Our Mission
Antelope Valley Community Clinic's mission is to enhance community well-being through comprehensive health care, prevention and education, with particular attention to medically underserved and low-income populations.
The underlying goal is to improve access to primary care, dental care, disease management, prevention and education, while supporting continuity and a more understandable care experience.
Community Discussions: 2005-2006
The clinic's early history describes a community advisory effort led by Antelope Valley Partners for Health. Residents and representatives of schools, hospitals, public agencies and community organizations considered how to address a shortage of services for uninsured and underinsured people.
These discussions brought together organizations including Kaiser Permanente, local hospitals, Antelope Valley College, Los Angeles County representatives and the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale. The group concluded that a locally governed nonprofit clinic could help respond to those needs.
Incorporation and Early Support: 2007
AVCC was incorporated in 2007. A start-up grant from Kaiser helped support development, followed by assistance from L.A. Care Health Plan, foundations, public programs and individual donors. This early support helped move the project from planning toward patient care.
Care-A-Van and the First Visits: 2008
The clinic began serving the community through Care-A-Van mobile services in 2008. A small team, including a family nurse practitioner, provided an initial point of access while the organization developed its wider clinical capacity.
Expanding the Care Model
The clinic's services expanded to include primary care, dental care, mental health, specialty clinics and adult day health care. Diabetes education and disease management were important elements of the clinical program, connecting routine treatment with nutrition and self-management support.
A walk-in and urgent care clinic opened in 2015. The clinic also described work to strengthen care coordination, case management and a patient-centered medical home approach.
Palmdale East
The opening of the Palmdale East location marked another step toward bringing care closer to residents in the eastern Antelope Valley. Published materials described a 6,000-square-foot facility intended to respond to local demand for additional services.
The Community Behind the Clinic
The history of AVCC is also the history of residents, staff, providers and donors working toward a shared purpose. Their contributions supported access to care, public education and the development of programs that addressed needs beyond a single office visit.