SAVANNAH, Ga. () — Memorial Health and Coastal Community Health will partner to create a new healthcare center for the underserved population in Savannah. The new federally qualified health center (FQHC) will be located at 1107 East 66th Street, which currently houses the Memorial Health’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) Continuity Clinic.

“We are excited to work together with Coastal Community Health to expand access to high-quality healthcare in our community,” said Brad Talbert, Memorial Health chief executive Officer. “At Memorial Health, we invest in our community and work with purpose-driven partners to improve more lives in more ways.”

Coastal Community Health was founded in Brunswick, Ga., in 2014 and currently operates in six counties in southeast Georgia. The new Savannah FQHC will provide comprehensive healthcare services for underserved (uninsured or underinsured) patients including primary care, preventive health services, dental, behavioral health, and a 340-B discount pharmacy.

“Our mission is to increase access to quality affordable healthcare and we believe this partnership lights a path of hope for many in need of the comprehensive care offered by an FQHC,” said Kavanaugh Chandler, MD, MBA, chief executive officer for Coastal Community Health.

Memorial Health’s family medicine education program will see patients at the new FQHC. Faculty physicians and more than 20 family medicine resident physicians will practice and work alongside the Coastal Community Health team to care for patients at the new location.

“This partnership will give our family medicine resident physicians a great opportunity to gain valuable experience caring for the underserved patients in our community. It’s a win-win for our patients, graduate medical education program and our community,” said Joshua Ferrell, MD, program director for Memorial Health’s family medicine residency.

“By increasing access to primary and preventive health care, we hope to reduce some of the unnecessary utilization of local emergency rooms,” said Talbert.