● LOCAL CARE. LASTING IMPACT.
Good health
is priceless.
So is our care.
Free primary medical care for uninsured and underinsured adults in Otsego County and surrounding communities.
Compassionate care. Licensed volunteers. No cost to you.
CARE THAT FEELS PERSONAL
A familiar face.
A helping hand.
YOUR GIFT MAKES CARE POSSIBLE
Give today.
Help a neighbor.
POWERED BY OUR COMMUNITY
Local people.
Lasting kindness.
Free primary careCommunity supportedVolunteer powered
YOUR FIRST STEP TO CARE
Let's make your visit easy.
First, call 607-433-0300. Then Our team will help you get started.
No-cost care at both locations
Eligible patients receive care with $0 out-of-pocket costs at our Oneonta and Edmeston locations.
Oneonta
Every Tuesday
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
31 Main Street, Suite 2A
Oneonta, NY 13820
Edmeston
Third Thursday of each month
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Edmeston Community Cupboard
9 West Street, Edmeston, NY
HERE FOR YOUR HEALTH
Everyday care.
Extraordinary kindness.
Primary and preventive care from licensed volunteer medical professionals. Ask us about eligibility.
01
Primary &
preventive care
Check-ups, illness care and health screenings.
Routine medical check-ups, illness treatment, preventative health screenings and follow-up visits.
Services are for uninsured or underinsured adults who meet financial eligibility criteria. Please call to ask about care.
02
Chronic condition
support
Ongoing care for diabetes, high blood pressure and more.
Ongoing clinical care and patient education for conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, COPD and asthma.
Services are for uninsured or underinsured adults who meet financial eligibility criteria. Please call to ask about care.
03
Whole-person
wellness
Nutrition guidance and mental health support.
Nutrition and dietary counseling support healthy eating and chronic disease management. Mental health counseling is available exclusively to established patients.
Services are for uninsured or underinsured adults who meet financial eligibility criteria. Please call to ask about care.
04
Help accessing
the care you need
Referrals, medication assistance and coverage guidance.
Our team helps with specialty and diagnostic referrals, prescription assistance and guidance on county, state or federal healthcare programs.
Services are for uninsured or underinsured adults who meet financial eligibility criteria. Please call to ask about care.
For non-emergency care only. In a medical emergency, call 911.
CARE CLOSER TO HOME
Rural Outreach Program
We're bringing compassionate primary care closer to neighbors across Otsego County. In partnership with the Edmeston Community Cupboard, our first Rural Outreach location serves the community in Edmeston, NY.
Plan your visit
Appointments are recommended.
Walk-ins are welcome. Call our main office in Oneonta to schedule a visit or ask about available services.
OUR FIRST OUTREACH LOCATION
Visit us in Edmeston
- WHERE
- Edmeston Community Cupboard9 West Street, Edmeston, NY
- WHEN
- Every 3rd Thursday of the month6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Appointments recommended · Walk-ins welcome
Neighbors caring for neighbors.
Care with a personal connection.
Our community makes it possible.
A welcoming place for care.
Here to listen. Here to help.
ROOTED IN ONEONTA
A healthier community
starts with all of us.
Everyone deserves access to compassionate care. Since opening our doors in 2008, we have brought local volunteers and neighbors together to make that possible.
Our mission is to provide free and compassionate primary healthcare to adults in need across Otsego County and neighboring rural communities.
Our beginnings
In 2005, the Unitarian Universalist Society of Oneonta, New York (UUSO) identified a clear need in our community: a free health clinic for people struggling with the cost of medical care and insurance. Dr. Benjamin Friedell, a UUSO member, led the project. First, a committee spent about two years on research and detailed planning. Then, they opened a free primary health care center: the Oneonta Community Health Center (OCHC).
The OCHC's Founding Board first met in 2007. The board created bylaws, a mission and a vision for the non-profit organization. It also studied state and local health laws. After consulting with three other free clinics and Fox Hospital CEO John Remillard, the board chose not to become an Article 28 facility, which must meet the same standards as hospitals. Instead, individual providers practice under their own license and malpractice insurance. "Friends of Oneonta Community Health Center, Inc.," a 501(c)(3), oversees the center's operations, staff and fundraising.
Next, the UUSO held a public meeting to explain the project and ask for financial and operational support. The community responded with tremendous support. As a result, the founders decided to establish the center without publicly identifying it as an offshoot of the UUSO. To survive, the center would need volunteers and donors from across the greater Oneonta community, not just the UUSO.
