East-Central District Health Department
East-Central District Health Department is a federally qualified community health center based in Columbus, NE, with 2 clinic locations in 2 cities. It served 9,371 patients in 2025. Fees are on a sliding scale by income and insurance, and every patient is seen regardless of ability to pay.
- 9,371patients in 2025
- 28%uninsured patients
- 54%at or below the poverty line
- 86full-time-equivalent staff
Care offered: primary care, dental care, mental health care, children’s checkups, women’s health, and telehealth.
Who East-Central District Health Department serves
54% of patients live at or below the poverty line and 83% are at or below twice that level. 28% have no insurance, 30% have Medicaid or CHIP, 7% have Medicare and 35% have private insurance. 237 patients were experiencing homelessness. 77 were veterans.
| Measure | This center | NE median | U.S. median | vs NE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patients at or below the poverty line | 54% | 55% | 65% | −1 pts |
| Patients at or below 200% of the poverty line | 83% | 87% | 92% | −4 pts |
| Measure | This center | NE median | U.S. median | vs NE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uninsured patients | 28% | 26% | 14% | +2 pts |
| Medicaid or CHIP patients | 30% | 40% | 42% | −9 pts |
| Medicare patients | 7% | 7% | 11% | In line |
| Privately insured patients | 35% | 25% | 24% | +10 pts |
Care and screenings
| Service | Patients | What it counts |
|---|---|---|
| Dental care | 2,162 | patients had dental exams |
| Mental health care | 1,922 | patients treated for depression or anxiety |
| Well-child visits | 1,127 | children had checkups |
| Flu shots | 1,460 | patients vaccinated |
| Cervical cancer screening | 457 | patients tested |
| Breast cancer screening | 241 | patients screened |
| Family planning | 330 | patients served |
| Diabetes care | 890 | patients with diabetes |
| Blood pressure care | 1,472 | patients with hypertension |
| Asthma care | 173 | patients with asthma |
| HIV testing | 660 | patients tested |
| Hepatitis C testing | 321 | patients tested |
| Childhood lead tests | 203 | children tested |
Quality of care
East-Central District Health Department is at or above the Nebraska median on 3 of 7 preventive-care measures. Higher is better on every line.
| Measure | This center | NE median | U.S. median | vs NE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults with high blood pressure under control | 65% | 65% | 68% | In line |
| Women 52–74 screened for breast cancer | 52% | 50% | 54% | +2 pts |
| Women 24–64 screened for cervical cancer | 40% | 55% | 54% | −16 pts |
| Adults 46–75 screened for colorectal cancer | 26% | 36% | 44% | −10 pts |
| Patients 12+ screened for depression | 96% | 96% | 77% | In line |
| Adults assessed for tobacco use | 96% | 97% | 86% | −1 pts |
| High-risk adults on statin therapy | 88% | 88% | 79% | In line |
Staffing
86 full-time-equivalent staff work at East-Central District Health Department, including 8 physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and midwives. That is 1,219 patients per clinical provider, against the Nebraska median of 1,076 and the U.S. median of 930.
Where East-Central District Health Department patients live
| ZIP code | Patients | Uninsured |
|---|---|---|
| 68601 | 3,665 | 23% |
| 68025 | 3,167 | 30% |
| 68661 | 837 | 41% |
| 68632 | 95 | 48% |
| 68649 | 76 | 24% |
| 68662 | 59 | 37% |
| 68031 | 54 | – |
| 68066 | 50 | 60% |
East-Central District Health Department locations
East Central District Health Department/Good Neighbor Community Health Center
Good Neighbor Fremont Clinic Permanent Site
Other health centers in Nebraska
- Midtown Health Center, Inc.
- Heartland Health Center, Inc.
- Community Action Partnership of Western Nebraska
- Charles Drew Health Center, Inc.
- Bluestem Health
- One World Community Health Centers
How fees work: the sliding-fee guide.