Our Story

History + Mission

The Athens Nurses Clinic (ANC) has its roots planted in providing healthcare to the homeless, indigent members of Athens-Clarke County since 1988 as the Georgia Nurses Association Foundation Clinic for the Homeless. In 1993, with the help of many local nurses and volunteers, The Athens Nurses Clinic moved to Reese Street, opening its doors to not just homeless members of Athens-Clarke County, but also to the uninsured, indigent members of Athens-Clarke County and Northeast Georgia.

In 2014, ANC moved to North Avenue and collaborated with three other agencies as a part of the Athens Resource Center for Hope. ANC is now open five days a week providing healthcare services and medications to patients at no cost. Services include the treatment of many chronic conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, gastric re-flux, asthma, allergies, and arthritis. ANC also accepts walk-in patients Monday-Thursday for the treatment of acute conditions, such as colds, flu, UTIs, rashes, or tooth abscesses. ANC also provides laboratory testing, free mammograms, pap smears, vision screening, dental care, and Hepatitis C treatment.

The mission of the Athens Nurses Clinic extends far beyond providing medical treatment to patients, focusing heavily on education and disease prevention. ANC provides a year-long CDC approved Diabetic Prevention Program for the community, encouraging diabetic patients to bring family and friends to tag along. Nutrition, exercise, and smoking cessation classes are offered to patients who want to lose weight, improve their health, and decrease their stress levels. Recently, the clinic has partnered with SNAP educators, UGA, and the Athens Farmers Market to implement what is called the FVRx program. Through this program, enrolled patients attend classes focused on healthy lifestyle choices and receive prescriptions for free fruits and vegetables from the local Farmers Market. Equipping patients with the knowledge needed to improve or prevent acute and chronic disease is a key function to the standard of healthcare ANC provides.

ANC is thankful for the generous support it receives from all of its donors and for its lasting relationship with Piedmont Athens Regional. Without donations, the clinic could not continue to provide the quality of care, medications, or services that it does today.