Finding a home
By chance, a local midwife with a fully furnished health facility on the first floor of her house needed to move to another state. She offered the house to the OCHC rent-free for the first year and asked only that the center pay the utilities. The Academy Street location was ideal. The center opened there on July 29, 2008, and stayed for several years until the house was sold.
Growing with our community
While the center searched for a new location, Fox Hospital provided a suite that it used for other purposes during the day. In 2012, the OCHC moved to its current location on Main Street.
In 2013, the OCHC began offering dental services to established patients through FoxCare Dental Associates. Later, in 2022, the center added a mental health program, also for established patients.
Today, one ongoing challenge is spreading the word about free primary care in Oneonta. We do this through marketing and by networking with health and social service providers who can refer patients to us. In addition, support from institutional and individual donors is vital to keeping our services free.
Recently, the OCHC's Board of Directors has been working on a strategic plan. It includes marketing strategies and research into other health care services that could help us better serve the greater Oneonta area.
Our Mission
- To provide free and compassionate primary healthcare to adults
in need across Otsego County and neighboring rural communities.
Our Vision
- Oneonta Community Health Center seeks to expand and adapt its
services to meet the changing health care needs of our diverse
community. - To achieve this, we will continue to rely on generous volunteers,
donors, and community members until everyone has access to
affordable health care.
Our Values
- Compassionate
We treat those we serve and each other with dignity and kindness. - Responsive
Every day, we strive to better understand and respond to the health care needs of our diverse community. - Accessible
Primary health care should be available locally, and community-based planning, collaboration, and support are vital. - Professional
We believe in maintaining the highest standards of operation for our health center and the professionalism of our staff, volunteers, and board members. - Community Driven
In addition, we value the services of our volunteers and the trust of those we serve who make the achievement of our mission possible.
Board of Directors, Staff, & Clinical Operations Team
Board of Directors
- President Richard (Otto) Rothermel
- Vice President Michelle Lopez
- Treasurer Meredith Rider
- Secretary Kyleen Joslyn
- Taryn More
- Josh Garufi
- Dan Maskin
- Medical Director Ex officio: Ben Friedell, MD
Administrative & Clinical Staff
- Executive Director: Beatriz de la Torre
- Clinical Coordinator: Elaine Wood, RN
- Office & Volunteer Coordinator: Joan Ricker
Clinical Operations Team
- James Dalton, MD
- Tristan Sharratt, NP
- Patricia Jacob, NP
- Anne Pawlowski, NP
- Ann Adamo, Dietitian
- Barbara Sperling, RN
- Meredith Rider, RN
- Valerie Levine, RN
- Erika Thetford, RN
- Geri McCulley, RN
- Heidi Herbert, RN
YOUR TIME CAN CHANGE A LIFE
There's a place
for you here.
Working or retired medical professionals, and neighbors with non-medical skills: help us care for our community, on a schedule that works for you.
Medical volunteering
Working and retired physicians and nurses are welcome.
Provide care in a personal setting where your skills make
an immediate difference in patients' lives.
Non-medical volunteering
- Facility care:
Help with cleaning and upkeep to keep the clinic safe,
hygienic and welcoming. - Administrative support:
Assist with phones, reception, intake and office organization
under staff supervision.
Why volunteer with OCHC?
- Help medically underserved neighbors in Otsego County.
- Work in a relaxed, respectful atmosphere.
- Choose a time commitment that fits your schedule.
Some volunteers help weekly; others participate as their
schedules allow.
Interested in joining us?
GIVE THE GIFT OF HEALTH
Your generosity.
Someone's
next chapter.
Help keep compassionate healthcare free for our neighbors. Every gift makes a difference.
SEE THE DIFFERENCE YOU CAN MAKE
A little help.
A lasting difference.
Helps cover the costs of patient services at OCHC.
Covers the cost of a mental health patient visit at OCHC.
Pays for one patient visit at OCHC.
Provides a dental cleaning for one patient through OCHC.
Choose your amount and one-time or recurring gift on Give Lively. Opens in a new tab.
Mail your check to:
Oneonta Community Health Center
31 Main Street, Suite 2A
Oneonta, NY 13820
Frequently asked questions
Appointments & visits
Services & follow-up care
Costs & assistance
Care for you.
Made possible by us all.
Free care. Real connection.
A stronger community.
