Nonprofit renames itself Community First Solutions


Community First Solutions

What: Parent company of Colonial; Community Behavorial Health Inc., 820 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.; and Community First Pharmacy, 210 S. 2nd Street

Where: 520 Eaton Ave., Hamilton

Phone: (513) 785-4060

President and Chief Executive Officer: Jeff Thurman

Website: www.community-first.org

Source: Community First Solutions

HAMILTON — A name like Fort Hamilton Healthcare Corp. evokes a relationship with Hamilton’s hospital. But seeing how that isn’t the case anymore, the board of trustees decided it was time for a name change.

Meet Community First Solutions, the parent company of Colonial, Community Behavorial Health Inc. and Community First Pharmacy. Until The Fort Hamilton Hospital joined Kettering Health Network last year, the hospital and Community First shared a board. Since then, a separate board of 13 trustees has been formed, said Jeff Thurman, president and chief executive officer of Community First.

“It gives us a fresh start,” Thurman said.

The name comes from how each of the divisions has community in common, Thurman said. As of Jan. 1, the new name is legally official, he said.

Community First reports it has a combined budget of $42 million and 550 employees, serving Butler, Warren, Hamilton and Montgomery counties. Colonial has been in business since 1918 and its plate of services holds a restaurant, senior living communities and a preschool, among others. Community Behavioral provides mental health services. The pharmacy opened in 2008, the second nonprofit pharmacy to open in the U.S., Thurman said.

Thurman puts it as Community First serves ages 3 to 103.

Colonial and Community Behavioral became businesses under the same parent company in 1998. Community Behavioral also has an office in Middletown and acquired Comprehensive Counseling Service of Middletown in 2009.

He said they’re not in competition with other nonprofits, but are trying to fill unmet needs in the community.

“You think bigger, you think what’s in the best interest of all those needs,” he said.

As one organization, there are efficiencies for overhead expenses such as employee benefits, accounting and technology. Thurman said there’s also continuity of care. For example, if a 75-year-old is being treated for depression by Community Behavioral and needs a prescription filled, they can get it in-house.

The voluntary board, he said, will continue to look at ways to meet unmet needs, such as transportation. Halfway through last year, Colonial added home care services, which had 30 clients in six months, according to Community First. Thurman expects the number of employees and people served overall to increase 10 percent a year the next several years from 43,402 individuals served last year.

“I think the needs will be great, the opportunities will be great and we will have to pick which of those make sense for the community,” Thurman said.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2551 or clevingston@coxohio.com.

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