Our Story

What started in 1998 as one man’s initiative to provide healthcare to uninsured local residents has blossomed into a lifeline for thousands over the last 25 years. Recognizing the need for quality, affordable medical care for those without insurance, Dr. David Cook began seeing a handful of patients in the back of a grocery store one night a week. It soon became evident that the need far outweighed what he was able to do on his own.

Dr. Cook and April Cook partnered with four area churches—Davidson United Methodist, First Baptist Church of Huntersville, St. Mark Catholic, and Meadow Lake Presbyterian—to launch the Lake Norman Community Health Clinic, a free clinic in the basement of the First Baptist Church of Huntersville, in 2001. Within the first year, the Clinic provided over 1,600 appointments for 500 patients.

In 2007, the Clinic moved to a 4,000-square-foot building in Huntersville, hiring additional staff and expanding its hours in 2008. As a result, the Clinic was able to serve more than double the previous number of patients. Today, as the Cook Community Clinic, we continue to grow and adapt to the needs of our uninsured neighbors, providing over 6,000 medical appointments for more than 1,600 patients annually with the help of private and community partners. We’re also proud to hold a Gold Rating from the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics Quality Standards Program.

The Clinic’s latest success is a 1,500-square-foot expansion to its Huntersville site that allows for onsite dental services. The 2024 expansion includes two dental operatories and two new medical exam rooms, as well as office and storage space.

Who We Serve

Our patients are often the working poor: neighbors who don’t have access to insurance through their jobs, have been displaced recently from a job, or are homeless. You know these people. They may not have shared their stories with you, but you see them every day.

Why “Hope” is on our Checklist

Healthcare is just one essential we provide at CCC. Perhaps as importantly, we offer a safe place where patients feel welcomed and loved—where trust leads to hope. Because when people have hope that their future will be healthier and happier, they’re already halfway to healing. Here, patients aren’t names or numbers we’re trying to “deal with” as quickly as possible. At Cook Community Clinic, we help each patient gain the confidence needed to reach their health goals with a combination of compassion, empowerment, and clear care plans.

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TESTIMONIALS

“Cook Community Clinic has been an answer to years’ worth of prayers. I never thought I would be able to live my life without feeling pain. Thank God for all the wonderful people who make this clinic possible.”

~ Anonymous

“I came to the clinic in 2013. My sugar was way out of whack, now it’s the best I’ve ever seen it. I love Lake Norman and all of the people are wonderful.”

~ Melvin W.

“I am grateful and thankful for all the services you have provided for me in such a difficult time in my life. I will continue to have HOPE!”

~ Anonymous

“I arrived for my appointment and everyone at the Clinic was so nice. The nurse practitioner and the other nurses always talked with me, made me laugh, and most of all gave me hope.”

~ Anonymous
“About two years ago, I was in need of healthcare and I did not have health insurance…I did my research and realized Cook Community Clinic was close to my house so I called immediately. The staff treated me so kindly and I felt like I was in a private health care office. My health needs were treated by awesome physicians and since then I have been telling others. Times are hard these days, but a person’s health should not be compromised.”
~ Eure
“Cook Community Clinic is a place of hope. It is knowing that when I come here, regardless of what money I have in my pocket, I’m not going to be turned away.”

“During my time as a translator and patient at Cook Community Clinic, I was able to witness the love that the clinic puts toward the patients. The clinic is personalized and intimate in this way. It is like family.”

~ Anonymous

“I didn’t know what to expect from the clinic, but was very pleasantly surprised at the friendly and caring atmosphere. It was so wonderful to be treated in such a respectful and dignified way. Large hospitals and other health facilities should take a lesson from Cook Community Clinic!”

~ Clanese A.
“The clinic is not a patient mill, rather it is a place where the patient has the time to talk about current issues and the clinical staff is able to guide you to the right path. As my time as a patient at CCC comes to an end, I am only hopeful that I can receive this kind of care going forward.”
~ Lee

“The programs offered by this clinic have not only changed my life, but they have impacted those around me who I love and care about. I feel confident about fighting diabetes, and with the team at CCC supporting me, I feel stronger and more educated.”

~ Anonymous
“I am so glad I was introduced to Cook Community Clinic in 2011. I had no insurance coverage and I got the same treatment as if I was a million dollar patient. The atmosphere is awesome with such wonderful staff from the front desk to nurses and Doctors. I feel real good about this clinic.”
~ Patricia D.