Cowlitz Family Health Center

What Cowlitz Family Health Center does

Cowlitz Family Health Center is a private, nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) founded in 1970 in Longview, Washington, delivering comprehensive primary medical care, dental, integrated behavioral health, substance use disorder treatment (residential and outpatient), IVDU harm reduction, WIC nutrition services, First Steps maternal support, and infant case management across Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, and Pacific Counties. The organization operates twelve physical sites ranging from primary care clinics in Longview, Kelso, Castle Rock, Woodland, Ocean Park, and Cathlamet to the Toutle River Campus residential SUD facility, with NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home certification achieved in 2023. Clinical operations are supported by the OCHIN electronic health record system and the OCHIN MyChart patient portal, which provides 24/7 secure web and mobile access to medical records, lab results, appointment scheduling, bill payment, and provider messaging.

The business model combines federal HHS FQHC grant funding, Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) deemed status for malpractice coverage, and prospective payment system reimbursement from Medicare, Washington Apple Health (Medicaid), and contracted managed-care plans including Coordinated Care, AmeriGroup, United Healthcare, and Molina, supplemented by sliding-fee-scale patient payments for uninsured and underinsured individuals at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (250% for family planning). The 2015 merger with the Drug Abuse Prevention Center (DAPC) added residential and outpatient substance use disorder treatment and the Parent-Child Assistance Program, while hospital referral partnerships with Peace Health St. John, Ocean Beach Hospital, Legacy Salmon Creek, Oregon Health & Science University, and Columbia Memorial embed the FQHC in the regional inpatient continuum. Customer acquisition relies on community-led outreach, ACA enrollment assistance, and clinic walk-ins rather than paid marketing, targeting underserved, low-income, pregnant, and SUD-affected populations in rural Southwest Washington.

Name

Cowlitz Family Health Center

Legal name

Cowlitz Family Health Center

Website

https://cowlitzfamilyhealth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cowlitz Family Health Center is a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center founded in 1970 in Longview, Washington, delivering primary care, dental, behavioral health, substance use disorder treatment, WIC, and maternal support services across Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, and Pacific Counties for underserved and low-income populations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Health Services

NAICS

Family Planning Centers (621410), Other Individual and Family Services (62419), Other Residential Care Facilities (62399)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Community & Public Health Dentistry Clinics (FQHC/School-Based/Nonprofit) (HLABAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

OTC, Vitamins & Supplement Management (HSABALAM)

Keywords

• Community health center
• Primary care services
• Behavioral health treatment
• Substance use disorder
• Dental care services

Headquarters

HQ city

Longview

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding (HHS): Receives HHS funding as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) with Federal PHS deemed status for medical malpractice claims coverage.
2. Insurance Payments: Accepts Medicare, Washington Apple Health (Medicaid), and most private health insurance plans. Bills third-party insurance and collects patient responsibility balances.
3. Sliding Fee Scale: Offers discounted services based on family size and income (at or below 200% FPG for most services, below 250% FPG for family planning). Available even for insured patients to discount co-pays and charges not covered by insurance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cowlitz Family Health Center is a Federally Qualified Health Center that delivers primary and preventive medical care, chronic disease management, family planning, dental, integrated behavioral health, substance use disorder treatment (residential and outpatient), IVDU harm reduction, WIC nutrition services, and First Steps maternal/infant support programs to underserved and general populations in Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, and Pacific Counties in Washington State. Services are delivered in person across 12 clinic and program sites and supported by the OCHIN MyChart patient portal, with a sliding fee scale for uninsured and underinsured patients.

Product overview

Cowlitz Family Health Center is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) offering a comprehensive suite of healthcare services organized as distinct clinical and support programs. The core clinical services include Primary Care Medical Services (health screenings, preventive care, chronic disease management, family planning) and Integrated Behavioral Health (psychiatric services, counseling). Specialty clinical services encompass Dental Services (general dentistry, preventive and restorative), Substance Use Disorder Treatment (residential and outpatient programs), and an IVDU Harm Reduction Program (syringe exchange). Support programs include Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition services, First Steps Maternal Support Services, Infant Case Management, and the Parent-Child Assistance Program. Digital access is provided through the OCHIN MyChart Patient Portal for secure online access to medical records, appointments, and provider communication. All services are delivered across multiple clinic locations in Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, and Pacific Counties in Washington State.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Primary Care Medical Services

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Drug Abuse Prevention Center (DAPC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Merger in 2015 expanded services to include substance use disorder treatment. DAPC had been offering chemical dependency treatment since 1971, with outpatient facility since 1983, residential treatment at Toutle River Campus since 1998, and specialized programs for pregnant/parenting women.
• OCHINcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with OCHIN supporting the clinic's electronic health record system and MyChart patient portal. OCHIN provides the technology infrastructure enabling secure online patient access to medical records, lab results, appointment scheduling, and provider communication.
• Peace Health St. John Medical CenterminorOthersHospital partnership for patient hospitalization services. Patients receive inpatient care at this location based on residence and level of care needed.
• Ocean Beach HospitalminorOthersHospital partnership for patient hospitalization services in Pacific County area.
• Legacy Salmon Creek Medical CenterminorOthersHospital partnership for patient hospitalization services, part of Legacy Health system.
• Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU)minorOthersHospital partnership for patient hospitalization services, providing academic medical center access.
• Columbia Memorial HospitalminorOthersHospital partnership for patient hospitalization services in the region.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• PeaceHealth: Regional nonprofit health system operating hospitals and clinics across the Pacific Northwest, including St. John Medical Center in Longview (a Cowlitz referral partner) — overlapping primary care footprint at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Neighborcare Health: Seattle-based FQHC with medical, dental, behavioral health, and homeless services targeting low-income and uninsured populations — directly comparable mission and integrated care model.
• Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic: Multi-state FQHC operating across Washington and Oregon with primary care, dental, behavioral health, and WIC programs serving rural and agricultural communities — directly analogous to Cowlitz in scope, geography, and target population.
• HealthPoint: King and Pierce County FQHC offering primary medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services on a sliding fee scale — comparable nonprofit community health model serving similar low-income populations in Washington.
• Family Health Centers: Okanogan County Washington FQHC providing primary care, dental, behavioral health, and SUD treatment on a sliding fee scale — closely comparable rural Washington FQHC operating model.
• Columbia Valley Community Health: North-central Washington FQHC with primary medical, dental, behavioral health, and WIC programs — directly comparable rural FQHC operating model with sliding fee scale.
• Sea Mar Community Health Centers: Large Washington State FQHC serving underserved populations across western Washington with medical, dental, behavioral health, and SUD services — directly comparable to Cowlitz in mission, payer mix, and integrated service model.
• Tri-Cities Community Health: Southeastern Washington FQHC providing primary care, dental, behavioral health, and SUD services on a sliding fee scale — comparable nonprofit community health model serving rural Washington populations.
• Community Health Care: Tacoma-area FQHC delivering primary care, dental, behavioral health, and SUD treatment under a Patient-Centered Medical Home model — directly comparable operating model and service mix to Cowlitz Family Health Center.
• Valley View Health Center: Lewis, Thurston, and Pacific County FQHC with primary care, dental, behavioral health, and SUD services — highly comparable geographically and operationally, directly overlapping Cowlitz's Pacific County service area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cowlitz Family Health Center