Sterling Area Health Center
Sterling Area Health Center is a federally qualified community health center based in Sterling, MI, with 6 clinic locations in 6 cities. It served 11,049 patients in 2025. Fees are on a sliding scale by income and insurance, and every patient is seen regardless of ability to pay.
- 11,049patients in 2025
- 9%uninsured patients
- 29%at or below the poverty line
- 110full-time-equivalent staff
Care offered: primary care, dental care, mental health care, substance use treatment, children’s checkups, women’s health, and telehealth.
Who Sterling Area Health Center serves
29% of patients live at or below the poverty line and 67% are at or below twice that level. 9% have no insurance, 34% have Medicaid or CHIP, 7% have Medicare and 50% have private insurance. 101 patients were experiencing homelessness. 444 were veterans.
| Measure | This center | MI median | U.S. median | vs MI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patients at or below the poverty line | 29% | 54% | 65% | −25 pts |
| Patients at or below 200% of the poverty line | 67% | 87% | 92% | −20 pts |
| Measure | This center | MI median | U.S. median | vs MI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uninsured patients | 9% | 10% | 14% | −1 pts |
| Medicaid or CHIP patients | 34% | 45% | 42% | −11 pts |
| Medicare patients | 7% | 15% | 11% | −7 pts |
| Privately insured patients | 50% | 25% | 24% | +26 pts |
Care and screenings
| Service | Patients | What it counts |
|---|---|---|
| Dental care | 3,017 | patients had dental exams |
| Mental health care | 3,311 | patients treated for depression or anxiety |
| Substance use treatment | 61 | patients in treatment |
| Well-child visits | 935 | children had checkups |
| Flu shots | 1,035 | patients vaccinated |
| Cervical cancer screening | 152 | patients tested |
| Breast cancer screening | 380 | patients screened |
| Family planning | 130 | patients served |
| Diabetes care | 894 | patients with diabetes |
| Blood pressure care | 2,113 | patients with hypertension |
| Asthma care | 371 | patients with asthma |
Quality of care
Sterling Area Health Center is at or above the Michigan median on 2 of 7 preventive-care measures. Higher is better on every line.
| Measure | This center | MI median | U.S. median | vs MI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults with high blood pressure under control | 76% | 71% | 68% | +5 pts |
| Women 52–74 screened for breast cancer | 54% | 57% | 54% | −3 pts |
| Women 24–64 screened for cervical cancer | 27% | 60% | 54% | −33 pts |
| Adults 46–75 screened for colorectal cancer | 40% | 49% | 44% | −10 pts |
| Patients 12+ screened for depression | 50% | 71% | 77% | −20 pts |
| Adults assessed for tobacco use | 77% | 80% | 86% | −4 pts |
| High-risk adults on statin therapy | 81% | 79% | 79% | +2 pts |
Staffing
110 full-time-equivalent staff work at Sterling Area Health Center, including 15 physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and midwives. That is 761 patients per clinical provider, against the Michigan median of 987 and the U.S. median of 930.
Where Sterling Area Health Center patients live
| ZIP code | Patients | Uninsured |
|---|---|---|
| 48658 | 1,676 | 8% |
| 48756 | 1,327 | 7% |
| 48659 | 1,158 | 8% |
| 48661 | 900 | 10% |
| 48610 | 712 | 9% |
| 48650 | 651 | 10% |
| 48703 | 600 | 8% |
| 48739 | 520 | 10% |
Sterling Area Health Center locations
Sterling Area Health Ctr Dental
Hale Clinic- Sterling Area Health Center
Sterling Area Health Center Walk in Clinic
Sterling Area Health Center - West Branch Clinic
Other health centers in Michigan
- Downriver Community Services, Inc.
- Detroit Community Health Connection, Inc.
- Community Health & Social Services Center, Inc.
- Mgh Family Hc DBA Muskegon Family Care
- Northwest Michigan Health Services, Inc.
- East Jordan Family Health Center
How fees work: the sliding-fee guide.