Venice Family Clinic

Helping South Bay families access health care

Did you know some South Bay families can’t afford dental care? Others need assistance to pay for vaccinations for their children. And many lack family and community support to assist after surgery or treatments.

That’s why 55-year-old nonprofit community health center Venice Family Clinic has expanded services in our community with clinics in Inglewood, Gardena, Hawthorne, Torrance, Redondo Beach and Carson. Venice Family Clinic now provides comprehensive, high-quality health care, free food, health insurance enrollment assistance, child development services, dental and vision care, and harm reduction services to 45,000 people.

“Expanding our services in the South Bay is part of our commitment to meet people where they are and ensure that everyone—regardless of income or insurance status—has access to high-quality health care,” says Mitesh Popat, MD, CEO of Venice Family Clinic. “We just opened in Torrance, and Gardena is now our third-largest clinic, with eight to nine clinicians working daily. We also have a clinic on-site at Carson High School, in a community where there is much need.”

Venice Family Clinic provides vital vaccination support, and Early Head Start programs at nearly two dozen locations from the South Bay to Santa Monica Mountains.

Venice Family Clinic began in 1970 as a grassroots organization founded by dedicated physicians who volunteered after hours to provide accessible, basic health care services to the needy in Venice. Today, through generous grants, donations and partnerships, the organization operates 21 clinics and Early Head Start centers, and three mobile clinics providing care to people in need from the Santa Monica Mountains throughout the South Bay. There are 550 dedicated staff members and 1,100+ volunteers including doctors, nurses, medical assistants and therapists.

Dr. Popat says health care needs are many in the South Bay, requiring dental, optometry, primary care and specialists for chronic conditions.

Serving the Vulnerable and Isolated

While 84% of Venice Family Clinic’s patients have health insurance, their policies may not cover all necessary care, creating financial strain—as 87% of the clinic’s patients live at or below the federal poverty level. There are additional hardships in getting care, such as securing transportation and getting time off work to see a physician. Most children need help getting to medical appointments, especially if both parents work and can’t take them.

“We have on-site clinics at schools to be accessible for students who need them,” Dr. Popat explains.

For older patients isolation is an issue, putting them at risk for depression, anxiety and stress. “We see a lot of people who don’t have support from friends or family members. Loneliness is an epidemic,” Dr. Popat observes.

To complicate matters, many patients have diabetes and/or high blood pressure, so stroke is a possibility. Stress from isolation and lack of support can spike blood pressure and insulin levels, as well as spur depression. To help, the clinic offers therapy and a host of behavioral health services including substance use services, support groups and counseling.

The isolation and loneliness Dr. Popat’s team encounters with patients can be especially troubling when someone needs assistance after surgery. A recent case involved a Redondo Beach adult who had a stroke while in a car parking lot. “The last thing he remembered was trying to open his car door. He woke up in the emergency room after having a major stroke. He then went to our clinic in Redondo Beach to get plugged in,” Dr. Popat explains.

To “get plugged in” within a Venice Family Clinic facility is to receive comprehensive, high-quality care. For instance, the man who had thrombolytic therapy to break a clot in his brain was functional after surgery. But he had no memory of the event and was confused and in shock, says Dr. Popat. If he had been sent home alone with medications but no access to assistance in dealing with his trauma, he likely would have become overwhelmed by stress and anxiety.

“We give isolated patients a sense of belonging and provide guidance to help lower their stress levels,” Dr. Popat explains. “Once a patient realizes, ‘Ah, I have a doctor and a nurse practitioner to help,’ he knows someone will take care of him. He can breathe a little easier. It’s critical to address isolation, fear and loneliness.”

In addition to providing high-quality health care, Venice Family Clinic provides free food to those in need.

Get Involved

Organizations and individuals are always welcome to donate or volunteer at the clinic. Hospitals and organizations can also become partners.

“We partnered with Venice Family Clinic three years ago when they merged with South Bay Family Health Care. We will renew our grant this year,” says Claire Coignard, director of health education for Torrance Memorial. “They are a wonderful and dedicated organization.”

If you’d like to volunteer, there are multiple ways, such as helping with health fairs, food distribution, fundraisers, being a physician volunteer and even in-kind contributions of time or resources. Visit venicefamilyclinic.org/volunteer for details.