The newly renamed Cook Community Clinic

Oct. 9. The Lake Norman Community Health Clinic is changing its name to Cook Community Clinic in honor of founders April Cook and Dr. David Cook. The clinic provides free health care to low-income residents who have no health insurance and lack access to affordable care.

April Cook

The new name honors Dr. David Cook, who started seeing patients in the back of a grocery store serving the Hispanic community in 1998, and April Cook, who worked with four local churches to launch the clinic in a church basement in 2001. The clinic served 1,605 residents in 2022.

April Cook served as executive director of the clinic until late 2022 and now serves as CEO of the North Carolina Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, which works with 70 clinics serving the uninsured and underinsured statewide. Dr. Cook continues to serve as LNCHC’s medical director.

Expansion plans

The clinic plans to add 1,400 square feet, including new dental capacity and expanded lab and office space. There is a waiting list of 150 patients who need dental care.

Dr. David Cook

Background

With hospital partners Novant Health and Atrium Health, volunteer health care providers, staff and donors, Cook Community Clinic provides a wide range of free health care services to residents who have no health insurance of any kind and earn less than 250 percent of the federal poverty level. Learn how you can support the clinic by visiting www.lnchc.org.

The clinic celebrated its 25th anniversary Oct. 7 with a gala to honor the clinic’s founders and raise funds.