Community Impact
About Sadler Health Center
Sadler Health Center is a federally qualified health center serving Cumberland and Perry counties, providing comprehensive community-based primary care, dental care and behavioral health services with a team of qualified professionals who can help you reach your healthiest life.
Serving patients like you, we put the health of our community at the center of everything we do. As your center for care, our team is here to help you connect with resources and support, even beyond our facility.
We strive to provide affordable, accessible health care. This means we serve everyone, including patients who are uninsured, underinsured or have government-sponsored insurance like Medicaid or CHIP.
We believe that a healthier tomorrow starts with better care and support today.
Our History
The story of Sadler Health Center began with a community coming together to address health disparities and improve access to care for those who need it most. In 1921, the Welfare Committee of the Carlisle Civic Club identified a need for a clinic to serve “all children who are ill-nourished or listless or in any way in need of advice or care of a physician.” The opening of that clinic marked the beginning of a longstanding effort to improve the health and well-being of the Carlisle community.
After 30 years under the leadership of the Carlisle Civic Club, the health program – which had grown to include both the Visiting Nurse Association and the Child Health Center – was transferred to Carlisle Hospital and supported through a trust established by Dr. Horace T. Sadler.
On January 31, 1984, the Sadler Caring Center opened its doors in downtown Carlisle at the former J.C. Penney’s building at 117 N. Hanover St. The facility brought together multiple community services under one roof, including the clinic, home care nurse offices, the Child Health Center and Life Wise. Other organizations, including Family and Children’s Services, the American Cancer Society, United Way of the Greater Carlisle Area and American Home Health Care, were also co-located in the building.
When Carlisle Hospital was sold in 2001, an agreement was reached to continue operating the Caring Center as a health clinic serving uninsured patients in downtown Carlisle for two years. During this time, the Carlisle Area Health and Wellness Foundation (now known as Partnership for Better Health) formed a task force to explore the future of the Sadler Caring Center. The task force recommended establishing a new nonprofit organization to continue its mission.
A community-based Board of Directors assumed responsibility for Sadler Health Center, which was officially incorporated on October 25, 2002, and began operations on June 19, 2003. In February 2004, Sadler moved into a newly renovated facility at 100 N. Hanover St. in Carlisle. The organization was designated as a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike in 2005 and became a Federally Qualified Health Center in 2015.
For more than a century, Sadler Health Center has remained committed to the mission that began in 1921: improving health and expanding access to care for our community. What started as a small clinic for children has grown into a comprehensive health center dedicated to addressing health disparities and ensuring everyone is welcome.
Achievements
Sadler Health Center is proud to be nationally recognized for delivering patient-focused, high-quality care. We are designated as a Patient-Centered Medical Home by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and have received multiple Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) quality improvement awards, including our most recent recognition for expanding access to care and using technology to deliver safer, more connected services.
