Blue Ridge Health-Polk — Columbus, NC
Blue Ridge Health-Polk is a community health center clinic at 161 Walker St, Columbus, NC 28722, open 45 hours a week. That is 5 more hours than the typical North Carolina clinic (40 a week). It is run by Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Inc., which serves 82,680 patients across 41 clinic locations.
- Address: 161 Walker St, Columbus, NC 28722 · Directions
- Phone: (828) 894-2222
- Weekly hours: 45 (North Carolina clinic median: 40)
- Operated by: Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Inc. (federally qualified health center)
- Care offered by this health center: primary care, dental care, mental health care, substance use treatment, children’s checkups, women’s health, and telehealth
Care and screenings at Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Inc.
Patients came to Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Inc. for these services in 2025. The numbers cover the whole health center, not only this clinic.
| Service | Patients | What it counts |
|---|---|---|
| Dental care | 4,605 | patients had dental exams |
| Mental health care | 31,585 | patients treated for depression or anxiety |
| Substance use treatment | 1,267 | patients in treatment |
| Well-child visits | 4,374 | children had checkups |
| Flu shots | 8,096 | patients vaccinated |
| Cervical cancer screening | 3,852 | patients tested |
| Breast cancer screening | 9,056 | patients screened |
| Family planning | 2,157 | patients served |
| Diabetes care | 10,247 | patients with diabetes |
| Blood pressure care | 22,179 | patients with hypertension |
| Asthma care | 4,107 | patients with asthma |
| HIV testing | 5,819 | patients tested |
| Hepatitis C testing | 8,459 | patients tested |
| Childhood lead tests | 349 | children tested |
Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Inc. also provides care by telehealth.
Who Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Inc. serves
82,680 patients used Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Inc. in 2025. 38% live at or below the poverty line and 71% are at or below twice the poverty line. 1,729 patients were experiencing homelessness and 2,929 were veterans.
| Measure | This center | NC median | U.S. median | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patients at or below the poverty line | 38% | 59% | 65% | −21 pts |
| Patients at or below 200% of the poverty line | 71% | 92% | 92% | −20 pts |
| Measure | This center | NC median | U.S. median | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uninsured patients | 18% | 24% | 14% | −6 pts |
| Medicaid or CHIP patients | 24% | 28% | 42% | −4 pts |
| Medicare patients | 28% | 15% | 11% | +13 pts |
| Privately insured patients | 30% | 25% | 24% | +5 pts |
Quality of care at Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Inc.
Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Inc. is at or above the North Carolina median on 4 of 7 preventive-care measures. Higher is better on every line.
| Measure | This center | NC median | U.S. median | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults with high blood pressure under control | 74% | 70% | 68% | +4 pts |
| Women 52–74 screened for breast cancer | 66% | 59% | 54% | +7 pts |
| Women 24–64 screened for cervical cancer | 59% | 54% | 54% | +5 pts |
| Adults 46–75 screened for colorectal cancer | 66% | 49% | 44% | +17 pts |
| Patients 12+ screened for depression | 73% | 76% | 77% | −3 pts |
| Adults assessed for tobacco use | 85% | 87% | 86% | −1 pts |
| High-risk adults on statin therapy | 78% | 80% | 79% | −2 pts |
Patients from ZIP 28722
1,214 Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Inc. patients live in ZIP 28722, and 20% of them are uninsured. Other health centers also serve this ZIP:
- Mountain Area Health Education Center, Inc. — 238 patients from 28722
Community health centers near Blue Ridge Health-Polk
MAHEC Dental Health Center at Columbus
Greer
MAHEC Health Center at Cane Creek
ReGenesis Health Care Boiling Springs
Travelers Rest
More Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Inc. locations
Blue Ridge Health Center
Blue Ridge Health - Rainbow Pediatrics
Pardee BlueMD 712 Fleming Street
See all 41 Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Inc. locations
More community health centers in Columbus and across North Carolina.