PHC
Primary Health Care is a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center founded in 1981, delivering integrated medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, and supportive services to over 38,000 underserved patients annually across clinics in Ames, Des Moines, and Marshalltown, Iowa, on a sliding fee scale.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersDes Moines, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What PHC does
Primary Health Care, Inc. (PHC) is a private nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) founded in 1981 and headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. The organization delivers integrated medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, women's health and midwifery, pediatrics, HIV/STI care ("The Project"), medication-assisted treatment (MAT), longevity care, homeless support services, and school-based clinics through owned facilities in Ames, Des Moines (multiple sites including East Side, West Side, B. Engebretsen/South, University, and PHC at Mercy), and Marshalltown. Patient-facing technology centers on the Epic-based MyChart portal (hosted by OCHIN) for telehealth, scheduling, secure messaging, test results, and prescription management. PHC also participates in the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program for low-cost outpatient medications.
PHC's business model is multi-stream. Patient services revenue is generated through billing Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance, supplemented by a sliding fee scale that ensures access for uninsured and underinsured patients. A second revenue stream flows from the 340B pharmacy program, which generates spread income on discounted drug procurement. The third stream is the HRSA Health Center Program grant (42 U.S.C. 254b), which provides federal operating support tied to FQHC status and confers deemed Public Health Service employee status for malpractice coverage. A fourth stream consists of philanthropic contributions, including the annual "Together for Health" fundraiser. The customer base is highly fragmented across underserved populations, Medicaid/Medicare beneficiaries, families and children, and homeless or at-risk individuals in Central Iowa, with no single-payer or commercial concentration.
In CY2025, PHC served 38,382 patients across 129,757 encounters using 367 employees, including 75 licensed clinicians. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and led by CEO Nathan Simpson (appointed November 2024), with additional C-suite transitions in late 2024 (COO Julie Raasch, CAO Stephany Balow) and March 2026 (CMO Dr. Megan Srinivas). PHC holds Joint Commission National Quality Approval, is an IowaHealth+ network member, and is recognized by NACHC. There is no parent company, private equity sponsorship, or publicly traded equity; the entity is a 501(c) nonprofit funded through operating revenue, federal grants, and donations.
PHC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PHC
- Legal name
- Primary Health Care, Inc.
- Website
- https://phciowa.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Primary Health Care is a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center founded in 1981, delivering integrated medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, and supportive services to over 38,000 underserved patients annually across clinics in Ames, Des Moines, and Marshalltown, Iowa, on a sliding fee scale.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PHC industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Health Center Services (Federally Qualified Health Center)
- NAICS
- Offices of Physicians (62111), Ambulatory Health Care Services (621)
- SIC
- Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public/County Primary Care Clinics (HLAFAGAI)
Keywords
Where PHC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Des Moines
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
PHC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Patient Services Revenue: Revenue from patient services including medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, and supportive services. Billed to Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, and self-pay patients on sliding fee scale.
- 340B Pharmacy Program: Revenue generated through the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program, providing discounted medications to eligible patients.
- Donations and Fundraising: Annual 'Together for Health' fundraising event and general donations supporting expanded access to care. The 2025 event raised nearly $40,000.
- HRSA Health Center Program Grant: Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) grant funding under 42 U.S.C. 254b as a Health Center Program grantee.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | Pay-as-you-go | Sliding Fee Scale - Discounted services based on income and family size |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Insurance-based payment (Medicaid, Medicare, Private Insurance) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 340B Pharmacy Program - Low-cost medications for eligible patients |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
PHC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Primary Health Care (PHC) is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) delivering integrated medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, women's health/midwifery, HIV care, homeless support, and school-based clinic services across Central Iowa. Patients access care through owned clinics in Ames, Des Moines, and Marshalltown, supported by telehealth visits, the MyChart patient portal, and a sliding fee scale that ensures no patient is turned away for inability to pay.
Product overview
Primary Health Care (PHC) is a Federally Qualified Health Center offering an integrated network of healthcare services across Central Iowa. The organization provides medical care (family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics), dental services, behavioral health, pharmacy, women's health/midwifery, and supportive services including HIV care (The Project of PHC), homeless support, and school-based clinics. Services are coordinated through a Medical Home model, allowing patients to access multiple services within one connected system. PHC serves over 38,000 patients annually through clinics in Ames, Des Moines, and Marshalltown, Iowa, operating since 1981.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Medical Care (Family Medicine / Primary Care) Primary care services including family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics for patients of all ages, offering preventive care, chronic condition management, and same-day visits.
- Dental Services Comprehensive dental care including cleanings, exams, fillings, extractions, fluoride treatments, sealants, and oral health education, with services for both children and adults.
- Behavioral Health Mental health and substance use services including therapy, counseling, psychiatric medication support, and crisis intervention for children, teens, and adults.
- Pharmacy Services On-site pharmacy providing prescription refills, transfers, medication management for chronic conditions, clinical pharmacist consultations, and access to 340B Drug Pricing Program for eligible patients.
- Women's Health & Midwifery Prenatal care, midwife-led delivery support, OB-GYN services, postpartum care, lactation support, family planning, contraception, and Title X services.
- Pediatrics Pediatric care for infants, children, and teens including well-child visits, vaccines, sick care, sports physicals, behavioral health support, and school-based clinics.
- Longevity Care Healthy aging and longevity care for adults including preventive wellness visits, chronic condition management, medication review, cognitive health support, and Medicare primary care services.
- Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Opioid use disorder treatment combining medication (buprenorphine/naloxone or naltrexone) with counseling, recovery support, and harm reduction services.
- The Project of PHC (HIV/STI Care) HIV prevention and care services including testing, treatment, STI care, and supportive services for patients with HIV.
- Homeless Support Services Supportive services for individuals experiencing homelessness including Centralized Intake, case management, and connection to housing resources.
- School-Based Clinics Healthcare services provided at select school locations for eligible students and families, offering convenient access to medical care.
Quantifiable outcome
- 38,382 patients served and 129,757 encounters in calendar year 2025
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use PHC
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
PHC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
PHC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)corePHC participated in a five-month Design Sprint with NACHC and the Iowa Community HUB focused on improving the screening and referral process for patients with osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. Teresa Fisher, RN and Lashelle Goode, ARNP represented PHC, presenting their work at a national event in Bethesda, Maryland.
- Story County United WayminorProvided a grant enabling PHC team members to attend Centering Healthcare Institute training in Chicago to implement the CenteringPregnancy group prenatal care program at the Ames clinic.
- Iowa Community HUBcoreCommunity partnership connecting PHC patients to community programs supporting health beyond the clinic, including help with food, transportation, housing, and wellness. PHC providers can send referrals to the Hub which coordinates services and follow-up.
- IowaHealth+ NetworkcoreAffiliated network of Iowa health centers. PHC operates as an IowaHealth Center member.
- The Joint CommissioncoreAccrediting body providing National Quality Approval to PHC, indicating compliance with national standards for healthcare quality and safety.
- Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)coreFederal agency overseeing the Health Center Program. PHC is a Health Center Program grantee under 42 U.S.C. 254b, and deemed a Public Health Service employee under 42 U.S.C. 233 (g)-(n) for malpractice liability coverage.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
PHC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Broadlawns Medical Center: Public hospital authority in Des Moines providing safety-net primary care, behavioral health, and dental services to under- and uninsured patients. Operates in the same Central Iowa market and serves overlapping FQHC-eligible populations, making it the closest local comparable to PHC.
- People's Community Health Clinic: Federally Qualified Health Center in Waterloo, Iowa delivering integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health services on a sliding-fee scale. Same FQHC business model, payer mix, and mission profile as PHC across the state of Iowa.
- Community Health Centers of Southeastern Iowa (CHC/SEIA): Regional FQHC serving southeastern Iowa with multi-site primary care, dental, and behavioral health on a sliding-fee scale. Direct competitor for HRSA funding and Iowa Medicaid contracts with structurally similar operations to PHC.
- Cherry Health: Large Michigan-based FQHC operating primary care, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy across multiple counties. Same FQHC funding model, integrated-service design, and sliding-fee scale as PHC but at a meaningfully larger geographic scale.
- Community Health Center, Inc. (Connecticut): Federally Qualified Health Center operating more than a dozen sites across Connecticut with integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health services on a sliding-fee scale. Closely mirrors PHC's operating model and is a useful benchmark for multi-site FQHC scale economics.
Emerging players
- Proteus Inc. Iowa-based nonprofit community health program focused on migrant and underserved agricultural populations. Operates overlapping primary care and outreach services in the same Central Iowa catchment, reaching patients PHC also serves via its homeless and sliding-fee programs.
Broad incumbents
- MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center: Large regional health system headquartered in Des Moines. PHC even operates a co-located clinic ('PHC at Mercy'), and MercyOne serves many of the same Medicaid/Medicare populations with broader hospital and specialty capabilities that compete with PHC's referrals.
- UnityPoint Health: Major Iowa-based health system with primary care clinics across Central Iowa, including the Des Moines metro. Overlaps with PHC on primary care and behavioral health, and its payer contracting scale shapes Medicaid rates that PHC also depends on.
Others
- Iowa Primary Care Association: State-level association representing Iowa's FQHCs, including PHC. Provides policy advocacy, training, and operational support that mirrors how PHC interfaces with NACHC at the national level.
- National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC): National advocacy and training body for FQHCs and a direct partner of PHC (co-designed the osteoarthritis Design Sprint). Comparable ecosystem participant that defines the operating environment for community health centers like PHC.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PHC social profiles
Digital presencePHC compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
PHC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PHC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
PHC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PHC M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PHC
What does PHC do?
Primary Health Care (PHC) is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) delivering integrated medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, women's health/midwifery, HIV care, homeless support, and school-based clinic services across Central Iowa. Patients access care through owned clinics in Ames, Des Moines, and Marshalltown, supported by telehealth visits, the MyChart patient portal, and a sliding fee scale that ensures no patient is turned away for inability to pay.
Is PHC a public or private company?
PHC is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was PHC founded?
PHC was founded in 1981. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is PHC based?
PHC is headquartered in Des Moines, United States, in the North America region.
How does PHC make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Patient Services Revenue is the primary driver. The others are 340B Pharmacy Program, donations and Fundraising and HRSA Health Center Program Grant.
Who are PHC's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Broadlawns Medical Center, People's Community Health Clinic, Community Health Centers of Southeastern Iowa (CHC/SEIA), Cherry Health and Community Health Center, Inc. (Connecticut). Proteus Inc. is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center and UnityPoint Health. Others are Iowa Primary Care Association and National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC).
Does PHC have an API?
No public API is recorded for PHC.
What industry is PHC in?
PHC's product category is Community Health Center Services (Federally Qualified Health Center). Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAFAGAI, Public/County Primary Care Clinics. Its NAICS code is 62111 and its SIC code is 8011.