ROCK HILL, S.C. May 21, 2015 – Affinity Health Center is the new name for Catawba Care, a health provider in York County dating to 2000.

The new name comes as Catawba Care inaugurates plans for meeting comprehensive healthcare needs beyond people living with HIV that has been the agency’s main focus since its inception.

“Our gradual, planned evolution to a community-based, primary healthcare provider began over the last couple years with the multiple changes in healthcare and as we saw that many of the roadblocks for services for individuals and families dealing with HIV also existed in the broader community,” said Rev. Maurice Revell, the organization’s board chair.

The need was further supported by results from the York County Community Health Needs Assessment the agency coordinated in 2012 to identify gaps in care and unmet needs for York County residents, said Suzanne Wright, immediate past board chair. The assessment, guided by a team made up of social service and healthcare providers across York County, was conducted by Duke University’s Center for Health Policy and Inequalities Research.

Adoption of the Affinity Health Center name is effective immediately while expansion of services and staff will occur gradually over the next six months. The organization’s home will remain at 500 Lakeshore Parkway in Rock Hill.

“Increasing our services and staff allows Affinity Health Center to become a ‘medical home’ for patients, providing primary and preventative health care, including dental and mental health services,” said Anita Case, executive director. “The primary goal of our services has always been to help patients live longer, healthier lives through delivery of compassionate, excellent care. This continues to be our sole reason for being.”

As part of its service expansion, Affinity is working with the Early Learning Partnership of York County to begin offering services to children now served by that organization, which is transitioning out of delivering health services.

Affinity Health Center provides essential medical services to the uninsured at nominal costs depending on income, as well as to those patients with Medicaid, Medicare and all other private insurance including Affordable Care Act plans.

The Duke Endowment, Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina Foundation, Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina, Springs Close Foundation and United Way of York County provided support and funding for Catawba Care to transition to Affinity Health Center.