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New Trenton Clinic Offers Compassionate Care Without Cost
- Medina Health Center
- May 13
- 4 min read
By Kemi Olaleye
Medina Community Health Center opened its first physical location in December 2024 after operating for over a decade without one.
When Sajid Syed and Zahig Baeg co-founded Medina in 2014, their goal was to create a holistic healthcare experience for those struggling to navigate the U.S. for-profit healthcare system.
Syed said they learned that Henry J. Austin Health Center in Trenton was a strong Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), so they contacted CEO Kemi Alli. Instead of launching their own center, they supported Henry J. Austin with a small grant raised through fundraising.
Because most of their contacts were specialists and Henry J. Austin focused on primary care, they launched a partnership in 2014 with six physicians. It grew to 38 physicians across 25 specialties, expanding referrals beyond Henry Austin.
Syed notes that the turning point came during the COVID-19 pandemic. “[When] the pandemic hit, numbers dropped. People were scared to come out; also, there was a demographic shift in our physicians,” he said.
“Most of the physicians who were doing this were people older, like myself, the younger physicians did not have their own practices. They were typically employees of large hospital systems, and they were having a hard time getting permission to volunteer in their own locations.”
This shift showed the need for a centralized space where care could continue with more control. Medina transitioned from a referral model to a licensed ambulatory health center. The long-term goal is to gain FQHC status, which would allow them to offer comprehensive services, like dental care, women’s health, and lab testing, regardless of insurance or income.
The new Medina Health Center is located at 828 N Olden Avenue, between Medical Home Pharmacy and a 7/11. Now Board Chairman, Syed said he chose the location for its visibility and accessibility to Trenton residents.
The clinic provides primary care, lab testing, specialty referrals, and discounted prescriptions—all free of charge. The small staff handles daily operations with dedication.
One of those staff members is Director of Operations Mira Sadeghi, who has a public health background and advocates for accessible healthcare.
Sadeghi said, “People wait until they’re in pain. That’s when they seek care. So that’s what draws people to the emergency room, because they have no one to see before things are urgent, and so by offering primary care, we’re giving people that peace of mind that someone cares about [their] health.”
Affordability is maintained through grants and donations. Nabeel Khan, Director of Development, writes grant applications to fund operations. He said organizations like the Princeton Area Community Foundation and the Horizon Foundation have supported their mission.
The new Medina Health Center is located at 828 N Olden Avenue, between Medical Home Pharmacy and a 7/11. Now Board Chairman, Syed said he chose the location for its visibility and accessibility to Trenton residents.
The clinic provides primary care, lab testing, specialty referrals, and discounted prescriptions—all free of charge. The small staff handles daily operations with dedication.
One of those staff members is Director of Operations Mira Sadeghi, who has a public health background and advocates for accessible healthcare.
Sadeghi said, “People wait until they’re in pain. That’s when they seek care. So that’s what draws people to the emergency room, because they have no one to see before things are urgent, and so by offering primary care, we’re giving people that peace of mind that someone cares about [their] health.”
Affordability is maintained through grants and donations. Nabeel Khan, Director of Development, writes grant applications to fund operations. He said organizations like the Princeton Area Community Foundation and the Horizon Foundation have supported their mission.
Khan, who previously worked in non-profit healthcare in Pakistan, said, “When I came to the U.S., I interacted in education and healthcare, increasingly it became relevant to me that healthcare is essentially a right. It’s not a privilege.”
A 2022 study by the Trenton Health Team reveals health inequities in Trenton stem from social determinants like healthcare access and economic stability. One in three residents uses Medicaid, and one in five working-age adults is uninsured.
Khan said, “If you want to look at Trenton, look at educational attainment levels are quite low, so that limits them to the number of jobs that are available. If they’re in the service sector, they may not pay as much as jobs in other places. So if there’s a limit on how much money you can make, it directly translates into how much food you can get, and how much food you can get translates into nutrition. All of these things are linked together.”
Chinwe Emerah, Medina’s nurse practitioner, has worked with the organization for years, administering vaccines and flu shots. She joined the Trenton location to offer more comprehensive care.
Emerah said, “Most people don’t understand the whole dynamics of health. They do know that they have to go to the hospital, but they don’t understand primary and preventive care. So part of my job here is doing that.”
Abdul Hakim, who leads outreach efforts, works to bring more people into the center by visiting community hubs like the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.
Looking ahead, Medina is exploring how to sustain affordable care through a sliding scale revenue model. They also hope to deepen ties with the community and local policymakers to ensure continued accessibility.
Sadeghi said, “I just want to emphasize, for anyone who is thinking about becoming a patient with us, there’s always been some sort stigma with receiving anything for free, and I want to make it clear that just because there’s no exchange of money, that doesn’t mean that there’s any sort of lapse in quality of our services. Our staff is fantastic. Our facility is beautiful and clean and bright, and it’s a nice place to be. We really want to welcome more patients with open arms.”
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