WELLNESS WEDNESDAY: HUNTSVILLE'S GROWING POPULATION HIGHLIGHTS CRITICAL NEED FOR ACCESSIBLE HEALTHCARE SERVICES

The first full week of August marks National Health Center Week, a national observance celebrating the role Community Health Centers play across the country.

This Wellness Wednesday, FOX54 spoke with three local organizations about the importance of accessible healthcare for all.

Emma Gould, with Thrive Alabama, said as Huntsville continues to grow, so does the need for healthcare providers.

"It's a vital resource with how many people are coming into the city every day," Gould said. "Honestly, as it grows and grows, there's less providers to be able to see the same amount of people, and so we want to be a local grown office that people can come to."

Michelda Johnson, CEO of HAPPI Health, echoed that sentiment, saying connecting patients with the right resources is a critical part of their mission.

"A part of that is understanding and knowing the resources that are available within our community so that we can get patients to the resources of what they really need," Johnson said. "That's a part of our goal. Being able to define that need and then get that patient to the correct resource."

But not every patient lives in Huntsville. Paola Rios, with Central North Alabama Health, said serving rural communities across the Tennessee Valley is just as important.

"It may be more difficult for rural communities, people in rural areas, to access healthcare, which is why these clinics are so critical to be able to take care of our entire community across the Tennessee Valley," Rios said.

Rios added that when a clinic is not available, the organization sends teams out to remote areas using a mobile unit to provide care.

Dr. Kathy Cornelius, a provider with Central North Alabama Health Services, said health centers serve a wide range of patient needs.

"Health centers like us, not only can we provide for acute, urgent things, as well as chronic diseases, but preventable things," Cornelius said.

Cornelius said keeping health centers viable and available benefits the entire community.

"It's very important for health centers like us to survive and everywhere," Cornelius said. "It's highly utilized if we continue to stay viable and available."

All three organizations will host a community block party Saturday, offering free health exams to the public.

The event will be held at Butler Green at Campus 805, starting at 4 p.m.

2026-08-05T22:27:29Z