English
SpanishVENICE FAMILY CLINIC COMPLETES MERGER WITH SOUTH BAY FAMILY HEALTH CARE, EXPANDING SCOPE OF SERVICES TO PEOPLE IN NEED FROM SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS THROUGH THE SOUTH BAY
Unified Nonprofit Community Health Center to Combat Public Health Crises and Improve Access to Care
LOS ANGELES – (November 1, 2021) – Venice Family Clinic and South Bay Family Health Care, which have together provided more than a century of health care to L.A. County residents in need, announced today that they have completed their merger and will move forward as a single organization.
Operating under the name of Venice Family Clinic, the nonprofit community health center is expanding the scope and comprehensiveness of its services to the 45,000 patients the two organizations serve and to people without care in their combined service areas stretching from the Santa Monica Mountains through the South Bay.
“The need for more comprehensive health care and greater access to that care has never been clearer,” said Venice Family Clinic CEO Elizabeth Benson Forer, who will lead the merged organization. “This merger comes during a global public health crisis of historic scale, and at a time when communities throughout Los Angeles are wrestling with the consequences of inequities in access to health care and in the delivery of that care. Venice Family Clinic and South Bay Family Health Care have been longtime allies in the fight to overcome health care disparities and, together as one organization, we will continue to provide access to high-quality health care for people in need, build health equity and deliver better outcomes for our patients and the communities we serve.”
Each health center has been providing care for more than 50 years, growing to serve neighboring areas extending from Malibu to Torrance and overlapping in Inglewood and Hawthorne. The health centers’ leadership teams worked together for many years to better serve these areas, and their ongoing collaboration informed the decision to merge operations.
“We share the same mission, values and commitment to delivering care with compassion, dignity and respect,” said Jann Hamilton Lee, who has served as the CEO of South Bay Family Health Care and will now serve as a senior executive of the merged organization until her retirement in December. “By merging, we will advance our shared mission of providing high-quality health care to people regardless of their ability to pay, insurance or immigration status. Most importantly, we will be able to do more together for our patients than the two organizations could do separately, and that is what makes this merger so exciting.”
Patients of both health centers can expect the same high-quality care they currently enjoy with the same providers and at the same locations. At the same time, the unified organization will be able to build on and expand innovative programs that increase access to care and make patients and the community healthier. For example, Venice Family Clinic plans to expand its pioneering street medicine program, which provides health care to people experiencing homelessness, to the South Bay.
“Each of us has a proud legacy of caring for our communities, and we will apply what’s best from each one to create a stronger unified organization,” said Forer. “Building on those legacies, we plan to expand our care to help people whose needs remain unmet.”
About Venice Family Clinic
Venice Family Clinic is a leader in providing comprehensive, high-quality primary health care to people in need. Having recently merged with South Bay Family Health Care, the combined organization serves 45,000 patients through 17 locations in Venice, Santa Monica, Mar Vista, Inglewood, Culver City, Redondo Beach, Carson, Gardena and Hawthorne plus two mobile clinics and an expansive street medicine program for people experiencing homelessness. The Clinic provides integrated care by creating a one-stop health system that offers multiple services, often at the same locations and same time as primary care appointments. These services include dental care, substance use treatment, mental health services, vision services, child development services, health education, prescription medications, domestic violence counseling, HIV services and health insurance enrollment. For more information, visit VeniceFamilyClinic.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About South Bay Family Health Care
South Bay Family Health Care (SBFHC) is now part of Venice Family Clinic. SBFHC was founded in 1969 as a family planning free clinic and grew to five primary care clinics in Redondo Beach, Gardena, Inglewood and Carson. For more information, visit sbfhc.org.
Press Release – English
Press Release – Español
Patient FAQs
Yes, you are welcome to be seen at any location or by any provider in the combined organization. Please consult with our scheduling staff to assist you.
No, you do not have to switch to a different clinic unless you want to.
We recommend you choose one medical home and primary care clinician to go to regularly. However, all services across all locations will be available to all patients. Please note that dental services are available at both South Bay-Redondo Beach and Simms/Mann Health & Wellness Center in Santa Monica.
No, you will not have to change your insurance. We will continue to accept all current insurance plans. If you have questions about insurance coverage, our enrollment specialists are happy to help you.
No, you will not have to change your primary care provider.
We plan to keep all clinics open as they are now.
We don’t have any plans to open new locations at this time.
We will make sure all locations have access to view everyone’s medical records. Eventually the systems will be combined.
For now, please continue to call the same number you usually do. We will let you know if this changes.
At this time, all of our providers will be staying at their current locations.
No. It is true that Venice Family Clinic is affiliated with UCLA, but Venice Family Clinic patients are not UCLA Health patients. You will be getting your care from Venice Family Clinic. Referrals to hospital care or specialty care depend on coverage and health plans.
All clinics offer high-quality, comprehensive care.
Preguntas frecuentes de los PACIENTES
Sí, puede recibir atención en cualquier lugar o por cualquier proveedor de la organización combinada. Consulte con nuestro personal de programación para que le asista.
No, no tiene que cambiar de clínica, a menos que lo desee.
Le recomendamos que elija un centro y un médico de atención primaria al cual acudir regularmente. Sin embargo, todos los servicios de todos los centros estarán disponibles para todos los pacientes. Tenga en cuenta que los servicios dentales están disponibles tanto en South Bay-Redondo Beach como en el Simms/Mann Health & Wellness Center de Santa Mónica.
No, no tendrá que hacerlo. Seguiremos aceptando todos los planes actuales de seguro. Si tiene preguntas sobre la cobertura del seguro, nuestros especialistas en registros estarán encantados de ayudarle.
No, no tendrá que cambiarlo.
Tenemos previsto mantener todas las clínicas abiertas como están ahora.
No tenemos planes de abrir nuevos centros en este momento.
Nos aseguraremos de que todos los centros puedan ver la historia clínica de todos. Con el tiempo, los sistemas se combinarán.
Por el momento, siga llamando al mismo número que ha usado de manera habitual. Le informaremos si esto cambia.
En este momento, todos nuestros proveedores permanecerán en sus ubicaciones actuales.
No. Es cierto que Venice Family Clinic está afiliada a UCLA, pero los pacientes de Venice Family Clinic no son pacientes de UCLA Health. Usted recibirá su atención médica en Venice Family Clinic. La remisión a la atención hospitalaria o especializada depende de la cobertura y de los planes de salud.
Todas las clínicas ofrecen atención integral de alta calidad.
In the Community
- Los Angeles Unified School District Health and Wellness Fair
- Telemundo 52 Feria de la Salud at the Los Angeles Convention Center
- Stop the Silence College Student Suicide Prevention – Cal State Dominguez Hills
- Older Adult Fair – Manhattan Beach, CA
- Senior Health Fair – Gardena, CA
- National Health Center Week
- Senior Health Fair – Redondo Beach, CA
- Worlds AIDS Day – Community Outreach Project
