Every year, during the first full week of August, we celebrate National Health Center Week alongside health centers across the nation. It is a time to recognize how important community health centers are for improving lives. This year’s theme is “Celebrating 60 Years of Progress.” It highlights a national legacy that started in 1965 and is important here at Clinica Sierra Vista (CSV).
From National Roots to Local Impact
The first community health centers launched in 1965 as part of President Johnson’s War on Poverty (learn more), designed to bring preventive and primary care to low-income neighborhoods under the Office of Economic Opportunity. By 1975, Congress had made those pilot clinics a permanent network under federal oversight (learn more). Today, more than 1,500 health centers serve over 30 million Americans, making up a vital safety net in communities where healthcare access is limited (learn more).
Why Health Centers Matter
Community Health Centers are more than just places to receive medical care; they are lifelines, partners, and advocates for millions of Americans who face barriers to health every day. Across the country, health centers like Clinica Sierra Vista provide care to 32.5 million people each year, including 1 in 10 Americans. Health centers provide services to everyone in the community, including those who are often overlooked: the uninsured, people living in poverty, and residents of rural and public housing communities.
Despite delivering such a wide impact, Community Health Centers represent just 1% of total annual healthcare spending in the United States. We are achieving more with less by focusing on preventive care, addressing health-related social factors, and meeting people where they are.
Learn more about this and other facts at www.nachc.org.
Health Centers are the health care home for many of America’s historically underserved communities, including:
Sources: https://www.nachc.org/about-nachc/history-of-chc/; https://www.nachc.org/resource/americas-health-centers-by-the-numbers/
Driven by a strong purpose and committed to serving others
Founded in Weedpatch, California, in a trailer with one physician, CSV began as Clinica De Los Campesinos in 1971. Under the visionary leadership of Steve Schilling, early investment in WIC, dental care, and mobile services helped CSV expand rapidly (learn more).
Over the past nearly 55 years, CSV has expanded steadily, establishing new clinics in Bakersfield, Fresno, Delano, and the Kern River Valley. The expansion has included the addition of WIC nutrition services, dental care, behavioral health, mobile units, and the launch of the Rio Bravo Family Medicine Residency Program (learn more). Today, we serve over 200,000 community members across Kern and Fresno Counties.
Like health centers across the country, we remain committed to our communities, creating services shaped by the needs of patients, many of whom continue to serve on our leadership boards.
CSV by the Numbers
At Clinica Sierra Vista, our mission is to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve. This mission has driven us to expand our reach significantly, and today, we can see our impact reflected in the numbers:
593,509
Patient visits served annually
128,309
Medical patients
19,700
Dental patients
10,414
Behavioral health patients
61,840
Patients are best served in a language other than English
45,918
Patients are agricultural workers and their family
39,494
Patients are under age 18
17,814
Patients are uninsured
9,514
Patients are experiencing homelessness
3,662
Patients are from our School-Based clinic
24
Community health centers
9
Dental locations
25
Behavioral health office locations
27
WIC Office locations
5
Walk-in clinics
3
Mobile clinic units
Source: Health Center Program Uniform Data System (UDS) Data Overview
What’s Next for Clinica Sierra Vista
As health centers across the country celebrate 60 years of service, we are proud to be part of this milestone. We are committed to providing caring and complete health services to every patient who visits us.
At Clinica Sierra Vista, we believe that everyone has the right to healthcare. Our mission of improving the health and well-being of the communities we serve guides us as we plan for the future. We’ll continue to expand by adding new clinics, pharmacies, mobile units, and programs focused on patients’ needs in the coming years.
During National Health Center Week, we invite you to join us on social media and share what Clinica Sierra Vista means to you using #NHCW25.
