History
A Snapshot of North County Health Services:
The idea behind North County Health Project, Inc., d.b.a. North County Health Services (NCHS) started in 1970 to serve primarily the rural areas of Ramona, Pauma Valley and San Marcos communities in north San Diego County, California also known as “North County”. Recognizing that physicians practicing in these communities were unwilling to see low-income patients, a small group of health professionals contracted to provide the needed service. Advisory boards were formed in all designated service areas and the systems developed in each of these communities were designed according to their needs and in order of their priority as set by each individual community. In January 1973, a Registered Nurse joined the staff, and in September 1973, healthcare services were started in Pauma Valley and Ramona. Also in 1973, NCHS became a Community/ Migrant Health Center (PHS Section 330/329) and incorporated as a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. The catchment area given to NCHS was the entire north county region from the coast to the mountains with the service area 60 miles east to west, and 35 miles north to south. The area includes two Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA), North County East and West with a combined population of 744,587.
Responding to the need to provide health services to low-income patients continues to underlie the mission of NCHS: “To improve the health status of our diverse communities by providing quality healthcare that is comprehensive, affordable, and culturally and linguistically sensitive.”
Since this early inception, NCHS has grown to ten health centers (including a mobile clinic), to fully cover the gaps in health services throughout the North County. These centers are located in five cities and serve rural, semi-rural, suburban and urban populations in Ramona (1) and San Marcos (2) and coastal cities of Encinitas (2),Carlsbad (1), and Oceanside (4 including one dental site). In addition, NCHS operates a two fully-equipped, mobile clinics providing both medical and dental services at point’s in-between to better serve migrant farm workers and their families who have significant access barriers. In 2007 NCHS served almost 60,000 low-income working poor residents and provided 250,000 medical, dental and mental health visits. Of the total patients, 23% are migrant and seasonal agricultural workers.
Today, north San Diego County is more urban, with a steadily growing population. But one thing remains the same after more than three decades – too many people go without the health care they need because they have limited access and limited income. The lack of accessible and affordable healthcare services drives NCHS' efforts to extend services and coordinates with other government agencies, for profit and not-for-profit organizations and schools to make medical services available to everyone regardless of financial and medical insurance status. NCHS is not a free clinic, but for our users who lack health insurance, our patient registration staff will conduct a financial screening to determine co-costs of care (based on sliding scale discount); furthermore, staff will attempt to use government health coverage programs in the event the person meets the qualification criteria. NCHS also writes grants to secure local public and private funding to subsidize costs and scope medical, dental and vision services prescribed.