Health Center
Excellence in Health, Wellness, Education & Service
Sun Life Family Health Center – Trusted Care. Close to Home.
BY STAFF WRITER
Excellence in Health, Wellness, Education & Service
The staff at Sun Life Family Health Center truly care about the people we serve. It has been our legacy since Sun Life started. We began in Casa Grande, as an outgrowth of the Arizona Job College, which provided job training for migrant and seasonal farm-workers. The farm workers who were interested in health services were trained at the Center. Over time, as the training funds ran out, the health funds kept coming and the job college became solely a health facility. SUN LIFE’S HISTORICAL JOURNEY TO AND IN MARICOPA
The Center became established as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in 1981, allowing a shift in funding from migrant grants to the Community Health Center Program grant. The Center operated on a sliding-fee schedule; patients paid according to their income. This was by no means a “free clinic,” as there was a minimum fee charged. This meant the Center was able to ensure that everyone in the community was eligible to use its services, regardless of income or insurance status. Even in these early years, the goal was to offer good, quality, conventional care, focusing on preventative health services. This level of care supported continued growth, and, by 1984, the organization was operating four offices in the County. In 2001, the organization saw construction of its Maricopa Family Practice office and, in 2015, Sun Life moved Maricopa’s family practice to a new, larger facility and added pediatric care and a pharmacy. Sun Life then renovated the original Maricopa office to provide OB/GYN services at Sun Life Center for Women. From the humble beginnings, Sun Life has grown from a small office with one full-time and one part- time physician to staffing 61 health care providers at 13 offices in nine communities in Pinal and Maricopa Counties. Sun Life Family Health Center has been serving the community of Maricopa for over 38 years. Sun Life has an unwavering dedication to providing our patients and the community comprehensive, trusted and affordable healthcare close to home. Over the years, we have grown our services to meet the changing needs of our communities. This includes offering integrated behavioral health, wellness education and most recently ensuring our communities have access to medication by opening our Maricopa Pharmacy to the public. n
Family Medicine (520) 568-2245 44572 W. Bowlin Rd.
In 1976, the Center became incorporated as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit, which staffed one full-time and one part- time physician. In the first year, the Center provided 12,000 patient visits. In March 1977, the Center moved from the Job College to Cottonwood Lane. This move provided a larger facility, allowing the Center to increase staffing to three full-time and three part-time physicians. This new facility was built to offer laboratory, X-ray and pharmacy services as a convenience for patients. By 1978, the Center
On-Site Pharmacy Open to Public
OB/GYN (520) 788-6100 44765 W. Hathaway Ave.
We accept most major insurance, including Medicare, AHCCCS & TRICARE. Uninsured? We can help!
had introduced family dentistry and women’s
health and maternity care services (OB/GYN), now providing an array of services to the community, and truly being a “family health center.” The Center saw the start of growth to communities outside of Casa Grande, starting with the Center’s second office in Maricopa in 1980.
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Sun Life is your local non-profit Community Health Center.
Primary Medical Care 520-568-2245 44572 W. Bowlin Road
SLFHC.org
OB/GYN Care 520-788-6100 44765 W. Hathaway Avenue
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www.SunLifeFamilyHealth.org
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New Resident Guide 2020 | InMaricopa.com/NewResidentGuide
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