Neighbor News August 2026
Honoring a Legacy of Christ-Centered Care
A Heartfelt Farewell to Dr. Doug Briggs
Long before NeighborHealth Center opened its doors in 2018, Dr. Doug Briggs and his compassion and dedication to caring for the underserved aligned perfectly with the vision for what patient care would look like here at our soon-to-be clinic in Raleigh. But, at that time, Dr. Briggs was doing mission work in China in a small, rural Tibetan town, where he spent decades working tirelessly to help local villagers, families, and disabled children get the quality medical care they needed. While the planning for NeighborHealth was set in motion operationally and spiritually, one critical question remained: Who would lead the medical care, to serve as the hands and heart of God to bring the vision for this clinic to life?
A Call, Answered
Fortunately, God had a plan. In late 2017, Dr. Briggs’ time in China was coming to an end. With no job lined up and feeling uncertain about how God would continue to inspire him to provide the neighbor-centered healthcare he’d been able to offer on the other side of the world, Dr. Briggs set his plan in motion to return to the United States. A call from a friend surprised him at just the right moment. He learned there were plans underway to establish a medical ministry and clinic for the underserved in Raleigh, and they were looking for an experienced physician to lead the way.
Dr. Briggs joined NeighborHealth in 2018 as its first medical director and sole physician. In the eight years since, he has cared for thousands of patients, often working from sunrise to sunset to meet the needs of our neighbors. His leadership carried NeighborHealth toward founder Susanne Berger’s long-held vision: a place where anyone in our community can receive Christ-centered medical care, regardless of their ability to pay.
In addition to the exceptional medical care Dr. Briggs has provided, he recruited, trained, and inspired dozens of providers who have joined us in this important work over the years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he spent countless hours in local refugee communities, answering questions, easing fears, and delivering vaccines to those who needed them most.
At the same time, Dr. Briggs also served as a community advocate for NeighborHealth, helping spread the word for what we do and why we do it. His tireless efforts have not only allowed us to deliver exceptional care, but to raise the funds and awareness required to sustain it. He has worn virtually every ‘hat’ over the years—from community champion, clinical leader, and operational visionary. To say that Dr. Briggs has left an indelible mark on the hearts of our patients, NeighborHealth providers and staff, and the supporters who continue to make it all possible—is an understatement.
At the end of this summer, Dr. Briggs will move on from NeighborHealth, transitioning to his next chapter. He shares his parting words, summarizing the impact his NeighborHealth career has had on his life and heart. “My experience at NeighborHealth has been rewarding beyond anything I could have dreamed possible in the United States. From my relationship with each patient to the joy of watching our organization mature and expand to serve our community, my time at NeighborHealth Center has been truly transformative. Above all, I have been blessed by the deep connections with my colleagues and the broader NeighborHealth family as we pursue our vision together. I look forward to following and celebrating the continued growth and impact of NeighborHealth Center in our community and beyond.”
Thank you, Dr. Briggs, for the time, energy, passion, and commitment you have given to NeighborHealth Center, this community, and most importantly, to the patients we serve. Your gifts have set God’s plan for NeighborHealth Center in motion, and we are honored to carry it forward. We can’t wait to see where the world takes you next.
Celebrating our Generous Foundation Partners
Thanks to the generosity of our community partners. NeighborHealth has recently received grants that are already making a difference for our patients.
The Church of the Apostles blessed us with funding for an ADA-compliant, wheelchair-accessible scale and a generator to keep our vaccines safe during power outages—two gifts that directly protect patient safety, accessibility, and dignity in our clinic.
We’re also deeply grateful to the Coastal Credit Union Foundation and Duke Health’s Office of Community Health for their generous grant support that will help cover the cost of caring for our uninsured and underinsured patients.
We couldn’t do this work without amazing partners like these. Every dollar contributed directly benefits our patients, ensuring they get the medical care they need, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. We’re always happy to share good news like this, and we’re thankful for your continued prayers and support.
Exciting Clinic Updates!
NeighborHealth Center is growing,
and we’re excited to share some updates
New Walk-in Access for Same-Day Convenience
We’re pleased to offer walk-in care every weekday (Monday – Friday) between 8 am and 3 pm and Saturdays from 8 am to 11 am for current patients. We aim to make it easier for patients to get timely care without the need to wait for an appointment.
New! Now Open Saturdays
To better serve patients and the community, the clinic is now open for appointments every Saturday from 8 am to noon and accepts walk-ins from 8 am to 11 am. Schedule yours today through MyChart or by calling the office at 984-222-8000.
Breaking Ground on a New Pharmacy
This month, construction begins on a full-service pharmacy right on site. Once it opens this fall, patients will be able to pick up affordable prescriptions without an extra stop. This is just one more way NeighborHealth is making healthcare simpler for the patients we serve.
A Little Lobby Shuffle
To accommodate the pharmacy project, our lobby and waiting areas will be reconfigured over the coming weeks. Things may look a little different during construction—thank you for your patience.
None of this would be possible without the continued support of our patients, donors, and incredible staff, who make this clinic so special. Thank you for being part of our story!
Awards & Certifications
NeighborHealth Named 2026 Impact Award Honoree
Triangle Family Magazine recognized us as a 2026 Impact Award honoree. It’s a signal we’re continuing to make headway on our goals and achieving greater impact in our community: that accessible, high-quality family medicine is what Raleigh needs. We’re building that together.
