Appalachian District Health Department
Appalachian District Health Department is a federally qualified community health center based in Sparta, NC, with 3 clinic locations in 2 cities. It served 5,435 patients in 2025. Fees are on a sliding scale by income and insurance, and every patient is seen regardless of ability to pay.
- 5,435patients in 2025
- 26%uninsured patients
- 74%at or below the poverty line
- 69full-time-equivalent staff
Care offered: primary care, dental care, mental health care, substance use treatment, children’s checkups, women’s health, and telehealth.
Who Appalachian District Health Department serves
74% of patients live at or below the poverty line and 93% are at or below twice that level. 26% have no insurance, 28% have Medicaid or CHIP, 15% have Medicare and 31% have private insurance. 93 patients were experiencing homelessness. 112 were veterans.
| Measure | This center | NC median | U.S. median | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patients at or below the poverty line | 74% | 59% | 65% | +15 pts |
| Patients at or below 200% of the poverty line | 93% | 92% | 92% | +1 pts |
| Measure | This center | NC median | U.S. median | vs NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uninsured patients | 26% | 24% | 14% | +2 pts |
| Medicaid or CHIP patients | 28% | 28% | 42% | In line |
| Medicare patients | 15% | 15% | 11% | In line |
| Privately insured patients | 31% | 25% | 24% | +5 pts |
Care and screenings
| Service | Patients | What it counts |
|---|---|---|
| Dental care | 2,668 | patients had dental exams |
| Mental health care | 1,201 | patients treated for depression or anxiety |
| Substance use treatment | 101 | patients in treatment |
| Well-child visits | 398 | children had checkups |
| Flu shots | 445 | patients vaccinated |
| Cervical cancer screening | 331 | patients tested |
| Breast cancer screening | 238 | patients screened |
| Family planning | 600 | patients served |
| Diabetes care | 594 | patients with diabetes |
| Blood pressure care | 1,289 | patients with hypertension |
| Asthma care | 187 | patients with asthma |
| HIV testing | 85 | patients tested |
| Hepatitis C testing | 78 | patients tested |
| Childhood lead tests | 18 | children tested |
Quality of care
Appalachian District Health Department is at or above the North Carolina median on 2 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 | 50% | 70% | 68% | −20 pts |
| Women 52–74 screened for breast cancer | 58% | 59% | 54% | −1 pts |
| Women 24–64 screened for cervical cancer | 56% | 54% | 54% | +3 pts |
| Adults 46–75 screened for colorectal cancer | 26% | 49% | 44% | −22 pts |
| Patients 12+ screened for depression | 88% | 76% | 77% | +12 pts |
| Adults assessed for tobacco use | 82% | 87% | 86% | −5 pts |
| High-risk adults on statin therapy | 74% | 80% | 79% | −6 pts |
Staffing
69 full-time-equivalent staff work at Appalachian District Health Department, including 7 physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and midwives. That is 822 patients per clinical provider, against the North Carolina median of 807 and the U.S. median of 930.
Where Appalachian District Health Department patients live
| ZIP code | Patients | Uninsured |
|---|---|---|
| 28675 | 1,530 | 23% |
| 28607 | 713 | 28% |
| 28694 | 487 | 29% |
| 28640 | 357 | 29% |
| 28623 | 305 | 29% |
| 28627 | 247 | 25% |
| 28617 | 189 | 37% |
| 28643 | 166 | 20% |
Appalachian District Health Department locations
AppHealthCare -Ashe Health Center
Appalachian District Health Department Dental Center
Appalachian District Health Center - Alleghany County
Other health centers in North Carolina
- Black River Health Services Inc.
- Craven County Government
- Person Family Medical Center, Inc.
- Compassion Health Care, Inc.
- United Health Centers
- Charlotte Community Health Clinic, Inc.
How fees work: the sliding-fee guide.