A Campaign to Build the Access Fitchburg Clinic
There is more need in our community than ever before—and not enough places for people to turn.
Every day, Access Community Health Centers sees patients navigating impossible choices: rent or medication, groceries or a doctor’s visit, waiting months for care—or going without it entirely. Even as Access has grown over the past 40 years, demand continues to outpace what our clinics can provide.
This campaign is about changing that.
A New Kind of Clinic
We are building a 10,000-square-foot Access clinic in Fitchburg, co-located within the YMCA of Dane County. It will serve 5,000 new patients each year, including at least 1,000 people without insurance.
But this is more than a new building.
It’s bringing the Access model to a new community—one that brings medical services, behavioral health, and community wellness together under one roof. Patients won’t just receive treatment. They’ll have access to prevention, movement, nutrition, and support in the same place, without barriers.
Why Now
The pressures facing our patients are growing:
- Rising costs of housing, food, and transportation
- Shifting policies that affect access to care
- Rapid population growth in Fitchburg and Madison’s South Side
We can’t meet tomorrow’s need with yesterday’s capacity.
What This Makes Possible
The Access Fitchburg Clinic will:
- Expand access to affordable primary and preventive care
- Integrate behavioral health and physical therapy into everyday care
- Connect patients directly to YMCA wellness programs
- Offer group-based care models that improve outcomes and build community
- Reduce barriers for low-income and uninsured residents
This is a model designed not just to treat illness—but to support whole lives.
Who We Serve
Access patients reflect the full diversity of our community:
- 37,345 patients served
- 32% speak a language other than English
- 19% are uninsured
- 43% are children
- 87% live in poverty
Behind every number is a person trying to stay healthy in circumstances that make that difficult.
As one Access patient put it:
“There are so many people that need this care. It is so wonderful to know that you are going to be taken care of. It doesn’t matter what background you come from. They will do the best for you.”
The Goal
We are raising $6 million to build and equip the Access Fitchburg Clinic, with an anticipated opening in Spring 2028.
This investment will allow us to reach thousands more people—and to rethink what accessible, community-centered health care can look like.
What We’re Building Together
This is not just a clinic.
It’s a place where someone can get care without fear. A place where families are supported, not turned away. A place where health is connected to everything else that makes life work.
And it’s a step toward a system that meets people where they are—and stays with them.
For more information about our “Building Hope. Changing Lives” Capital Campaign
Please contact Paul Harrison, Development Director, at paul.harrison@accesshealthwi.org or (608) 443-5544.