2023 Economic Impact Awards 11-20 Years in Business Top Honors: Jordan Valley Community Health Center

Jordan Valley Community Health Center’s growth in the two decades since its founding has surpassed the expectations of many. Not even President and CEO Brooks Miller could have predicted the strides Jordan Valley would make.

“I certainly never anticipated the growth and popularity of our program when I first came to Springfield,” Miller says.

In the last year, the health system remodeled and opened the Roy Blunt Center for Family Health and Wellness at the corner of Grand Street and Kansas Expressway. The 50,000-square-foot former grocery store now has a dental and medical procedure clinic, as well as a women and children’s clinic.

With the new Springfield location, Jordan Valley Community Health Center now has 677 employees within seven clinics across five communities. In the last year, the health system has generated $73.7 million in patient services revenue. Miller says the Springfield clinic addition is a sign of the growth that Jordan Valley has experienced.

Miller, a lifelong Missourian, made the move to Springfield in 2002 and, a short time after, helped open the federally qualified health center. He recalls being impressed by the business-friendly environment that the city had to offer.

“Once I got here, it was evident that this was a very positive area to grow a business,” says Miller.

Along with the positive economic landscape, Springfield also had a demand for health care services for low-income individuals and families.

Last year, 95.8% of Jordan Valley Community Health Center’s patients had an income below 200% of the federal poverty level, which is $60,000 a year for a family of four. The U.S. Census Bureau puts Springfield’s median annual income at just under $40,000.

In 2022, Jordan Valley expanded its vision services by adding two optometrists. Health system officials say this change increased access to vision services by 55% and generated $2.2 million in revenue.

Looking to the future, Miller has expressed excitement about Jordan Valley’s continued use of remote and mobile health care as it was popularized during the pandemic and has evolved in the last few years.

“We are very excited about telehealth,” Miller says. “Especially for behavioral health services and things of that nature.”

For a health center that focuses mainly on dental health, telehealth is not always an option. However, Miller has been encouraged by the technological advancements in recent years that have created more popularity in telehealth services. This echoes Jordan Valley’s mission of “improving our community’s health through access and relationships.”