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September 25, 2008, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Doubletree Hotel, Rohnert Park

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New offices for Marin Community Clinics set to open

MARIN COUNTY – Marin Community Clinics in San Rafael and Novato will soon complete plans to add 6,000 patients by opening a new office and relocating another. The organization has raised $7.7 million for the projects so far, which also include new oral health, women’s health and mental health services.

“We have reached our limit of patients, currently, and literally cannot accept any new ones until the new campuses open,” said Executive Director John Shen. “The community has been incredibly supportive, and this new space will help our patients and new patients tremendously.”

Currently, the group provides pediatric, internal and family practice medicine to about 15,000 patients for a total of about 50,000 visits a year. The organization has clinics in Novato and Greenbrae, and the expansions will allow it to increase capacity by about 20,000 visits per year. The 35-year-old company kicked off its first-ever capital campaign last year and is now $2.2 million from reaching its goal.

The new San Rafael clinic opening July 1 is located adjacent to the county’s new Health & Wellness campus in central San Rafael. The 13,600-square-foot building, formerly occupied by Industrial Light & Magic visual effects company, will have 18 examination rooms, two treatment rooms, six dental chairs, health education and group visit rooms, a laboratory and a dispensary.

It is located at 3110 Kerner Blvd. near the Canal neighborhoods where 23 percent of the clinic’s patients live. The new location will help alleviate pressure from its 18-room Greenbrae clinic, which is in a building on the Marin General Hospital campus.

Once the remaining donations in the campaign are received, the clinic will be able to relocate its 10-room Novato office to a larger location with better visibility. Mr. Shen said the group will announce the new location soon, which will have 15 exam rooms, three dental chairs, procedural rooms and counseling rooms.

Currently the nonprofit serves about 15,000 uninsured, underinsured and low-income patients, which is approximately 32 percent of those considered eligible by the county.

“We still are only able to serve a portion of those who are eligible for our services, and with the economy the way it is and the increasing costs of health care, more and more employers are being forced to drop benefits for their employees,” Mr. Shen said.

In fact, demand for the organization’s services has increased ninefold since 1992. Most private physicians in Marin do not accept public forms of insurance such as Medi-Cal or the Marin Medical Services Program, a county-run insurance-type program. Since reaching capacity in 2006, the clinic has been forced to turn away some patients.

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