La Clínica de La Raza began in 1971 as a health care project created by three UC Berkeley students. Their goal was to provide greater access to health care in the Latino community located in the East Bay Area of California. In its first year, La Clínica was run out of a store front and its staff was comprised of volunteers who provided free medical, dental, and optical services to the community. S
ince that time, La Clínica has expanded in a multitude of ways. Although no longer a “free” clinic, it continues to achieve its goal of making health care services more accessible to everyone. In the past year, 2016, La Clínica served over 88,887 patients and provided over 360,000 patient visits. It now has 34 locations that include service sites, support sites, and administrative sites. Its services include adolescent services, behavioral health, case management, dental, health and nutrition education, laboratory, medical, pediatric services, pharmacy, prenatal and postnatal care, preventative medicine, radiology, referral services, vision and eye care, women’s health, and WIC. Over the years, La Clínica has held true to its vision of becoming a premier community health center, rooted in the concepts of wellness, prevention and patient-centered care.
