It’s not unusual for Ashley Washburn to stop a group of young adults and ask if they’ve heard of Family Health Services of East Central Ohio. She knows that conversations like these can save a life. But with shifting policies and growing challenges to providing healthcare, will she be able to keep providing these services?

Washburn is a single mom and the executive director of Family Health Services of East Central Ohio (FHS), a nonprofit health center with four clinics across Newark, Millersport, New Lexington, and Zanesville. Since 1967, FHS has provided affordable, stigma-free reproductive health care throughout Muskingum, Licking, Perry, and Fairfield counties.

FHS serves anyone who walks through the door— but much of their work focuses on those who often face barriers to care: low-income patients, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals, including teens who may not feel safe talking to their families about sexual health. That care can mean STI testing, cancer screenings, birth control, or simply having a safe place to talk about your health.

You can learn more about Family Health Services of East Central Ohio at fhseco.com