American Family Care
Our Story
Don't wait to get the medical attention you need.
After graduating from medical school, Dr. Irwin experienced firsthand the overcrowding of emergency rooms and saw the difficulty working people had accessing health care around their schedules. Knowing there had to be a better way, he envisioned a new kind of health care— with a facility equipped and staffed like an ER, and able to provide routine care from the consumer’s point of view. This simple idea came to fruition in 1982 when the first American Family Care location opened in Birmingham, Alabama. Located close to where patients lived, worked, and shopped, it offered extended hours, 7 days a week. Best of all, it provided access on a walk-in basis, so patients could get the right care, right when they needed it.
Back then – in a world where politicians, academicians, and insurance companies drove the world of medicine – the idea of patient-centered health care was a radical one. But the idea took off, and AFC began building clinics in neighborhoods all over. Today, with hundreds of clinics across the U.S. caring for millions of patients each year, AFC is the nation’s leading
provider of urgent care, accessible primary care, and occupational medicine. Best of all, our clinics are independently owned and operated by people committed to your community.
Dr. Irwin’s pioneering efforts created a health care revolution. Today, our vision is to become one of the most admired brands in health care. The key to our success is adherence to our values, and our mission statement: To provide the best healthcare possible, in a kind and caring environment, while respecting the rights of all patients, in an economical manner, at times and locations convenient to the patient.
“From the beginning, my goal was to make high-quality healthcare as accessible as possible. That continues to this day.”
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