St. John’s Community Health started as a one-room, volunteer pediatric health clinic in 1964. Today, it is one of the largest non-profit healthcare providers in Los Angeles County: a Federally Qualified Health Center serving patients of all ages at 20 locations
St. Johns strives for health equity by addressing the health care needs of low-income, uninsured, and under-insured people in Central/South Los Angeles and Compton. As a first-responder in the communities hardest-hit by COVID-19, St. Johns launched a massive testing and contact tracing program in areas that had no access to testing. St. Johns was the first community health center in the country to provide monoclonal anti-body infusion treatments for symptomatic COVID patients. In 2021, the agency opened 26 vaccination sites and launched the largest vaccination campaign by a community health center in the country. To date, St. Johns has administered 427,000 doses and counting. 94% of those vaccinated at our clinics are low-income people of color.
St. Johns health clinics are situated in stand-alone, school-based, mobile, and affordable housing sites. The diversity and expanse of our network enables us to reach those who most need our services: 83% of patients live in households with incomes at or below the Federal Poverty Level; 74% are enrolled in Medi-Cal; and 26% are uninsured. In addition to providing medical, dental, and behavioral health services, St. Johns goes beyond the traditional health care model by providing support services tailored to patients socio-economic needs and engaging the social determinants of health. Our partnerships with agencies working in health, education, social services, child welfare, legal assistance, reentry/anti-recidivism, and community/economic development complement and deepen the impact of our work on residents and our advocacy for systemic improvement.
Well-being: We promote and advocate for the full integration of our patients physical and mental health in order to enable them to participate in their own health improvement and become active and responsible members of a vibrant and just community.
Social Justice: We collaborate with others to develop systems, organizations and programs to advance equity and fairness in allocating community resources, and to empower and address the needs of all community members, especially the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members.