On January 8th, 1964 President Lyndon B. Johnson announced his “War on Poverty”. This behemoth of legislation included everything from job trainings, to improving housing conditions, to providing health care to those who need it. Within this legislation, Johnson declared that a new type of clinic, a Federally Qualified Health Center, would be created in order to help underserved populations get access to health care.
The Petaluma Health Center (PHC) is a Federally Qualified Health Center, but it is also so much more. It’s a clinic that serves over 35,000 patients and employs over 400 staff. It’s a clinic that prides itself on being a “one-stop-shop” for all medical needs by offering primary care, women’s health, dentistry, pharmacy, lab, mental health, and many more. It’s a clinic that goes above and beyond by recognizing that health isn’t limited to medical care, and offers pro-bono legal counseling to people struggling with the immigration process, free tax help to hundreds of people, healthy cooking demonstrations and free exercise classes, support groups for people with chronic illnesses, and a free food pantry every Monday.
fresh fruit and vegetables to patients attending the
health center.
As the VISTA for the Petaluma Health Center, I identify low-income patients and help them apply for medical insurance, I run the Rohnert Park Health Center Food Bank, and I do outreach in our community to make sure that everyone in Southern Sonoma County knows of our services and how to seek help.
I also extend beyond the Health Center by working with organizations like UndocuFund, which help undocumented immigrants get access to emergency funds following disasters like the Kincade Fires, and by planning health fairs that give other non-profits in the area a platform to share their services with the community. Finally, I work with Sonoma State University to match students with volunteer opportunities in our community.
The Petaluma Health Center is in the top 1% of community health centers in California, and for good reason. Providing high-quality, prevention-based care to all is our mission statement, and everyone at the health center works extremely hard to make this a reality for everyone in the community.
If you are interested in volunteering with Petaluma Health Center, contact me at janna@phealthcenter.org, or my office number, 707-791-7804.