Open Door 50th Anniversary

50 years ago, on November 28th, 1972, Open Door welcomed our first patients into the free clinic in the basement of the Ossining First Baptist Church. With the opening of Open Door, we joined a national movement of Community Health Centers committed to providing locally accessible, affordable, and high quality health care who today, serve over 30 million medically underserved individuals and families across the United States. 50 years after our founding, we are grateful for all who have believed throughout our history in the power and potential of community health centers like Open Door. We are thrilled to be celebrating our 50th anniversary and embarking on 50 More!

Left photo: Seth Harrison/The Journal News

Our Anniversary Video

A Letter from Our CEO

English

Español

English

Dear Friends:

We are thrilled to be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Open Door – a half century of providing excellent, accessible, and personalized health care!

In 1972, a group of visionary, dedicated volunteers in the Ossining community responded to the need for greater access to health care in our local community.

Open Door and community health centers around the country were created out of the civil rights movement. During a time when racial tensions ran high in Ossining, Open Door welcomed all into the basement of the First Baptist Church and has been a model of health equity.

For 50 years, we have forged through moments of transformation – expanding sites to new communities, implementing innovative programs, and facing a global health crisis head on.

Join us as we reflect on our history and embark on 50 more years of providing health care in our backyard.

Lindsay Farrell, President & CEO

Español

Estimados amigos:

Estamos encantados de celebrar el 50 aniversario de Open Door, ¡un medio siglo de brindar atención médica excelente, accesible y personalizada!

En el 1972, un grupo de voluntarios visionarios y dedicados en la comunidad de Ossining respondió a la necesidad de un mayor acceso a la atención médica en nuestra comunidad local.

Open Door y los centros de salud comunitarios en todo el país se crearon a partir del movimiento de derechos civiles. Durante un tiempo en que las tensiones raciales eran altas en Ossining, Open Door dio la bienvenida a todos en el sótano de la Primera Iglesia Bautista y ha sido un modelo de equidad de salud.

Durante 50 años, hemos forjado momentos de transformación: expandiendo sitios a nuevas comunidades, implementando programas innovadores y enfrentando una crisis de salud global de frente.

Únase a nosotros mientras reflexionamos sobre nuestra historia y nos embarcamos en 50 años más de brindar atención médica en nuestro patio trasero.

Lindsay Farrell, President & CEO

Our History

For 50 years, Open Door has been serving the needs of our neighbors for coordinated, comprehensive, and affordable health care both within and – through its wraparound programs – beyond the exam room. What began in 1972 as a free clinic in the basement of the First Baptist Church in Ossining has become a nationally-recognized, multi-site, federally-qualified health center serving over 62,000 people. Regardless of the affluence that exists in Westchester and Putnam Counties, many people here live at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. They struggle with poverty, unemployment, lack of health insurance, and life-threatening health disparities. In response, Open Door emphasizes access with a sliding scale fee discount, convenient hours and locations, and a bilingual, multicultural, and culturally competent staff.

Each decade has been unique in its growth and accomplishments. Each year we’ve been able to serve more patients in more ways and in more communities.

165 Main Street September 2022 (1)

1980

2022

To see how our building has changed over the years, click the orange slider and move it to the left or right.

Testimonials

We celebrate our 50th Anniversary with powerful testimonials to the impact of Open Door throughout the past half century. From our earliest patients and staff to current community members, we celebrate all whom we have served, all who have provided care to our patients, and all whose support has helped us grow these past 50 years. We are grateful to everyone who shared their stories with us.

"Al encontrar su peso aumentando incontrolablemente durante la pandemia, Jorge García ha estado en una jornada de pérdida de peso, que ya ha resultado en la pérdida de casi 50 libras."

Jorge García

Programa de Bienestar

"It was a time when people were really tuned into helping the poor and the homeless. I enjoyed working in that kind of environment."

Lee Engle

Retired Open Door Nurse Practitioner

Our Capital Campaign

Campaign overview here

After-Hours Medical Assistance: If you need urgent medical advice or care when the center is closed, you can reach our on-call provider 24/7 by calling 914-OD-CARES (914-632-2737)

To learn more, get involved, and support Open Door’s services and programs, click here to receive information including our monthly e-newsletter.

165 Main Street • Ossining, NY 10562

This health center receives HHS funding and has Federal Public Health Service (PHS) deemed status with respect to certain health or health-related claims, including malpractice claims, for itself and its covered individuals. In accordance with Federal law and U.S Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion, sex, and familiar status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs). To file a complaint of discrimination, write UDSA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).