Unveiling a New Chapter
What began as a rural night clinic in 1976 has grown into a 13-location health system serving more than 26,000 patients each year across southeastern North Carolina.
FOUR OAKS, NC – In 1976, a small group of community leaders in rural Sampson County did something simple and consequential: they opened a night clinic to bring primary care to people who had none. Fifty years later, that humble evening clinic has become CommWell Health — a not-for-profit Community Health Center system with 13 practice locations across five counties, offering medical, dental, and behavioral health services to more than 26,000 patients each year.
CommWell Health announced today the launch of its 50th anniversary celebration, a year-long campaign titled “Building a Better Tomorrow for Our Community,” guided by the theme “Honoring the Past, Building the Future.”
From a Night Clinic to a Regional Health System
CommWell Health traces its roots to a collaborative effort among the Sampson, Harnett, and Johnston County health departments, which together created a federally supported primary care initiative aimed at serving rural communities with little access to care. A small night clinic in northern Sampson County – near Newton Grove and Spivey’s Corner – was the first expression of that shared commitment.
That founding partnership formally incorporated as Tri-County Community Health Council, Inc., reflecting the three counties that made it possible. Over the following decades, services expanded steadily beyond the original site to meet growing community health needs across the region. In 2009, the Board of Directors adopted the name CommWell Health to reflect the organization’s broader reach and its central belief: your community, your wellness, your health – because all people matter.
Comprehensive Care Close to Home
Today, CommWell Health delivers a full continuum of services through its network of practice locations, mobile care units, and community partnerships. Patients receive integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health care, supported by pharmacy services, care coordination, and specialty partnerships.
Programs include primary medical and dental care, pediatrics, women’s health services through physician partnerships, behavioral health, pharmacy, WIC, nutrition support and care coordination. CommWell Health also operates mobile medical and dental services that bring care directly into communities – including ongoing dental outreach in local public-school systems – and partners with regional providers to offer access to mobile mammography and other diagnostic services.
To remove barriers to access, CommWell Health offers virtual visits, same-day appointments, rotating Saturday hours, and integrated pharmacy services through Express Discount Meds, its in-house pharmacy and pharmacy free shipping mail order program.
“We are extremely proud of our 50 years of providing essential, comprehensive, high-quality, and accessible care to our communities,” said Tamara Dunn, MBA, RN, Chief Executive Officer of CommWell Health. “This milestone would not be possible without our many talented and dedicated staff members, the countless volunteer hours of our Board of Directors, and the patients who trust us to care for them and their loved ones. Our vision remains firm: to be recognized and respected as a premier Community Health Center in the nation.”
Looking Ahead
As CommWell Health marks its 50th year, the organization is focused on growth as much as reflection. Plans are underway to expand clinical services, extend pharmacy access through Express Discount Meds, and bring new care options to communities in Harnett County, including the Coats area. The CommWell Health Foundation, established in 2018, continues to support initiatives that strengthen patient care and community health programs across the organization.
The 50th anniversary celebration will unfold throughout 2026, with community events, recognition programs, and outreach initiatives planned across the region. Details will be announced at www.commwellhealth.org and through CommWell Health’s social media channels.
About CommWell Health
CommWell Health is a not-for-profit, community-governed health center system serving southeastern North Carolina through 13 practice locations across five counties. For nearly five decades, CommWell Health has provided team-based primary medical, dental, and behavioral health services, including psychiatry, women’s health, pharmacy, laboratory, imaging, care coordination, and chronic disease management. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, visit www.commwellhealth.org or call 1-877-WELL-ALL (1-877-935-5255).
Media Contact
Andrea Morales Williams
Senior Director Foundation and PR/Marketing
cwhmarketing@commwellhealth.org | 910.567.7177
