Free and income-based medical or dental care from community health centers in Hamilton County
Ohio's first community health center opened in Lincoln Heights in 1967 and the organization still anchors care for the county's northern suburbs. Inside the city, the Cincinnati Health Department holds federally qualified health center status and runs its own neighborhood health centers and school-based clinics, so the city government itself is one of the county's largest safety net medical providers. Between those two anchors, this page covers health centers in the county including but not limited to, Over-the-Rhine, Winton Hills, Walnut Hills, the city itself, and the western neighborhoods.
Hamilton County also has resources that go beyond the standard health center model. A free health center in East Price Hill provides medical, dental, and specialty care at no charge to uninsured adults, and St. Vincent de Paul helped draft the Ohio law that allows charitable pharmacies, then opened its own in Cincinnati in 2006. The organizations below, that treat patients on income-based sliding fees, are listed with their main contact information; services and eligibility vary, so confirm details with each one before going.
- NOTE: Before any first visit, call the organization to ask what documents to bring; most sliding fee programs ask for a photo ID and recent proof of income, and some also want proof of address. Hours, locations, and eligibility rules change, so confirm current information directly with each provider before going.
Community health centers with sliding fee scales
Cincinnati Health Department – City of Cincinnati Primary Care. The health department operates a network of neighborhood health centers in areas including Over-the-Rhine, Northside, Millvale, Price Hill, Madisonville, and Avondale, along with school-based health centers inside Cincinnati Public Schools. Appointments for the health centers can be made at (513) 357-7320, and current locations are listed at http://cincinnati-oh.gov/health.
The centers provide primary care for adults and children, pediatrics, OB/GYN, behavioral health, and on-site pharmacies, with dental care offered at several sites. Patients are accepted regardless of insurance status, and fees for the uninsured are set on a sliding scale based on household income and family size. The department also runs the WIC nutrition program and reproductive health services for city residents.
The HealthCare Connection. This is the organization that began as the Lincoln Heights Health Center in 1967, and it remains the medical and dental safety net for northern Hamilton County outside the city of Cincinnati. Its health centers are in Lincoln Heights, Mt. Healthy, and Forest Park, with additional school-based sites in northern school districts. The Lincoln Heights center can be reached at (513) 588-3623, and scheduling lines for each site are listed at https://www.healthcare-connection.org/.
Services include family medical care, dental care at its Lincoln Heights and Mt. Healthy dental centers, and behavioral health. The Forest Park site focuses on pediatrics. Care is provided regardless of ability to pay, with a sliding fee scale for uninsured patients.
Crossroad Health Center Crossroad serves Over-the-Rhine, Western Hills, Mt. Auburn, and Harrison. The Over-the-Rhine center at 5 E. Liberty Street can be reached at (513) 381-2247, and all locations are listed at https://www.crossroadhc.org/.
The centers provide primary care for children and adults, behavioral health counseling, podiatry, and gynecologic and prenatal care, with Spanish-language services available. Uninsured patients pay on a sliding fee scale, and Medicaid and Medicare are accepted. Some locations generally offer limited Saturday hours on a rotating basis, so call ahead to confirm.
WinMed Health Services WinMed grew out of the Winton Hills Medical and Health Center and now serves the Winton Hills, Bond Hill, Roselawn, and West End areas. The Winneste Avenue center in Winton Hills can be reached at (513) 242-1033, with all locations listed at http://winmedinc.org/.
WinMed provides both medical and dental care. Fees for uninsured patients are based on family size and income, and patients with Medicaid are welcome.
Equitas Health – Cincinnati Health Center Equitas Health operates a health center and pharmacy on Gilbert Avenue in Walnut Hills, reachable at (833) 378-4827 and online at https://equitashealth.com/.
The center provides primary care for anyone, with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ patients and people living with HIV. Services include rapid testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, PrEP and PEP, behavioral health counseling, and an in-house pharmacy. A sliding fee discount lowers costs for lower-income patients, and financial counselors on staff help people sign up for insurance coverage.
Free medical and dental care for uninsured adults
Good Samaritan Free Health Center. This free health center in East Price Hill, operated with TriHealth and funded entirely by donations, is one of the largest free health centers in Ohio. It serves uninsured adults in Hamilton County who do not qualify for Medicaid or Medicare. The center is at 3727 St. Lawrence Avenue and can be reached at (513) 246-6888, with details at https://www.trihealth.com/.