Each year, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awards Community Health Quality Recognition badges to recognize Health Center Program awardees and look-alikes that have made notable quality improvement achievements for the 2025 Uniform Data System (UDS) reporting year. NeighborHealth Center has been recognized once again this year for our results and advancing a model of coordinated, comprehensive, and patient-centered care for our area.
Leave Us a Google Review
If NeighborHealth has made a difference for you or your family, we’d be grateful if you shared your experience in a Google review. It could help someone else find compassionate, affordable care when they need it most.
What Our Patients Say
“I honestly like it here a lot.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
You never have a long wait; they have plenty of staff who are nice and professional. Not one of those places understaffed where the few MAs or NAs seem overworked and checked out. The PA I see here is Lia Davis. She shows a genuine concern for your overall health and well-being.
“100% above and beyond.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I’m 62 years old, and I have never been to a place that treats you with such dignity and respect. The doctors, the nurses, the staff—everybody is excellent service. I have never in my life seen such great care.
Welcoming New Providers & Staff
This quarter, NeighborHealth welcomed four new staff members: a Behavioral Health clinician, a Medical Provider, a Pharmacy Manager for our upcoming on-site pharmacy, and a Chief Financial Officer. Each brings clinical excellence and genuine compassion—and a shared conviction that real care means treating the whole person, not just the diagnosis.
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
Julia Raughley, LCSWA joins NeighborHealth with a focus on disability access, family-centered care, and helping people navigate complex systems. With experience in pediatric oncology and expanding higher education access for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Julia brings compassion, advocacy, and creativity to her work. Outside of work, she enjoys running, travel, and time in the kitchen.
CLINICAL
Holly Hempfling, FNP-C joins NeighborHealth with eight years of emergency medicine experience and three years serving underserved communities at an FQHC in Georgia. Now settled in Durham with her growing family, Holly brings strong clinical judgment, a heart for service, and a commitment to helping patients feel seen and supported.
PHARMACY
Jasmine Jackson, PharmD, MHS, joins NeighborHealth as Pharmacy Manager and lead pharmacist, bringing 15 years of healthcare leadership and a passion for making medications more accessible and affordable. As the NeighborHealth Pharmacy prepares to launch in Fall 2026, Jasmine’s experience in clinical pharmacy, project management, and mission-driven care will help patients safely access the medications they need to stay well.
EXECUTIVE TEAM
Terry Lynn Terry, MAcc, CPA, brings 25 years of healthcare finance experience to NeighborHealth’s Chief Financial Officer role. She’s guided FQHCs and nonprofits to build sustainable models that keep care accessible. For Terry, financial stewardship is patient care—every budget decision affects who gets served.
Getting Outside of My Comfort Zone:
Nine Months with Leadership Raleigh
By Darlene Fiscus, Director of Development
In the last few years, two NeighborHealth staff members have had the pleasure of participating in Leadership Raleigh—I was one of them. Leadership Raleigh is a ten-month community leadership program, hosted by the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, designed to connect, educate, and inspire leaders to positively impact Raleigh and the surrounding Triangle region.
This experience stays with me in many ways, but particularly because it broke down perceived barriers for those of us who participated and helped us truly understand how connected and responsible we are for the health of our community. Being part of Leadership Raleigh helped me break out of the comfort zone of being cocooned within daily routine. The real value of Leadership Raleigh is experiencing the great needs and true value of our community; a complex yet accessible system put in place to ensure that we connect resources to the needs of the people who live here, to keep our community healthy, thriving, and compassionate.
Leadership Raleigh isn’t just a professional development checkbox. It’s where my cohorts and I spent nine months connecting with each other and leaders across Raleigh’s nonprofit, public, and private sectors—understanding how our city and greater community actually works, how systems connect, where partnerships live. That network matters. I came out of that experience with relationships and frameworks I didn’t walk in with.
But more than that: I came back thinking differently. About systems, about scale, about how to move ideas when you’re working across sectors. In a year where we at NeighborHealth Center are growing fast and aiming for a more meaningful and wider impact, that kind of strategic thinking is infrastructure. We need leaders who can think beyond our daily role, beyond our immediate organization, and who are able to make true connections that result in profound impact.
I’ve committed to incorporate this broader thinking and acting into my daily cadence. NeighborHealth Center saw the value and impact that Leadership Raleigh would have on me as a professional and how that investment could better position us for wider relationships and deeper impact. I feel certain that we will continue offering this opportunity to teammates in the future. It signals who we are as an organization—that we invest in people, that we build leadership depth, that we are part of this community, and we’re serious about our value for this community.
August is “Make A Will” Month
When you include NeighborHealth Center in your plans, you are creating a lasting impact for generations to come. We are excited to announce the creation of the Susanne Berger Legacy of Care Society, ensuring a legacy of hope and healing.
Planned giving through wills, trusts, living trusts, gift annuities, life insurance policies, and bequests is a powerful way to make a meaningful impact, contributing to a future where everyone has access to care. For additional information or to inform us of your interest to include NeighborHealth Center in your future plans, please contact Darlene Fiscus, Director of Development, or call 984-222-8015.
Giving Made Easy Through Your Workplace
We are excited to participate as an approved SECC charity again this year. If you are a state employee who plans to invest in your community, please consider including NeighborHealth Center as part of your workplace giving. Our giving code is 7087. Thank you!
