Image courtesy Daily Planet Health Services
For many nonprofit health care providers, simply keeping the doors open is a superhuman feat. But despite losing more than $2 million in federal funding this year, Daily Planet Health Services isn’t just surviving: This spring, the organization opened its newest community clinic at 24 E. Cary St. to meet the needs of Richmond’s growing unhoused and housing-insecure populations.
Founded in 1969, DPHS has evolved its mission over time, but the clinic’s focus has never changed, says Sarah Tunner, director of development. “Our patient population is the medically underserved,” Tunner says, “including individuals experiencing homelessness and housing instability, those living in and around public housing, and those living with HIV.”
Sarah Tunner, director of development for Daily Planet Health Services (Photo by Jay Paul)
That legacy of care for Richmond’s underserved communities shaped the organization’s vision for its East Cary Health Center, which opened in March. “Because we have so many services under one roof, and because you can bring your whole family here, you only have one place to go, and that’s a huge benefit,” Tunner says.
Located less than a mile west of the Virginia Capitol building, the East Cary Health Center brings together behavioral, oral and primary health care services. The site’s dental area holds six chairs and offers a full range of services, and a forthcoming dental lab will offer cutting-edge treatments including 3D printed crowns and dentures, according to Tunner.
Across from the dental side, patients can meet with primary health care providers in one of six exam rooms or visit behavioral specialists in one of six case management spaces. Patricia Cook, chief medical officer at DPHS, highlights the integration of offices as an asset for building patient trust and improving care. “I often co-see patients with our psychiatrists,” she says. “And when we can walk into the room together, that patient knows that we’re both part of her team. That makes a huge difference.”
DPHS purchased the site from Senior Connections, now known as The Span Center, in 2023. Renovations began that year and lasted 18 months, culminating in the 25,000-square-foot clinic already visited by more than 700 dental and 900 medical patients. Tunner estimates the East Cary Health Center will see more than 2,400 patients across all service lines in a 12-month period. Due to recent cuts to Medicaid and the Ryan White program, which bolsters services for underserved HIV/AIDS patients, DPHS expects to see an increase in visitors needing its services.
Meeting these needs in spite of federal funding cuts requires assistance beyond the DPHS team, and Tunner says the new facility is the direct result of local support. “Community engagement is critical to our work. The financial support of local foundations, corporations, churches and individuals is more important than ever. So [are] awareness and advocacy.”
Such strong local support, Cook says, allows DPHS to monitor community needs and adapt accordingly. “In 2020, that meant getting everybody a COVID test and getting the results back in three days. As we move forward into 2026, it’s going to mean having more case managers that can help people do their Medicaid reenrollment every six months instead of every year. The needs are going to change, and we’re going to assess those needs and change with them.”
