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Our History Page

Celebrating 50 Years of Working to Build Healthier Communities

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Man Outside la Barrio Clinic
1969
East LA Barrio Free Clinic opens
A core group of Brown Berets launches the East LA Barrio Free Clinic. It relies entirely on grants and donations, briefly closing in December 1970 due to lack of funding.
 
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A death galvanizes the movement
1970
A death galvanizes the movement
Chicano college students and Brown Berets continue to lead anti-war demonstrations around the country. On August 29, police break up a march with more than 20,000 participants in East LA.
 
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Entrance of La Clinica Familiar del Barrio
1972
East LA Barrio Free Clinic becomes La Clinica Familiar del Barrio
Gloria Arellanes and other female Brown Berets leave the group. Arellanes organizes Las Adelitas de Aztlán and replaces the East LA Barrio Free Clinic with La Clinica Familiar del Barrio.
 
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Cástulo de la Rocha joins the mission
1977
Cástulo de la Rocha joins the mission
Cástulo de la Rocha joins La Clinica Familiar del Barrio for a three-month assignment. He is one of the clinic’s first paid employees.
 
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Doctor and a patient passing through the entrance of Adult Day Health Care center
1982
First Adult Day Health Care Center opens
La Clinica Familiar del Barrio opens its first Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) center in the basement of a church.
 
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Altamed doctors and nurses
1986
AltaMed is born
La Clinica Familiar del Barrio is renamed as AltaMed Health Services.
 
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Outsides of Pico Rivera clinic
1986
Second clinic opens in Pico Rivera
After a 17-year history, we open our second clinic in Pico Rivera, at Slauson Plaza.
 
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Doctor taking care of an elderly
1986
First million-dollar grant
A Multi-Purpose Senior Services Program (MSSP) is established with a $1 million grant – our largest grant to date.
 
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Two guys hugging
1987
Subtance abuse and HIV services added
We win a contract for a substance abuse treatment program, which includes funding for HIV services.
 
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HIV Mobile Unit
1993
HIV testing mobile unit rolls out
We receive funds from the Department of Health Services to launch our first HIV testing mobile unit. Between 1987 and 1991, new AIDS cases among Latinos reported in LA County rose by 9%.
 
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Happy elderly couple
1996
AltaMed PACE debuts
We transition our ADHC center to a PACE demonstration site: Senior BuenaCare PACE, a managed care product serving Medicare and Medi-Cal-eligible seniors.
 
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Photo of AltaMed's mobile health unit
1997
Mobile health unit launches
We acquire our first mobile health unit, serving the community with glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure screenings, as well as providing health education and information.
 
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Nurse and elder woman in PACE clinic
2002
CMS approves AltaMed PACE status
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approves a request for AltaMed to become a permanent PACE organization on November 1.
 
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Girl hearing the hearth of a doctor
2005
Asociación con CHLA
We open a general pediatrics outpatient clinic at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
 
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Picture of daughters of Aztlán mural
2006
A growing presence in East LA
We establish primary care clinics at the Ramona Gardens, Estrada Courts, and William Mead housing developments, respectively in Lincoln Heights, East Los Angeles, and Chinatown.
 
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Orange county signboard
2008
Now serving Orange County
We build a medical-dental presence in Orange County for the first time by merging with Community Care Health Centers.
 
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Altamed doctors
2008
IPA network launches
We launch our Independent Practice Association (IPA), building a network of affiliated clinics across our service areas.
 
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Mom and daughter gratefully with hers doctor
2009
Orange County expansion
We purchase Universal Care, acquiring its employees and four additional sites in Orange County.
 
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Recognition from the Joint Commission
2011
Recognition from the Joint Commission
We receive a Primary Care Medical Home designation from the Joint Commission. Certification is about patient-centered care and focuses on educating patients on self-management.
 
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PACE grows
2012
AltaMed PACE network grows
California cuts ADHC funding and replaces ADHC with Community-Based Adult Services.
 
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Cástulo de la Rocha in the podium of an event
2013
Covered California
In response to the 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act and the 2013 launch of Covered California, we open two Health Insurance Resource Centers in Commerce and Santa Ana.
 
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A girl in a BBQ event
2016
Protection for the most vulnerable
We champion the historic Health for All Kids Act (SB4).
 
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Picture of a large latino family
2017
Leveling the playing field
We effectively eliminate disparities in the areas of breast cancer screening, adolescent immunizations, and A1c and retinal screenings
 
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Orange classic car, painting of Chicano art
2018
A groundbreaking art experience
We launch Building Bridges: Chicano/Mexican Art from Los Angeles to Mexico City, the first leg of what will be a traveling exhibit of Chicano and Mexican art from the AltaMed Art Collection.
 
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Latino woman with a USA flag in the background
2019
Expanding reach, offerings, and opportunities
We renew our focus on civic engagement, supporting local voter registration and participation, providing community workshops on citizenship, and facilitating dialogue around public policy.
 
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Employees and Castulo de la Rocha
2019
An employment milestone
We are now home to more than 3,000 employees.
 

It is a privilege to celebrate our first 50 years. As we look ahead to the next 50, we honor those who have carried us forward, given us purpose, and remain beside us. I thank you for joining us on this journey and helping us make a difference.

- Cástulo de la Rocha, President and CEO