Volunteer physicians, dentists, and nurses provide primary care, dental care, behavioral health, and a wide range of specialty care that includes gynecology, endocrinology, neurology, and rheumatology, along with screening eye exams and mammogram referrals. There is no charge for care. The center is generally open six days a week, but confirm current hours and new-patient procedures before going, and ask about cancer screenings (see the NHPB guide to free cancer checks) that may be available in the area as well.
Free prescription medications
St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy. St. Vincent de Paul helped write the state law that permits charitable pharmacies in Ohio and has filled prescriptions at no charge since opening in 2006. Its Cincinnati pharmacies are at the Neyer Outreach Center in the West End, reachable at (513) 345-4916, and in Western Hills, with details at https://svdpcincinnati.org/pharmacy/.
The pharmacy provides free prescription medications and pharmacist care to uninsured and underinsured residents of Hamilton County and neighboring counties. Controlled substances cannot be filled. Pharmacists also run clinical programs such as diabetes self-management education and tobacco cessation. People whose medications are not covered here can also look into the NHPB guide to manufacturer patient assistance programs for specific drugs.
Low cost dental care in Cincinnati and Hamilton County
CincySmiles Foundation CincySmiles has worked on oral health for low-income Cincinnati residents since 1909. Its dental center is on Rapid Run Road in the Western Hills area, reachable at (513) 621-0248 and online at http://www.cincysmiles.org/.
The foundation provides full-service dental care for children and adults with low incomes, with particular attention to people with disabilities, seniors, and others at high risk for poor oral health. It also operates a mobile dental program and maternal and early childhood oral health services.
Other dental options in the county. Several of the health centers above provide dental care on sliding fee scales, including the Cincinnati Health Department at a number of its centers and its Crest Smile Shoppe dental center in Avondale, The HealthCare Connection in Lincoln Heights and Mt. Healthy, and WinMed. The dental hygiene clinic at UC Blue Ash College, reachable at (513) 558-9589, offers low cost preventive care such as cleanings, x-rays, and sealants performed by supervised students; appointments are limited, insurance is not processed, and the clinic is a supplement to, not a replacement for, regular dental care.
Health care for people experiencing homelessness
NeighborHub Health Neighbor. Hub Health, formerly known as the Cincinnati Health Network, is the federally qualified health center serving people experiencing homelessness and people living with HIV in Greater Cincinnati. Its primary care center is at 40 E. McMicken Avenue in Over-the-Rhine, reachable at (513) 961-0600, with all sites listed at https://neighborhubhealth.org/.
Care includes medical, dental, behavioral health, and substance use disorder treatment, with an on-site pharmacy at the McMicken center, clinics inside area shelters, and mobile medical and dental vans that travel around the region. Both walk-in visits and scheduled appointments are available regardless of ability to pay, and staff help patients enroll in Medicaid if they qualify.
Women, children, and family health
Healthy Moms and Babes. This nonprofit sends mobile health units into Cincinnati neighborhoods and makes home visits to support pregnant women and young families. It can be reached at (513) 591-5600 or through https://www.healthymomsandbabes.org/.
Services on the van are free and confidential, with no appointment or insurance required. They generally include pregnancy testing, STI testing, blood pressure checks, help getting into prenatal care and finding a medical provider, help applying for insurance, health education, and supplies such as diapers.
Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio. The Mt. Auburn Health Center at 2314 Auburn Avenue provides birth control, STI testing and treatment, wellness and preventive exams, and pregnancy testing. It can be reached at (513) 287-6484, with appointment booking at plannedparenthood.org. Ohio Medicaid is accepted, and uninsured patients can ask about financial assistance when scheduling.
Families with children should also know that the Cincinnati Health Department's school-based health centers treat students during the school day, and its WIC program serves eligible pregnant women, infants, and young children.
Mental health and crisis services
Anyone in Hamilton County in a mental health crisis can call the 24-hour crisis line at (513) 281-CARE (2273), text TALBERT to 839863, or dial 988. The line is run by Talbert House, which also offers walk-in mental health and addiction assessments and treatment; call (513) 221-HELP (4357) or visit https://www.talberthouse.org/ to find services. The Hamilton County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board at https://www.hcmhrsb.org/ lists the county's publicly funded treatment providers and crisis stabilization options.
Public health services in Hamilton County
Hamilton County Public Health serves residents who live outside the cities of Cincinnati, Norwood, and Springdale. It can be reached at (513) 946-7800, and current immunization and disease prevention offerings are posted at http://hamiltoncountyhealth.org/. Norwood and Springdale each operate their own small city health departments for their residents, and Cincinnati residents are served by the Cincinnati Health Department described above.
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