About Us

In 1976, a group of concerned citizens representing the City of Bridgeport, Bridgeport Housing Authority and other neighborhood agencies formed the West End Neighborhood Advisory Council. They saw that there was a desperate need for medical and dental services in southwest Bridgeport and submitted a request for Public Health Services, Section 330 funding to the Department of Health, Education and Welfare to provide health care to their impoverished neighborhoods. The Health Center became a reality when the Advisory Council received the “Notice of Grant Award” in August 1977. This funding was given to the City of Bridgeport to support the Health Center for three years. At the end of this three year funding cycle, the Council emerged as the Board of Directors with the full fiduciary responsibilities of the newly incorporated Health Center. The services were relocated from Building #14 of the P.T. Barnum complex to the refurbished St. Stephen’s School on Bird Street in 1978. On August 1, 1980 Southwest Community Health Center was incorporated as a not-for-profit-entity. In July 2007, SWCHC opened the 968 Fairfield Avenue building which became the new main facility of the Health Center and offers medical, dental, and behavioral health services. In 2009, SWCHC was awarded a sub-contract to offer medical, dental and mental health services in five School Based Health Centers through the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH). In January 2011, SWCHC was awarded a second subcontract to provide the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Food and Nutrition Services through DPH. Since that time, SWCHC has expanded services across the city of Bridgeport to include a Mobile Medical Unit, locations at the Windward Apartments (509 Park Ave) and partnerships with Hartford Healthcare with the Family Health Center at 762 Lindley Street. Our 1046 Fairfield Avenue site houses Behavioral Health services including the Intensive Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Program. Southwest Community Health Center looks forward to the continued expansion of health care services to benefit the Bridgeport community. If you would like to review our clinical performance outcomes, click here.