J. Gerald Harris, Christian Index
MARIETTA, Ga. — The mission of Good Samaritan Health Center in Cobb is “to spread the love of Christ by providing quality health care to the uninsured and underserved in our community.”
The center’s CEO, Cyrl Kitchens, has a degree in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech and following a successful career in the business world, taking his current position was a true step of faith for him.
Regarding the kitchen, the Lord said in Psalm 37:23:The path of people main, When he enjoys his way) helped him take the step of faith he needed to return to the Atlanta area and eventually to the health center.
“When I first moved back to Georgia, my family needed care because of my father,” Rev. Kitchens explains, “but since joining the board in 2008, my primary focus has been living out the story of the Good Samaritan every day and enjoying the privilege of sharing the gospel in a tangible way with those who lack access to medical care.”
Kitchens couldn’t ignore the physical and mental needs of the 100,000 people in Cobb County who don’t have health insurance.
Last year, “Good Sam” provided a total of 29,171 visits to 3,700 patients. 56 volunteers provided 3,947 hours of service to the center with a total value of $13,212,473 in care provided. Most importantly, 53 people professed faith in Christ through this strategic ministry.
At Good Sam, patients pay a sliding scale fee based on income and the number of people in their household, with the remaining costs covered by donations.
Additionally, “Good Sam” received a $100,000 grant from the Georgia Baptist Healthcare Ministries Foundation, primarily for medical expenses. The Foundation holds charitable assets from which funds are distributed in the form of grants that support health care needs that benefit organizations and individuals in Georgia and other areas it serves. In 2024, the Foundation, under the leadership of Executive Director Larry Winn, distributed $8,417,791 to 81 different health care ministries.
“The Good Samaritan Health Centre in Cobb is doing incredible work and making a huge impact in the lives of people who struggle to effectively meet their physical and mental needs,” Wynn explained.
The center was co-founded in 2006 by the Rev. Grant Cole, pastor of Living Stone Church, and Dr. Jack Kennedy, Cobb and Douglas Public Health Director, recognizing that medical costs and emergency vehicle repairs are root causes of economic hardship, family instability and poor quality of life in the community.
“Good Sam’s family-centered, integrated approach ensures we provide high-quality primary and preventive medical and dental services, along with behavioral health counseling, medication, referral and health education programs, in an atmosphere of dignity and respect, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or ability to pay,” Kitchens said.
“We’re not a clinic with a pastorate, but a pastorate with a clinic,” declared Good Sam’s pastor, David Santander. “We’re not just concerned with the physical health of our patients, but their souls and spirits as well. My personal goal is to share Christ with at least one patient each day.”
“Most patients come in with some kind of trauma in their lives,” he continued. “We want to see them healed, not just on the outside, but on the inside. We pray with them and sometimes we cry with them.”
Both Kitchens and Santander stressed the importance of each employee and volunteer being a committed Christian and faithful disciple of Christ. Good Sam prays for its staff every morning, and there is an ongoing spiritual leadership process.
Santander told the story of Iris, a young woman from Honduras who was in great need of help: When she came to the health center, she was pregnant, her husband was in prison, and she was renting a small room in a trailer park.
Iris heard about the clinic through friends, neighbors and her church pastor, and she says that from the moment she walked in, everyone was warm and kind, and went out of their way to help her.
“Our patients come in with physical needs, but we know that everyone has deeper needs, spiritual needs,” Dr. Santander explained. “We want to be the hands of Christ to those with physical needs. Our prayer is, ‘Lord, if you want to speak truth to their hearts, use one of us.'”
“When Iris came here, she had no family,” Santander recalls. “She had no hope, no money, no idea what to do or where to go.”
“I felt God’s love there,” Iris says. “The doctors really cared about me and looked after my mental health.” Staff helped her prepare for her baby. Iris knew she’d need a car seat but didn’t have one. “The health center staff prepared an angel tree for us for Christmas,” she recalls. “There was a car seat under the tree for my baby.”
Iris had prayed, “If there is a God, I want to know Him,” and the center was the answer to her prayer.
Iris professed Christ as her Savior, her husband was saved in prison and baptized after his release, and both Iris and her husband actively serve the Lord through their local church.
Good Samaritan Health Center of Cobb County is committed to its mission of providing physical, emotional and spiritual healing to those in need, making a lasting impact on those it serves.
