Our Story
Healthcare rooted in community
How we got here
Sage Healthcare began inside another mission. The Bridgeport Rescue Mission was sheltering and feeding people in recovery, but true stabilization required medical and behavioral healthcare. They brought that vision to Irene Bihl, DNP, MBA, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC, APRN.
How It Works
A model where everyone wins
Free, Expert Care for Patients
A profound commitment to our community’s most vulnerable. We provide high-quality medical and behavioral healthcare with zero cost, zero insurance billing, and zero barriers.
Real-World Training for Students
We partner with local universities to provide nursing and healthcare students with meaningful clinical rotations. Under supervision of licensed clinicians, students gain hands-on experience caring for patients with complex health and social needs outside the traditional hospital system.
Clinical Practice for Faculty
Our model allows Nurse Practitioner faculty to fulfill required clinical practice hours while serving the community. It turns an academic requirement into an opportunity to expand access to care and support clinical education.
Our Partners
Built on partnership
Bridgeport Rescue Mission
The partnership that started it all. Sage Healthcare and the Bridgeport Rescue Mission share a facility at the Health Resource Center.
Sacred Heart University
Two Family Nurse Practitioner faculty members from Sacred Heart University volunteer weekly at the clinic.
University & Clinical Education Partners
Multiple universities bring undergraduate nursing students to Sage for Community Health clinical rotations.
What We Stand For
Our mission has three dimensions
Free Clinical Care
Expanding access to high-quality medical and behavioral healthcare for anyone who needs it.
Professional Education
Training the next generation of multidisciplinary healthcare providers through hands-on experience in community health.
Academic Partnerships
Providing a clinical environment where faculty across multiple disciplines can practice, teach, and support community care.
Core Values
Compassion
Care that meets people where they are.
Equity
Access without conditions. No gatekeeping.
Collaboration
Twelve partner institutions and counting.
Excellence
Free does not mean lesser.
Our Journey
Timeline
2021
Sage Healthcare founded as Collaboration Healthcare Corp.
2022–2024
Rapid expansion. Patient volume grows over 500%.
June 2024
Robby’s House purchased at 385 Barnum Avenue.
2025
Patient volume continues to grow, averaging more than 500 visits per month in 2025.
Spring 2026
Robby’s House opens.
What We Offer
Comprehensive care. No bill.
Sage Healthcare provides accessible medical and behavioral health services designed to address immediate needs and stabilize ongoing conditions.
- Preventive and primary care visits
- Behavioral and mental health services
- Substance use counseling
- Medication management
- Physical therapy and movement programming
- Smoking cessation support
- Community wellness and education groups
Sage is not an urgent care center. Our goal is to provide accessible care, stabilize health concerns, and help patients connect with ongoing medical and community resources when needed.