History

Progressive Community Health Centers was founded in 1999 as Westside Healthcare Association. In 2000, it earned the official designation as a Federally Qualified Health Center. Initially, the agency’s Lisbon Avenue Health Center was staffed by contracted physicians from the Medical College of Wisconsin. In 2003, Progressive added dental facilities to the Lisbon clinic and expanded to include pediatrics. In 2006, the organization opened its second clinic, the Hillside Family Health Center located within a resource facility operated by the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee. In May 2016, Progressive unveiled a service delivery model in partnership with Aurora Sinai Medical Center. Located on the Aurora Sinai campus, 12th Street Urgent Care is designed to address immediate patient needs, reduce inappropriate usage of the emergency room and connect individuals with a primary medical home. 

Operating three Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), PCHC offers comprehensive primary, pediatric, behavioral health, podiatric, and dental health care. The health center saw 16,854 patients totaling 52,458 in-person and virtual visits, in 2023. Patient demographics vary with 82% African American, 5% Asian (predominantly Hmong), 9% White, and 4% other races. Nearly 6% of PCHC’s patient population is best served in a language other than English. A sizable percentage, 80%, of PCHC’s patient population is insured through Medicaid or Medicare; 4% are uninsured. The Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) scores PCHC a 21 in primary health, 25 in dental health, and 21 in mental health; PCHC is designated a Medically Underserved Area (MUA).