Altamed Health Services Corporation

AltaMed’s mission is eliminate disparities in health care access and outcomes by providing superior quality health and human services through an integrated world-class delivery system for Latino, multi-ethnic and underserved communities in Southern California. By working to address and remove barriers that are affecting our communities’ health, AltaMed maintains a commitment to providing medical-care and community based services to historically under-represented communities.

Founded in 1969, AltaMed opened as the East Los Angeles Barrio Free Clinic in response to pressing issues—especially the lack of access to affordable healthcare—facing the East Los Angeles community and ultimately became known as AltaMed Health Services Corporation (AltaMed) in 1986. In 2008, AltaMed expanded its service delivery to Orange County and soon became a staple of the safety-net healthcare system in Southern California, operating more than 65 physical sites in Los Angeles and Orange County. In these spaces, historically underserved populations receive quality medical, dental, senior, and other specialized care and access to a variety of community-based programs that help them address the social determinants of health impacting their overall well-being. These services include: Primary care and co-located dental sites providing routine and preventive care for all ages; Mobile health clinics; a clinician home visiting program; Diabetes management and prevention sites that focus on nutrition, activity, medication compliance, and self-care; Behavioral health sites that offer short-term therapy or linkage to more comprehensive mental health services; Programs of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) sites that allow seniors to continue receive support while living in their own homes; Urgent care sites to address immediate, non-life threatening situations; HIV sites that include prevention, testing, care and treatment to sexual health campaigns, and other resources; and Pharmacy services bringing convenience and care where it is needed. AltaMed’s community-based services include a broad range of workforce development programs; efforts to mobilize health professionals and institutions to serve as civic engagement advocates; and our Youth Services sites where youth and families are given access to free and low cost care and other medical services to meet our patient’s unique health needs.

AltaMed is particularly proud to share that during our 55th anniversary-last year (2024)-we had 718,480 total patient encounters at our Orange County sites, where 364,584 visits were paid by Medi-Cal insurance; 145,460 PACE Participant encounters, ensuring seniors had access to robust day time care that helps them remain at home and as independent as possible; and grew to 5,000 employees. In 2024, we also partnered with the Licensed Physicians from Mexico Pilot Program (LPMPP) and welcomed seven new physicians. We are the first in Southern California to participate in this program.

As AltaMed continues to strengthen and empower the Orange County communities that it serves, we understand that prevention, early detection, and comprehensive care are the cornerstones of healthy communities and help guide our key initiatives. We aim to make strategic investments in expanding access to essential services, including mammograms, colonoscopies, cardiovascular screenings, and childhood vaccinations. Another key part of this work involves the expansion of various programs. This includes the implementation of CalOptima Health’s specific Street Medicine Program model. This model includes medical and social services via a mobile doctor’s office, peer support, care management, housing navigation and more.

When a crisis hits a family, it interferes with patient care, prevention, and treatment. Since 2017, our Community Cares Fund (CCF) has provided microgrants and other vital resources to patients and their families who are facing food and housing insecurity, dealing with loss, or experiencing other financial difficulties.

At AltaMed, we care for the whole patient, and we know that what impacts a person’s health the most happens outside our clinic walls. In line with these efforts, we aim to strengthen efforts like our medical education and the AltaMed Art Collection, which represents our belief that art is essential to healing bodies, spirits, and communities.

With an ever-evolving and unique patient base, needs can fluctuate annually; however, our main needs center on a few simple facts: our patient base lives in medically underserved areas; 98% are at or below the federal poverty level; and most represent historically underserved populations. Today, our top five most pressing needs are:

Addressing the social determinants of health/greatest needs impacting our service population as they arise.

Integrating dental services into all our primary care sites and maintaining our dental sedation program, which serves children who require complex care.

Transitioning to a Value-Based Care model, ensuring patients receive comprehensive care.

Expanding mental health access for mothers and women, allowing us to serve key communities where maternal mental health disparities are most acute.

Increasing access to Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT).

Orange, CA
Santa Ana, CA
Garden Grove, CA
Huntington Beach, CA
Anaheim, CA

Over several decades, AltaMed has reached out to and built trust with the Hispanic community, as well as other overlooked communities from varied origins and provided continuity of care for families that is culturally meaningful, regardless of their status, language preference, or ability to pay. This type of care enhances the ability of staff to address immediate needs of patients and accordingly, provide preventive care and support services.

AltaMed maintains a commitment to deliver care from a team that reflects the community they serve, both linguistically and culturally (e.g., the majority of employees are Hispanic and are bilingual in English and Spanish). AltaMed strives to improve the living conditions that strongly impact its communities’ health outcomes, including the social determinants of health. The organization has a deep understanding of and the unique needs of the Hispanic population. As part of the direct patient facing team, staff are trained in cultural competency and utilize these skills when delivering services to patients. Their compassion, empathy, and dedication to high quality care enables providers to earn the trust of the community and deliver comprehensive services to those who need it. AltaMed Dental Group – Sunflower, which opened last December, became the first AltaMed dental location to offer general anesthesia this past April. This new clinic will allow AltaMed to see 30,000 additional patients a year and will also become one of the few dental facilities in the AltaMed service area offering general anesthesia – ensuring that low income children with special needs receive treatment, regardless of their family’s ability to pay.

The fifth AltaMed PACE Alternative Care Setting opened in March, expanding medical and social service access for PACE-eligible seniors in West Covina and the San Gabriel Valley.

 
 
At AltaMed, we are committed to keeping our employees informed as the country transitions to the new White House Administration and new leadership changes post-election at all levels of government. It is important to note that as of January 28, nothing has changed regarding how we operate and deliver care. AltaMed continues to closely monitor all policies, regulations, and executive orders issued during the federal government’s transition to the new Administration.

However, the rapid influx of new mandates has made an impact on our patients’ overall well-being. Staff have received an increase in reports of anxiety and depression. For many of our patients, the announcements and changes have resulted in delaying their own care or changing in-person visits to telehealth visits. AltaMed remains committed to serving all those who seek care - regardless of their ability to pay or lack of insurance. While this situation is impacting our foot traffic at our brick and mortar sites, we will continue to deliver the same quality care AltaMed is known for. We will continue to expand and enhance our telehealth and mobile services, ensuring care is delivered where it is most accessible and convenient for our patients.

AltaMed Dental serves a broad patient population, many of whom experience challenges in accessing oral healthcare. In addition to financial challenges, our patients often encounter obstacles such as language barriers, low oral health literacy, and complex medical conditions. Studies have shown that individuals who are economically disadvantaged, uninsured, and from ethnic minority backgrounds are at greater risk for poor oral health outcomes. This reality is reflected in our patient population, where most rely on Medi-Cal and other safety net programs and have difficulty navigating the healthcare system due to foundational obstacles. Limited education and healthcare proficiency can make it difficult for patients to understand the importance of preventive care. Additionally, fear of seeking healthcare services due to immigration concerns prevents some families from accessing necessary treatment until dental conditions become emergencies. These issues contribute to delayed treatment, increased disease severity, and poor overall health outcomes. AltaMed continues to address these challenges through meaningful approaches that prioritize education, prevention, trust-building, and accessible care models to ensure that every patient receives the treatment they need regardless of their background.