History

The dream of creating a health care system tailored to the needs of the community it serves, and governed by residents of that community, had its origins in the late 1960’s when a handful of community leaders began to explore the possibilities.

We invite you to read the history of Northeast Valley Health Corporation (NEVHC), and learn a bit more about our evolution from a single health center to an organization that now operates 13 licensed and JCAHO accredited health care sites throughout the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys. 

The 70s

In 1971, NEVHC was incorporated as a non-profit public benefit corporation in the State of California. The San Fernando Health Center was opened and officially dedicated in 1973 by Senator Ted Kennedy as the only health care network of its kind in California. Our second corporate owned facility, the Pacoima Health Center, opened in 1975, while our Substance Abuse division began in 1977.

The 80s

The year 1987 was an exciting time for NEVHC. In that year, we collaborated with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to provide health care services on the campus of San Fernando High School. The school-based Teen Health Center received national recognition as a "Models That Work" program in Washington, DC. Also in 1987, NEVHC became the sponsoring agency for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Program in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys.

In 1988, NEVHC became the lead agency for the Collaborative Homeless Health Care project, which at the time was a group of 8 agencies providing comprehensive health care services throughout Los Angeles County.

The 90s

NEVHC expanded once again to include health care services for HIV positive patients in 1991, while in 1993 our School-Based division expanded to provide health care services to students of Los Angeles Mission College.

Although the 1994 Northridge earthquake demolished our Corporate Administrative office, we continued to grow during the mid-90s. In 1994, our HIV services outgrew its space, and NEVHC relocated to a new and expanded HIV treatment program in Panorama City, while during the same year our Homeless Health Center opened as a fully licensed clinic in North Hollywood. The next year, 1995, we found ourselves in the midst of the Public Private Partnership Program (PPP) with Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS); NEVHC took over the operation of two county health centers: Canoga Park and Valencia.

In 1998, the PPP contract expanded to include our Pacoima and San Fernando Health Centers. This allowed us to expand our health care services. Also in this year, the new Family Health & Walk-in Center annex at the San Fernando Health Center Campus was opened, while in 1999, the NEVHC Pediatric Health and WIC Center opened its doors in Van Nuys.

Our first Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) came in 1999. This gold standard certification makes a strong statement to the community about our organization's efforts to provide the highest quality services and our continuous goal of improvement.

A New Century-2000

The first half of the new decade was a busy one for some of our programs benefiting children. A health center on the campus of Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar opened in 2000. In 2001, the NEVHC Maclay Health Center for Children opened on the campus of Maclay Middle School in Pacoima. The Reach Out and Read literacy program was launched at four of our primary care sites in 2003.

In 2004, NEVHC received the "Mission Impact Award" from the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC). In 2005, NEVHC received great news when the L.A. County Board of Supervisors proclaimed NEVHC as one of the top two nonprofit cervical cancer screening providers in the county, and in 2006, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger visited NEVHC's North Hollywood WIC clinic to announce a Children's Health expansion effort.

Groundbreaking for the new Sun Valley Health Center at Sun Valley Middle School began in 2006. This new health center was made possible by a special collaborative that included LAUSD, LAC-DHS, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, UCLA Geffen School of Medicine and NEVHC. The new Sun Valley Health Center officially opened in 2008.

During this decade, NEVHC underwent additional re-accreditation surveys three times (2002, 2005, 2008) and continues to be Joint Commission accredited. Nationwide, only about 5% of community health centers have become Joint Commission accredited; NEVHC is truly part of an elite group of Community Health Centers.

Our Future- 2010 and Beyond

NEVHC has long recognized the need for expanded community health center access in the Santa Clarita Valley. In the summer of 2010, NEVHC opened a new health center in Santa Clarita, which provides primary health services and includes a co-located WIC center.

In 2011, NEVHC will once again be participating in Joint Commission re-accreditation.