Coastal Family Health Center provides care for all

Regardless of their economic or insurance status, patients can find help and hope through Coastal Family Health Center.

“We provide care for everyone, from infants to the elderly, expectant mothers, students and those with unique challenges such as homelessness, substance use disorder and chronic diseases,” says CEO Angel Greer. “We care for anyone and everyone who walks through our door.”

Coastal Family Health Center started in Biloxi over 40 years ago as a ministry of a faith-based community organization, Back Bay Mission. The Center was founded as a single outpatient site offering medical and dental services to Biloxi residents.

Today, Coastal Family Health operates 25 locations across six counties, according to Greer — serving more than 36,000 people annually. Besides an administrative office, it has two pharmacies, 12 clinics, nine school-based sites and a mobile unit.

“Coastal Family Health Center is one of the largest health centers in the state,” Greer points out, “leading the way in health information technology, improved clinical outcomes, evidence-based medicine and innovation.”

While its target demographic is uninsured, under-insured and low-income patients, Greer says Coastal Family Health is committed to serving the entire community.

“Our governing board is comprised of local residents and community leaders, and 51 percent of our board members are patients,” according to the CEO. “We are patient-centered, patient-focused, and patient-led.”

Coastal Family Health caters to those needing a range of care — including medical, dental, behavioral health, psychiatry and optometry, plus pharmacy, laboratory, radiology, ultrasound, mammography and WIC. Special programs are available for residents affected by circumstances like homelessness and HIV.

Household size and income may qualify patients for discounts, and the center’s pharmacy offers name-brand and generic prescriptions at significantly reduced rates. The center also partners with over 30 local pharmacies to offer similar savings.

Greer, who embarked on a nursing career in 1993, says the most fulfilling aspect of her work is improving health for patients, who realize they aren’t doomed to have a stroke or heart attack due to their family history and can take control of conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure.

“We are rewarded when we get to care for the third and fourth generation of families; we are rewarded when our team achieves goals that seem impossible,” she says. “We are rewarded to celebrate the retirement of our team members after serving the community for decades. The rewards are too numerous to tell it all.”

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Coastal Family Health locations: