About Us

Neighborhood Health Centers of the Lehigh Valley in Allentown, Pa. was officially incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 2004 by a group of concerned community residents. Their goal was to meet the need for a coordinated system of primary care for the uninsured and/or underinsured residents in the Lehigh Valley.

After obtaining designation as a Federally Qualified Health Center-Look-Alike in September 2010, NHCLV submitted a New Access Point application in November 2010 and was awarded CHC 330 Program funding in 2012. NHCLV currently operates primary care sites in downtown Allentown, Northside Bethlehem, Southside Bethlehem, and Easton’s West Ward. It is the first Federally Qualified Community Health Center in the Lehigh Valley.

The target population confronts obstacles to getting routine and preventive primary care services due to language and transportation barriers, and extreme poverty.

Health disparities in the service area include low birth weight, teen pregnancies, heart disease, cancer, suicide, and diabetes.

Deeming Notice / Federal Tort Claims Act

Neighborhood Health Centers of the Lehigh Valley, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), is deemed by the Bureau of Primary Health Care of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to be a federal employee for purposes of medical malpractice claims and, as such, qualified for protection under the Federal Tort Claims Act.

This health center receives U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) funding and has Federal Public Health Service (PHS) deemed status with respect to certain health or health-related claims, including medical malpractice claims, for itself and its covered individuals.

According to the FTCA requirements, medical malpractice claims against the health center are reviewed and/or litigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. An individual who has a claim against the health center is to file an administrative claim with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at the following address:

Office of the General Counsel
General Law Division Claims and Employment Law Branch
330 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 5362
Washington, DC 20201
Attention: CLAIMS
Phone No.: 202-619-0171
Fax No.: 202-619-2922