Desert Mission Health Center became part of Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health (NOAH) in 2015. NOAH is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), a designation demonstrating that NOAH meets the needs of an underserved area.

Desert Mission Health Center’s current facility is a 6,600-square-foot renovated former church in the Sunnyslope community. A new facility, designed by local architect firm Orcutt Winslow and built by Kitchell, will be more than 23,000 square feet when it opens in late 2021, increasing annual patient capacity from 4,000 to 20,000.

“Sunnyslope is one of the most socio-economically diverse neighborhoods in Phoenix and we are proud of our deep roots in this community,” said Wendy Armendariz, NOAH CEO. “With our new facility, we will not only expand space to serve more patients, but we will increase the number of experienced providers as well as enhance the ways we serve and reach our patients.”

Keeping the health center in the same area of the Sunnyslope neighborhood was important. The new location is within walking distance of the existing NOAH Desert Mission Health Center. The land for the new location is on the HonorHealth John C. Lincoln Medical Center campus and under lease to NOAH from HonorHealth.

To fund a project of this scale, NOAH worked with several local partners, and with the funds and loans available for nonprofits and FQHCs. One of the first partners to work with NOAH on the new Desert Mission Health Center was Phoenix Community Development & Investment Corporation.