New Horizon Family Health Services, Inc. (NHFHS), a nonprofit community health center, has served the city of Greenville, Greenville County, and surrounding rural counties of Upstate South Carolina since 1992. NHFHS’s patients include low income community members, Medicaid patients, and public housing residents. In addition, NHFHS is committed to serving the most vulnerable populations, including HIV/AIDS patients and homeless patients.
NHFHS has grown exponentially since its founding in 1992 and continues to be a staple in the community today. Since 1998, NHFHS has grown from two locations to seven and its staff has increased from 35 employees to 180 employees. In the same period, NHFHS has increased the number of residents it serves by 13,000, now serving 20,000 residents with 74,000 medical, dental, and mental health encounters per year.
Like many healthcare organizations, NHFHS found itself at a point of inflection at the end of 2014. It was suffering growing pains in a rapidly changing healthcare industry characterized by a shifting labor market and subsequent retrenchment in lending by a traditional financial institution that was exiting their local marketplace. NHFHS was in search of a new lending partner whose primary mission was the alignment of capital with social impact, not just profit. A lender that would place value on the impact NHFHS was making in Greenville County and elevate both the importance of its facility to the community and its financial condition.
SCCLF’s understanding of the unique business model of nonprofit community health centers allowed us to work with the organization to meet their financing needs. “From the very beginning, SCCLF was responsive and helpful. It went beyond the mechanics of the financial transaction and made a genuine effort to understand our business model, as well as the unique circumstances that precipitated the need for the loan,” recalled NHFHS President & CEO, Regina Mitchell.
In May 2015, SCCLF provided a loan of $1,027,546 to NHFHS to refinance their existing loans. This loan allowed NHFHS to consolidate and refinance their outstanding debt, which reduced their debt service and monthly payments. “The SCCLF loan provided more favorable financing of a certain debt instrument, allowing us to achieve a key objective in support of our broader corporate business plan,” Mitchell explained.
By investing in New Horizon Family Health Services, South Carolina Community Loan Fund created an opportunity for growth, and ensured that Greenville residents continue to have access to an essential service. “This is why we exist,” Michelle Mapp, CEO of South Carolina Community Loan Fund stated, “when we invest in New Horizon Family Health Services, we are investing in community.”
