60 Years of Medicaid and the Community Health Center Movement
Honoring the 60th Anniversary of Medicaid – California’s Medi-Cal program and the 60th Anniversary of the Community Health Center Movement is a powerful opportunity to educate, mobilize, and advocate for continued support and funding. To learn more about the ways in which 60 Years of community health centers and Medicaid has helped advance health equity and power health justice, we sat down with Jane Garcia, the CEO of La Clínica de la Raza. La Clínica was born of the efforts put forth by a group of UC Berkeley students in 1971, and has been providing health care services to the communities of the East Bay ever since. La Clínica has since grown to serving almost 90,000 patients with accessible, high-quality, culturally appropriate health care, to all who walk through their doors.
Alameda Health Consortium: What does the 60th anniversary of Medicaid mean to you personally and professionally?
Jane Garcia: As we mark the 60th anniversary of Medicaid, we celebrate more than just a policy milestone – we honor a lifeline that has transformed the health and wellbeing of millions of Americans. Medicaid and community health centers share a proud history, both born in 1965 out of a commitment to equity, dignity, and access to care. Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program has been the cornerstone of California’s health safety net and is a critical funding source for community health centers (CHCs), improving access to comprehensive care, building clearer paths towards health equity, and establishing stability within vulnerable communities.
It’s the backbone that allows us here at La Clínica to serve nearly 90,000 patients annually. 60 years of Medi-Cal represents our ongoing, dedicated commitment to ensuring that low-income individuals, families, and historically underserved populations are not left behind in our healthcare system. It also underscores our mission to advance health equity, provide culturally competent care, and strengthen our communities.
AHC: How has Medicaid shaped the mission and growth of La Clínica over the years?
JG: Medicaid has made it possible for La Clínica to expand from serving a small patient base to becoming one of the East Bay’s primary healthcare providers for underserved communities. It has allowed us to offer integrated medical, dental, behavioral health and preventative services, and expand our reach to vulnerable populations that otherwise would have had little or no access to quality care. In our 50 years of service at La Clínica, this partnership has helped us break down barriers, reduce health disparities, and strengthen the communities we serve.
Medicaid funding also allows us to offer comprehensive chronic disease management, which requires sustained, coordinated care. Medicaid doesn’t just cover individual patient visits – it supports the infrastructure that allows CHCs to serve entire communities. Without Medicaid, our mission to provide accessible, high quality, culturally relevant care to all who walk through our doors would be impossible at this scale.
AHC: Can you share a story that illustrates the impact Medicaid has had on one of your patients or communities?
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JG: La Clínica’s Care Neighborhood Community Health Workers (CHWs) support unhoused Medi-Cal patients in overcoming the medical and socioeconomic barriers they encounter in their daily lives. They assist with low-income housing applications in Alameda County which is critical for patients who are often unaware of these opportunities or lack the technology to apply. CHWs also help patients secure Social Security benefits and CalFresh, enabling them to afford rent once housed and have access to food.
Our Care Neighborhood team connects patients to free cell phones through the California Lifeline program, food banks across the county for fresh food, and guidance on using Medicare so they can travel to and attend medical appointments. For those struggling with substance use, CHWs link them to rehabilitation centers, Alcoholics Anonymous groups, and counseling services. They also teach patients to communicate with care providers and adhere to medications, giving them the skills to navigate complex healthcare systems independently once they graduate from our program.
Without Medi-Cal, our unhoused patients would struggle to find housing, access benefits, and maintain their health. By helping bridge the gap between vulnerable communities and health systems, we’re able to reduce healthcare disparities. These services not only save lives but also uphold the dignity and respect every patient deserves and provide them with the care and services they need – when they need them.
AHC: How will cuts or changes to Medicaid affect your patients?
JG: Cuts to Medi-Cal will have devastating consequences, especially for our most vulnerable patients. For our patients, reduced funding would result in fewer services, longer wait times, and more people going without critical care, which would start to reverse decades of progress in reducing health disparities. We will also see more untreated illnesses, more medical crises, and overcrowded emergency rooms as a result of cuts or changes to Medicaid. The harm to public health and to the stability of the economy would greatly outweigh any short-term savings from cuts or changes to Medicaid.
AHC: How is La Clinica innovating or adapting Medicaid-funded care to meet new community needs?
JG: We’re using initiatives like California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) to help connect whole-person care and focusing on providing more comprehensive, coordinated and person-centered care by integrating primary, behavioral and social health services – especially for patients who need the most support.
Medi-Cal funding allows us to utilize creative and innovative ways to expand the types of care and service our patients and communities need. At La Clínica we can help coordinate care for individuals transitioning out of the criminal justice system, we also adeptly help bring care directly to our communities through mobile health units and by using trusted promotoras and community health workers – people from the very communities we’re serving. Medi-Cal allows to also prioritize preventative care and implement early intervention to help improve health outcomes and reducing reliance on costly and avoidable emergency room visits.
AHC: How has California’s expansion of Medi-Cal (Medicaid) impacted your patients, especially immigrants and the unhoused?
JG: Expanding Medi-Cal to income-eligible residents regardless of immigration status has been life-changing, especially for undocumented patients and those experiencing homelessness. Thousands of our patients, now receive consistent care, build trust with providers, and address health needs before they become emergencies. For our immigrant communities, it means access to care without fear – from routine check-ups and prenatal care to managing chronic conditions. For unhoused patients, it provides continuity of care and stronger coordination with shelters, outreach teams, and support services.
AHC: What lessons can other states learn from California’s approach to Medicaid?
JG: By removing barriers to coverage and expanding eligibility improves health outcomes, we reduce healthcare disparities, and subsequently, help strengthen local economies. Expanding access saves lives, supports families, and lowers costs by preventing expensive emergency interventions down the road.
Medicaid can be more than just a safety net, it can be a tool for driving health equity and innovation. The 60th anniversary of Medicaid is a celebration of progress, a recognition of the CHC – Medicaid partnership, and a renewed commitment to fight for patients who still face barriers to care. Yet, this anniversary is also a call to action. We must continue to protect and strengthen Medicaid, ensuring it remains strong for the next 60 years. Our patients’ lives, health, and futures depend on it as does the health of an entire nation.