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About Us
History
A Look at our History Our health care program
began in the 1960’s as a volunteer effort of the San Joaquin Medical
Society, the San Joaquin Local Health District, and the Community
Action Council. Local physicians, nurses, dentist, and community
activists who recognized the lack of health and social service
programs formed service teams to address the needs of Migrant Farm
workers and their families. They went to the ditch banks and levees
around the County and worked from their cars to deliver medical care,
to supply food and clothing, and to link needy families with available
services.
The first clinic location was a temporary facility at the fire
house in Bellota, east of Stockton. The program was then known as
Agricultural Workers’ Health Project. The San Joaquin Medical
Society obtained state and Federal funding to support the first
expansion of health care services in 1967. This permitted the
development of two permanent locations, one at Harney Lane and one at
the Matthews Road labor centers. Mobile clinics were purchased and
evening hours were offered at various locations throughout the county
on a weekly schedule. Community physicians, San Joaquin General
Hospital staff, and Public Health Nurses staffed these facilities. The
Health Department coordinated follow-up activities. In these early
years, the organization had an operating budget of about $200,000, a
full-time staff of seven, and served approximately 3,000 individuals
each year.
By the mid 1970’s Congressional action at the federal level
modified the requirements for continued funding. In response, the
project formed a new board of Directors and incorporated as
Agricultural Workers’ Health Centers, Inc. By 1980 services had been
and expanded to in include daytime hours, after-hours coverage, dental
care, laboratory, pharmacy, nutrition counseling, and health education
with a full-service facility in downtown Stockton. Storefronts
satellite clinics operated in the rural communities providing limited
medical care. Charges for services were instituted based on income and
family size, and eligibility restrictions for non-farm worker were
dropped.
During the 1980’s, the part-time clinics at Harney Lane and Joseph
J Artisi Migrant Labor Centers were closed. The aging mobile units
were retired. A sister organization in Solano and Yolo Counties became
part of AWHC and a new clinic facility in Dixon was opened. The
operating budget had grown to over $300,000, staff had increased to
100, the number of individuals served each year had grown to over
10,000 and organization was planning a new facility in Calaveras
County. During the early 1990’s the Tracy Family Practice doubled in
size, while the Woodbridge Medical Group in Lodi tripled in size. The
Channel Medical Center opened, tripling the capacity for medical
visits in Stockton and dental services were expanded at the California
Street location. A school-based clinic was established at Martin
Luther King Elementary School, and counseling services were added in
San Andreas. Staff had grown to over 190 serving over 25,000 each
year. The number of non-farm worker clients was now six times the
number of farm worker clients. In 1995, the corporation changed its
name from Agriculture Workers’ Health Centers, Inc to Community
Medical Centers, Inc. to reflect the broad spectrum of clients
receiving services. In recent years the organization opened
additional facilities. Two school based clinics were opened in San
Joaquin County, a new clinic was developed to serve the Vacaville
community, new clinics were opened in North Stockton and South
Stockton, dental services in Stockton were increased, and Tracy and
Woodbridge underwent renovations to expand capacity. With these
additions CMC had a total of ten primary care facilities and one
dental facility serving over 52,000 patients annually with patient
visits exceeding 175,000. |
