Ribbon Cutting & Blessing Ceremony Opens New Clinic in South Phoenix

Expanding on partnership with North Phoenix Baptist Church, new clinic site is located at the NPHX South Campus

In late May, Mission of Mercy Arizona (MOM) celebrated the relocation of its South Phoenix clinic to NPHX Church South Campus, 6520 S. Central Ave., just south of Southern Avenue.

Unlike other free or low-cost healthcare clinics, MOM clinics have no prequalification process, which sometimes deters people from seeking medical help. With a mission to “restore dignity,” MOM removes barriers to care by placing clinics on public transportation routes, providing volunteer bilingual medical interpreters at its clinics, and offering an equitable, compassionate medical home for the underserved. The majority of care is provided by retired volunteer doctors and nurses who have a heart for serving those in need, supervised by a small team of medical staff.

“We feel very blessed to have identified this new location, which is a sister site to our clinic partner at North Phoenix Baptist Church,” said Mission of Mercy Executive Director Paula Carvalho. “This new location will enable us to have a seamless transition for the patients we already serve in this area and will also allow us to grow our patient base. This is important because AHCCCS recently ended the continuous enrollment provision it provided during the pandemic, which impacts approximately 600,000 to 700,000 Arizonans who now lack coverage. That’s in addition to the estimated 800,000 Arizonans who already do not have health insurance.”

Patients who were previously seen at The Zion Institute in South Phoenix are now being seen at the new site, which allows MOM more space to grow and serve patients.

“The NPHX South Campus is thrilled to begin this new partnership with Mission of Mercy. This collaboration will allow us to serve our community better, and their focus on restoring dignity aligns perfectly with our ministry values,” said Armando Barraza, pastor at NPHX South Campus. “We are very thankful to have the opportunity to host Mission of Mercy as they provide medical care to our South Phoenix family and neighbors.”

Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari, who serves District 7 for the Phoenix City Council, attended the clinic’s ribbon cutting and blessing, and believes that everyone deserves access to healthcare.

“The work of Mission of Mercy Arizona is critical to keeping residents safe and healthy,” said Vice Mayor Ansari. “With their newest clinic located off the upcoming South Central Light Rail extension, Mission of Mercy will ensure even more people can access free, lifesaving and preventative care – all while avoiding falling into medical debt.”

The South Phoenix clinic is open the second and fourth Tuesday of each month from 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. excluding holidays. A bilingual appointment line (English and Spanish) is open Mondays and Thursdays from 1-6 p.m. at 602-486-7798.

Mission of Mercy recently celebrated its 25th anniversary serving patients in Maricopa County. More than 300,000 patient visits and 500,000 prescription medications have been provided since 1997.