By Mia Khatib
mia.khatib@triangletribune.com
RALEIGH — Southeast Raleigh residents, health care providers and elected officials celebrated the ribbon cutting ceremony for Advance Community Health, UNC Health and Self-Help Credit Union last week at Beacon Point on Rock Quarry Road.
The site also will be home to Legal Aid of North Carolina, nonprofits’ Southeast Raleigh Promise and Family Resource Center South Atlantic, and Crystal Butler’s cafe Quizine Orleans, among others.
Self-Help Branch Manager Dionne Selby said neighbors have faced barriers to accessing fair and affordable financial services for far too long.
“Today that changes. Today, we declare that everyone deserves access to the tools that they need to build a brighter future for themselves and their families,” she said. “Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur looking to expand your hard working business… or a young person eager to start saving for the future, we are here for them.”
SE Raleigh Promise brought the Purpose Built Community model — which focuses on education, health and wellness, housing and economic mobility — to the corridor. United Providers of Health Managing Partner Jerome Brown said all these components have come together to build a strong community.
“Your zip code should not determine whether you get food, whether you get an orange or whatever kind of roses you have,” Brown said. “This is a transformation here, and we’re proud of that.”
Advance Community Health opened doors on April 30 and UNC Health May 7. ACH CEO Scot McCray said they represent 26,000 patients across their growing network and will be pushing over 2,500 of their most complex patients to their Beacon Point facility over the next few years.
“Who would think that when Advance started in Southeast Raleigh on Tarboro Road back in 1972 that we’d be here today,” he said. “UNC and Advance embarked on a journey to bring world-class health care and specialty service, and high-end care management and care coordination to this site together.”
Mia Khatib, who covers affordable housing and gentrification, is a Report for America corps member.
