WHEREAS, the Fredericksburg Christian Health Center, a nonprofit family practice medical clinic serving both insured and uninsured patients in the Greater Fredericksburg area, celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2023; and

WHEREAS, the origins of the Fredericksburg Christian Health Center (FCHC) date to 2001, when Timothy Powell, MD, felt the call to start a clinic with the mission of "serving those who cannot afford medical services with quality health care in the name of Jesus Christ"; and

WHEREAS, with the assistance of local board members, businesses, and churches and Mary Washington Hospital, FCHC opened its doors in January 2003; that year, Dr. Powell and his three staff members were able to provide more than 800 office visits to uninsured patients; and

WHEREAS, since its founding, FCHC has grown to support as many as 20 staff members, including the equivalent of four full-time medical providers and several regular volunteers, while also expanding into a second office, enabling the practice to provide up to 4,000 charity visits annually; and

WHEREAS, through its uninsured program, the FCHC cares for uninsured and Medicaid patients residing in the City of Fredericksburg and the Counties of Spotsylvania, Stafford, Caroline, Orange, King George, Westmoreland, Louisa, Culpeper, and Prince William; and

WHEREAS, from 2003 through 2022, FCHC provided almost 50,000 visits to uninsured patients and more than 12,000 visits to Medicaid patients, delivering more than $7 million in charitable health care services; and

WHEREAS, FCHC staff pray with around 800 patients each year as the practice works with other health professionals, community service providers, Christian ministries, and churches to accomplish the joint mission of caring for the poor and sharing the love and mercy of Jesus Christ; and

WHEREAS, FCHC partners with nutritionists and psychiatrists, employs a social worker, and is in the process of hiring a full-time counselor to provide holistic care to underserved patients; and

WHEREAS, to support its patients and members of the community, FCHC hosts a regional food bank distribution in its parking lot every other week, collects and distributes donations of food, clothing, and hygiene supplies from multiple churches, and operates a food pantry out of its lobby; and

WHEREAS, beyond the clinic, FCHC collaborates with various organizations to provide care to those in need, including unhoused individuals, people overcoming substance use disorders, immigrants and refugees, pregnant women, and victims of human trafficking; and

WHEREAS, FCHC has cultivated future generations of experienced and compassionate health care providers as a rotation site for the University of Virginia School of Medicine and several physician assistant and nurse practitioner programs; and

WHEREAS, FCHC's commitment to the health and well-being of others is an inspiration to all Virginians and an important reason why the Greater Fredericksburg area is a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the Fredericksburg Christian Health Center hereby be commended on the occasion of its 20th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Fredericksburg Christian Health Center as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for the clinic's history and its contributions to the Commonwealth.