Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Medical Center and Community Medical Centers, Inc. today announced that the St. Joseph’s Immediate Care, located at 1801 E. March Lane, will cease operations and reopen as Community Medical Centers, Inc. (CMC) on or about August 1, 2015. The transition to CMC will expand the urgent care services previously offered to also include primary care services. The move will strengthen the area’s community clinic system, while continuing to advance a shared mission by both entities to improve access to health care for the underserved.
“This is an important transition aligned with the Affordable Care Act that benefits our community and the vulnerable patient population that we serve,” said Donald Wiley, President & CEO of St. Joseph’s Medical Center. “We are very proud of the services we’ve provided through St. Joseph’s Immediate Care for more than 30 years. This change will help ensure long-term sustainability to the underserved patients who access the center for health care. CMC has demonstrated its commitment to caring for the underserved in our community and I am confident that under their leadership, they will be able to expand services much needed in the community.”
The decision came after lengthy and careful consideration by Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Medical Center about how to best serve the patients seeking care at St. Joseph’s Immediate Care, including its future ability to serve the growing needs of the underserved, operational and regulatory constraints that exist as an outpatient department of the hospital, and the challenges of becoming a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).
As an FQHC, Community Medical Centers can provide comprehensive services, including primary care, beyond the urgent care scope of services previously offered at St. Joseph’s Immediate Care Center. Additionally, CMC is planning future expansion of clinic operations, which will enable them to significantly increase the number of patients served at the current site.
CMC Chief Executive Officer Christine Noguera spoke about the opportunity to serve more patients. “CMC has a 55 year history providing health care to underserved populations in San Joaquin County. We are excited to work with Dignity Health to expand access in this unique and meaningful way. Dignity Health is providing a quality building and financial support to help with the expansion of services. We are hopeful that many of the Immediate Care staff and providers will join with us in continuing to serve the patients Dignity Health has served for more than 30 years.”
About St. Joseph’s Medical Center:
St. Joseph’s Medical Center is a not-for-profit, fully accredited, regional hospital with 366 beds, a physician staff of over 400, and more than 2,000 employees. St. Joseph's specializes in cardiovascular care, comprehensive cancer services, and women and children’s services including neonatal intensive care (NICU). In addition to being nationally recognized as a quality leader, St. Joseph’s is consistently chosen as the “most preferred hospital” by local consumers. St. Joseph’s Medical Center is committed to delivering compassionate, high-quality, affordable healthcare services with special attention to the poor and underserved. In 2014, St. Joseph’s provided over $79 million in charity care, community services, and unreimbursed patient care. St. Joseph’s Medical Center is a member of Dignity Health, one of the nation’s largest health care systems, a 20-state network of nearly 9,000 physicians, 56,000 employees, and more than 400 care centers, including hospitals, urgent and occupational care, imaging centers, home health, and primary care clinics. For more information, please visit our website at www.StJosephsCares.org.
About Community Medical Centers, Inc:
Community Medical Centers, Inc. (CMC) 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, dentists, and community activists who recognized the lack of health and social services programs formed service teams to address the needs of migrant farm workers and their families. In 1967, the San Joaquin Medical Society received state and federal funding to support the development of two small facilities, as well as mobile clinics to provide services throughout the county. From these early beginnings, CMC has grown to provide comprehensive primary and preventative care at 15 clinical sites in the counties of San Joaquin, Solano, and Yolo. To learn more about CMC, visit us at www.CommunityMedicalCenters.org.