Our Story

First Care Medical Clinic was founded by Dr. Benedict Okwara in 1994. At the time, Dr. Okwara was working as an Emergency Room Medicine physician in Monroe. He saw many patients coming to the emergency room for reasons that did not require an emergency room visit from medication refills to sick visits. With this in mind, he opened First Care Medical Clinic as an urgent care practice in 1994.
 
After operating as an urgent care practice for ~3 years, Dr. Okwara recognized many of the patients did not have a primary care provider. The practice of preventive medicine had been a guiding philosophy for him.  Because of this, he evolved First Care Medical Clinic from being an urgent care practice to a comprehensive primary care practice, and this has been the main legacy since First Care Medical Clinic initially opened its doors.
 
First Care Medical Clinic started with one office in Monroe and now has multiple offices in Albemarle, Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia, Locust, Monroe, Rock Hill, and Salisbury. Our clinics are open from 9 AM – 6 PM from Monday to Friday, and three of our offices are also open on Saturday from 9 AM – 5 PM. We see ourselves as public servants, and we are here to serve the patient. As a result, we aim to meet patients where they are. This is why patients do not need an appointment to be seen. Both new patients and established patients can walk in at any time and be seen by the provider. We also provide transportation for patients who need a ride. We do not believe a lack of transportation should prevent a person from getting the care they need. This is why we will book Ubers and taxis for patients to attend their primary care visits.
 
We believe comprehensive, coordinated care is best for both patient experience and patient outcomes. We want to make it easy on the patients, so they can get nearly all their needs met in one place. Coordination of care also leads to better healthcare outcomes. This is why we provide annual wellness exams, acute sick visits, vaccinations, allergy immunotherapy, EKGs, ultrasounds, home sleep testing, in-house laboratory services, chronic care management, and remote physiological monitoring. By centralizing services, we maximize convenience and continuity for our patients, allowing them to establish a true medical home.
 
Building on the foundations of comprehensive care, First Care Medical Clinic expanded to behavioral health in 2025 by launching the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM). Due to a shortage of external psychiatrists and other behavioral health providers, the behavioral health needs of many First Care Medical Clinic patients were often left unaddressed. Because of this, First Care Medical Clinic established an internal behavioral health infrastructure. Under Dr. Okwara’s leadership, First Care Medical Clinic launched its own behavioral health care model using COCM to structure the approach. First Care Medical Clinic has steadily built a team of Behavioral Health Care Managers and Consulting Psychiatrists. With the expansion into behavioral health, First Care Medical Clinic now has an integrated care model that can treat the whole person. We are able to address a person’s physical health needs and behavioral health needs under one roof.
 
It is an honor and privilege to serve our patients and the community. Thank you for considering us and providing us with an opportunity to provide care to you.