erlanger Hospital, a county-owned facility at that time. In 1976 the center expanded operations to includes the Dodson Avenue site in East Chattanooga. In 1977, because of changes in federal law, the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Hospital Authority and the health centers entered into a federally-approved co-applicant agreement, which provided for the establishment of the current health centers' board of directors that is responsible for formulation of the policies implemented in management of the centers.
The centers are located in inner city communities and draw many patients from outside the center's target areas. The Southside site is adjacent to a middle school. This site also houses a state-run food stamp office that operates independently from the center. The Dodson Avenue site is located in the Avondale community and houses the center's home health department. A privately owned and operated day care center is also housed in this facility.
The key to the success of the centers is patient friendliness. The centers have a good reputation in the community for providing quality health care for over 26 years. Patients and visitors alike notice the cleanliness of each facility, as well as the courteous, friendly, caring staff. Patient satisfaction surveys are utilized and employee suggestions are encouraged to improve and expand services.
The most unique feature about our centers is community involvement activities. The centers have established an impressive track record of sponsorship for events promoting health life styles among children and adults. They are involved in churches, schools, organizations, and community sponsored health fairs. The centers have co-sponsored over twenty parental involvement workshops and programs at four middle schools, as well as city wide parent recognition banquets. This community involvement has resulted in a network of concerned parents, students, teachers, community leaders, organizational members, health professionals, etc. that use the centers.