Community flocks to new health clinic

St. John’s Community Health opened a new full service health center in San Bernardino last month and it’s been busy ever since.

According to the medical group, the clinic is seeing dozens of patients per day, including for dental and behavioral health services.

“It is clear that people in San Bernardino are beyond ready to take control of their health,” said Jim Mangia, president and CEO of St. John’s Community Health. “We are looking forward to providing the holistic care people need and deserve, and building trust and a good reputation within the San Bernardino area.”

The following anecdotes are shared by St. John’s staff at the new clinic:

One patient revealed that he had refrained from seeking medical care in the area due to challenges in finding suitable healthcare options. He visited the new facility in San Bernardino when he realized it had the same name as his previous clinic in Los Angeles.

Another patient who had been a patient of St. John’s since 2011 expressed relief that a clinic has opened much closer to his home. He plans to sign his family up as patients, and will be telling his neighborhood about the services offered.

On the first day of the clinic being open, a woman who had been a patient 20 years ago in LA showed up as soon as she heard about the new clinic.

St. John’s is also planning to send a mobile clinic to nearby Indio beginning March 1, to provide comprehensive health care at schools, churches, and worksites for farmworkers.

St. John’s Community Health is a network of clinics in Los Angeles and now San Bernardino, providing medical, dental, mental health, and substance use services as well as case management, supportive services, and outreach services. St. John’s started as a one-room, volunteer-run pediatric health clinic in 1964. Today, it is one of the largest non-profit Federally Qualified Health Center healthcare providers in Los Angeles and beyond, serving patients of all ages at over 20 locations including standalone clinics, mobile clinics, school-based health and wellness centers, and clinics in public/affordable housing  developments.