Community Sustained Care
A model built around the community, for the community.
What is Community sustained care?
Community sustained care is the model that allows The Iris Center to exist. Rather than billing insurance for office visits, the clinic is sustained by support from the community it serves. This structure allows care to remain accessible, steady, and focused on people rather than administrative requirements.
At its core, this model means the clinic does not rely on volume, coding, or corporate priorities to function. It relies on people who believe that thoughtful, unrushed healthcare should exist and choose to help sustain it in the ways they can.
Why we built this model
Traditional healthcare models depend on volume-based reimbursement. This often limits visit length, fragments care, and prioritizes throughput over continuity.
Community sustained care removes those constraints by separating the cost of running the clinic from the structure of individual visits. This allows care decisions to be based on clinical need rather than billing requirements.
How the clinic operates under this model
Because the clinic is sustained outside of insurance billing, providers are not required to shorten visits or meet productivity targets. Appointments can be structured around the needs of the patient and the complexity of care being provided.
This model supports consistency in care delivery and allows providers to remain present in their work over time.
What community contributions make possible
Support sustains the clinic as a whole.
It covers the practical needs that allow care to be delivered reliably, including space, staffing, supplies, and the ability to offer visits without rushing or limiting access. This model is sustained through shared support over time.
A recommended level of annual individual support is $1,000.
When broken down, that looks like:
$2.75
per day
A cup of drip coffee at a gas station or diner
$19
per week
A single lunch out during the workweek
$83
per month
A dinner out with friends or family
Given all at once or spread out over time, this level of collective support helps keep the clinic fully functional for a year by supporting operations, provider capacity, and access to care.
One-time and recurring contributions of any amount contribute to that shared effort.
That support covers
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Day-to-day needs like space, supplies, staffing, and the ability to retain experienced providers are covered so the clinic can remain a stable, welcoming place for care. Community support also allows the center to invest back into the community through programs, resources, and expanded access.
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Visits are guided by patient needs rather than time limits, making room for care that is unrushed, relational, and grounded in ongoing provider-patient relationships.
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Services are offered at clear, defined costs that are set upfront. There are no copays, no surprise bills, and no insurance required to access high-quality care, which reduces financial uncertainty and allows patients to focus on their health.
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Care is delivered in ways that center safety, respect, and affirmation, particularly for individuals who have felt dismissed, harmed, or marginalized in other healthcare settings.
Fiscal information
Giving is not a subscription or membership, and it does not create any obligation. You can give any amount, one-time or recurring, and can be adjusted at any time.
The Iris Center receives your full contribution, minus a 3% platform processing fee.
The Iris Center operates as a program of The Iris Project, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Donation receipts are provided for your records.
Care is never conditional
Support is always optional. Giving is never required to receive care at The Iris Center.
Any amount is welcome. Care remains available regardless of contribution.