New name of LCH Health and Community Services to help with patient access and care.

LCH, previously known as La Comunidad Hispana, has undergone many changes since its founding in 1973.  Starting as a social services agency for immigrants new to the area, LCH has expanded and grown to meet the needs of over 8,000 community members annually through its integrated Oxford and Kennett Square health centers, dental center, pediatrics office, women’s health care center, behavioral health services, and social assistance and education programming. After growing to three locations in Kennett Square, West Grove, and Oxford, the community health center is finally legally changing its name to better reflect the many services that are available to all: LCH Health and Community Services.

“This is so exciting, and long overdue,” said Margarita Garay Zarco, Director of Human Resources and Interim Co-CEO. “I have been a part of LCH for over ten years, and we have come so far in our capacity and ability to serve all. LCH Health and Community Services is the perfect name to keep our history and culture while making our brand more accessible to the whole community. I know our founders Peggy Harris and Margarita Quiñones, who brought our agency to life, would be proud of where we have come from and where we are going.”

The process started back in 2016. “LCH underwent a logo change about five years ago, and calling ourselves ‘LCH’, really took off,” said Laura Mackiewicz, Brand Manager. “It was the beginning of our brand update, and our legal name change is our last chapter. It has been such a wonderful opportunity to help the local communities get to know us and understand that we have so many services available to everyone.”

LCH will take the next several months to complete the updates. “Anyone who has ever gone through it knows that a name change is definitely a process,” said Barbara Mancill, Director or Quality Care and Population Health and Interim Co-CEO. “But it will be worth it. Our name says what we do and will help those in need of care better find us and connect with us.”

Timeline
1973: La Comunidad Hispana is founded in Kennett Square, PA as a bilingual social services agency.

1985: Primary care services begin at a separate location as well as directly on mushroom farms.

2009: New Kennett Square facility opens, bringing multiple services that LCH had previously provided to one central location.

2012: LCH receives designation as a Federally Qualified Health Center, which allows for LCH to serve vulnerable individuals that are insured, under-insured, or un-insured.

2015: Electronic health record system, LCH Centricity, is implemented to provide more integrated care; In-house renovations in Kennett Square expand service capacity. LCH changes its logo to communicate that services are for everyone.

2016: Satellite health center in Oxford, PA opens at a full-service schedule.

2017: LCH Dental Center opens in Kennett Square.

2018: LCH Women’s Health Center opens in West Grove.

2019: LCH Dental center expands and moves to West Grove.

2020: Pediatrics expands and moves to West Grove; Behavioral Health expands services.

2021: LCH’s legal name changes to LCH Health and Community Services.