Renovated free medical clinic reopens in San Mateo

“Luis’ story of his fears are not unusual, and operating with compassion and care helps us to alleviate that fear in patients around asking for help for the first time,” Bent said. “In many cases, our clinics provide life-saving care that may have turned out dramatically different without immediate intervention.” 

After months of renovations that pushed that variety of services offered at the clinic into about half of the working space, patients can now walk into an updated waiting room and reception area, a modernized dental section and increased exam rooms with an ability to treat more patients in a day. 

Clinical Director Dr. Baldeep Singh said the clinic capital improvement updates enhance the growing behavioral health services offered, addressing the growing mental health crisis, and allow for the ongoing expansion of the women’s health program. Also, the food pharmacy at the clinic was completely redesigned, honoring the mantra that “food is medicine” and allows individuals to hand select what they’d like from the fruit, vegetables and canned goods offered. 

“The clinic has taken a giant leap forward in providing a more holistic approach to patient care as we move to provide an expanded array of services to prevent and keep our patient population healthy and far away from the fragmented care of emergency rooms and expensive urgent care,” Singh said.

This effort to provide holistic, respectable care to those who the most in need in the county is one of the ways Samaritan House acts as a “gap filler,” said Ana Pulido, executive director of the Peninsula Health Care District, of which Samaritan House has been a longtime grantee. 

“We believe these types of partnerships are vital in helping tackle the disparities that exist in health care,” Pulido said. “They share in our mission to help all residents reach their optimal health by creating a safety net to help those who need our care and resources the most.” 

Not only does everyone have a right to health care, but they have a right to feel dignified in getting treated, said Jackie Speier, the incoming member of the Board of Supervisors and former U.S. representative.

“It is as perfect as any clinic the Mills-Peninsula or Kaiser has, or Sequoia, and people who come here to receive these services are going to feel good about themselves, they are going to have a sense of dignity,” Speier said.

Speier also started an impromptu raising of $5,000 for providing glucose monitors from those attending the opening ceremony, contributing $1,000 herself. These funds would extend services to 50 more diabetes patients — which make up a majority of those the clinic treats. Many attendees immediately raised their hands shouting out amounts they would donate.

Although no services were halted during renovation, besides a relocation of the food pharmacy to the nonprofit’s headquarters, Clinic Manager Christina Roldan said the facility’s upgrades make a difference no matter how seemingly superficial they may seem. 

“They’re coming here and seeing that everything is brand new and set up nicely for them — we’re talking about instruments and tables — it’s just this whole new feel,” Roldan said. “The doctors are already excellent, right, but it’s a sense of pride for patients when they come in.”

The San Mateo free clinic saw nearly 1,000 patients in the last year and a half, and can now assist more day to day. New artificial intelligence-enhanced diagnostic technology including an AI-power diabetic eye camera, which enables efficient screening for diabetic retinopathy. 

Samaritan House is a nonprofit in San Mateo County addressing residents experiencing poverty, keeping them housed, clothed, fed and healthy. In 2023, the nonprofit provided 4.8 million meals, kept 1,805 families housed, and greeted over 8,000 patients at its free clinics. 

The free clinic in San Mateo is located at 19 W. 39th Ave. Hours are operated by appointment only, between 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and 1-5 p.m. weekdays. Patients considering care and eligibility can call (650) 347-3648 to request an initial referral form a case manager. 

Samaritan House also operates a free clinic in Redwood City at 114 Fifth Ave. Go to samaritanhousesanmateo.org for more information.