BBJ Nonprofit Awards: Cahaba Selected as Finalist for Fastest Growing Nonprofit
Cahaba Medical Care, was recently announced as one of the Birmingham Business Journal’s 2024 Nonprofit Awards finalists for Fastest Growing Nonprofit.
Nonprofits are a key industry in the Magic City, which is also known as one of the most philanthropic cities in the nation. Birmingham residents regularly celebrate nonprofits and the good works they do in the community. Because of their importance and noteworthy efforts, the Birmingham Business Journal is reviving its annual Nonprofit Awards, which recognize both nonprofit organizations and companies that support the local charitable and philanthropic communities. This year’s finalists were honored at a special event on March 7 at The Fennec.
Cahaba Medical Care was founded as a private practice in Centreville in 2004, but transitioned to a nonprofit Federally-Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in 2012. Cahaba serves as a safety net clinic, accepting ALL insurance types with no limit on Medicare, Medicaid, or uninsured patients. We are also able to provide discounted services for low-income patients or those experiencing financial hardship through our sliding fee discount schedule, which is based on family size and household income.
What started with one clinic with 11 employees in Centreville has now grown to 28 clinic locations throughout central Alabama, with more than 600 employees throughout the organization. This growth has allowed us to make a significant impact by increasing access to medical services in our communities, expanding our reach from approximately 2,000 unique patients in 2012 to nearly 43,000 in 2023.
"Growing up in a faith-based home and community instilled in me both a deep-seated belief that we are obligated to leave the world better than we found it and a shared responsibility to help those in need whenever we can. This has become a calling in my life, shaping my decision to make it my full-time job, both in medicine and in the administrative and business aspects of running a nonprofit," said Dr. John B. Waits, CEO. "It brings me great joy to find partners and work together for the greater good in every community Cahaba serves to meet the needs of our neighbors."