NEWS & RESOURCES

Every August, communities across the country come together to celebrate National Health Center Week (NHCW)—a time to recognize the vital role that Community Health Centers (CHCs) play in improving public health and strengthening neighborhoods. This year, from August 3–9, 2025, we mark a special milestone: 60 years of progress in delivering compassionate, accessible, and high-quality care to millions of Americans.

Star Community Health in January is celebrating its fifth anniversary of meeting the health care needs of underserved individuals and groups in our community, including the uninsured. A Federally Qualified Health Center Look Alike (FQHC-LA), Star Community provides family medicine, pediatric, women’s health, dental and case management services at 12 locations in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton and four dental vans serving 32 schools in Bucks, Carbon, Monroe, Lehigh and Northampton counties.

Star Community Health was recently honored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as being a top health center in the country for its achievements in improving health outcomes and providing high-quality care for patients in underserved communities.

Star Community Health, a federally qualified health center, will host a breakfast for elected officials on Tuesday, August 8, to raise awareness about its success in providing high quality health care services to their constituents – especially the underserved and vulnerable. More than 10 elected representatives are expected to attend the event at the Fowler Building, 511 East Third Street, Bethlehem during National Health Centers week, August 6-12.

Karen Markosian, MD, understands that the availability of Spanish-speaking physicians is crucial to improve the health of Latinos. However, only about 6% of physicians speak Spanish fluently in the United States. So, when she decided to become a doctor, she attended medical school in her native Colombia.

Star Community Health is pleased to announce the addition of obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN) Yardlie Toussaint-Foster, DO. She sees patients and teaches residents at the Sigal Center at St. Luke’s Sacred Heart Campus in Allentown. She performs OB/GYN surgery and delivers babies at St. Luke’s Allentown Campus.

Star Community Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that provides health care services to medically underserved patients in the Lehigh Valley, will host a series of events in recognition of National Health Center Week, including the Star Community Health Day on Aug. 13 in Bethlehem.

A grand re-opening celebration of Star Community Health Sigal Center will be held on Saturday, May 21, from 1 to 4 p.m. An essential facility for providing key health care services to the local community, Star Community Health Sigal Center is located at 450 West Chew Street in Allentown.

The recent expansion of the Star Community Health Dental Clinic at the Sigal Center in downtown Allentown is sure to elicit smiles from the patients and the dentists, dental residents and dental hygienists who treat the underserved population who come there from near and far.

Star Community Health, which operates federally funded health centers, has received two quality awards from the federal agency responsible for improving health care for economically vulnerable people. With centers in Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton, and a mobile dental van, Star Community Health provides comprehensive primary care, OB/GYN, dental and pediatric health services, regardless of the patients’ ability to pay.