Our History
Westside Family Healthcare (Westside) has worked diligently to improve access to care for vulnerable populations, steadily expanding the services provided, the clinicians trained, and the communities served. Established in 1988, Westside is a 501(c)3 nonprofit designated to provide equal access to health services for underserved communities in Delaware. Westside is a Federally Qualified Health Center (since 1994) and accredited by The Joint Commission (since 2000). Westside receives Section 330(e) and Section 330(g) US Public Health Service funds.
Historical Impact of Lolita Lopez, Former President & CEO from 1990 to 2023
Historical Timeline
1984: Westside’s founder, Salle McDaniel, convened a group of volunteers, mostly fellow nurses, who advocated for the West Side of Wilmington designated as a medically underserved area, paving the way to open the first “nurse managed” community health center in Delaware.
1986: Westside won its first major funding award in 1986 in the form of a six-year challenge grant under the community partners funding program from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
1988: Westside Health Services opens in Adams Four Shopping Center in Wilmington as a nurse-managed health center on August 22nd
1990: Lolita Lopez joins Westside as Executive Director
1992: Designated as Federally Qualified Health Center “LookaLike” – 17th in the nation
1994: Achieved full designation as a Federally Qualified Health Center
1996: Beneficial Bank donates building at 4th Street and Scott Street to Westside; Capital campaign is launched
1998: Expands and moves to 4th Street office, growing from 6 to 16 exams rooms
2000: Earns The Joint Commission Accreditation
2002: 4th Street dental suite opens; begins offering behavioral health services
2003: Northeast health center opens
2004: Newark health center opens
2007: Transfers to an electronic medical record system; Westside Health Services is rebranded as Westside Family Healthcare; Becomes a training site for Christiana Care General Practice Dentistry Residency Program
2009: Bear/New Castle health center opens; “We Deliver” program launches providing comprehensive prenatal services
2011: Dover health center opens
2012: Obtains a mobile health unit to care for agricultural workers in Kent and Sussex counties; Earns Primary Care Medical Home certification through Joint Commission; Middletown health center opens
2013: Begins providing outreach and enrollment services for the Health Insurance Marketplace
2014: Dental suite opens at Dover health center
2016: Christiana Care Family Medicine Residency Program forms where physician residents provide care Westside health centers
2017: Serves over 30,000 patients through 100,000 patient visits annually for the first time; Dental satellite sites open at Newark and Northeast health centers; Middletown and Bear sites consolidate into Bear location
2018: Renovations completed at 4th street
2019: Renovations and improvements to 4th Street dental suite
2020: Launch primary care telemedicine program in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic; Provide critical response capacity for COVID-19 testing, prevention, and vaccination; Programmatic investment from the CARES Act
2021: Integrate telemedicine in delivery care model; Administered 21,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine; Renovations at Newark Health Center completed; Programmatic and capital investment from the American Rescue Plan to build, strengthen and sustain capacity
2023: Lolita Lopez, President and CEO of 33 years, retires from serving Westside in June 2023. Chris Fraser selected as new President & CEO in July 2023.
