Patient
Resources
If you need care, we are here to help.
Whether you need to make an appointment or speak with a doctor, Venice Family Clinic is here for you.
Log in to the Patient Portal
Current patients can request,
view and cancel appointments here:
Centralized Call Center Hours
Monday – Thursday: 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Closed Saturday and Sunday
After Hours Service
If you are a patient of Venice Family Clinic, a medical provider is available by phone to take your urgent call seven days a week. Call (310) 392-8636 and ask to be connected to the provider on call.
For Emergencies, Call 911
If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
How to Become a Patient
We see patients with or without insurance.
If you have Medi-Cal, Covered California or Medicare and you are assigned to a Venice Family Clinic provider, you can call our call center at (310) 392-8636 to make an appointment.
If you are uninsured, have questions about your plan, or need assistance applying for health insurance, please call our health insurance enrollment team at (310) 664-7509.
Health Insurance Enrollment
Venice Family Clinic’s team of enrollment specialists can help you get and maintain health coverage through Medi-Cal, Covered California and other local programs. We are here to help, whether you need to enroll or renew your coverage, understand letters you’ve received from your insurance program, dispute wrongful terminations of your health coverage or change your primary provider. We can also help you enroll to get as nutrition assistance through CalFresh.
We offer same day in-person assistance with one of our specialists at multiple locations. Click here to see the schedule.
Contact us for more information at (310) 664-7509 or VFCHealthCoverage@mednet.ucla.edu.
Community Calendar
Venice Family Clinic offers a number of different classes and programs, all designed to help patients and other community members improve their health and wellbeing. We also participate in health fairs and community events throughout the year, and we host special events during National Health Center Week, too. Click the link to our Community Calendar, pick a date and join us!
Patient Advisory Council
Patient Advisory Council (PAC) is a group of patients who volunteer their time to give feedback on how we can improve our services. Members meet regularly, ensuring staff and leadership hear from patients directly. For more information or questions, please contact VFCPtAdvisoryCouncil@mednet.ucla.edu.
Venice Family Clinic provides services to all patients regardless of their ability to pay. We offer a Sliding Fee Discount Program to all eligible patients. Eligibility is based on income and family size only.
To find out if you are eligible for our Sliding Fee Discount Program, please ask front desk staff for additional information and an application form.
Venice Family Clinic believes everyone deserves quality health care. We celebrate the diversity of our community. Venice Family Clinic complies with applicable laws and does not discriminate on basis of age, race, national origin, immigration status, disability, gender, housing status, religion, other personal attributes or ability to pay when deciding eligibility for our services.
Important Documents
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Authorization for release of information
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Acknowledgement of Receipt of Notice
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Notice of Privacy Practices
Your feedback matters!
Please share your experience with us so we can continue to improve our care and services.
Patient rights and responsibilities
You may speak with the Site Manager at any Venice Family Clinic (VFC) site if you have any questions about the care or services you received.
As a Patient, you have the right to:
- Be treated with dignity and respect.
- Get care without discrimination based on: age, race, ethnicity, country of origin, sex, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information (family health history), claims experience, medical history including End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), evidence of insurability (including conditions arising out of domestic violence), source of payment, health problem, mental or physical disability or your ability to pay.
- Get facts and care in a way that doesn’t make you feel different because of your culture or language.
- Ask for an interpreter in your language. We also offer American Sign Language (ASL). If you are blind or have trouble reading, documents can be read out loud or given to you in Braille.
- Be given information in a way that you know what is being said.
- Learn about our Venice Family Clinic doctors and services at the time you start coming to VFC and during the time you are a member.
- Know the name of your doctor and know about their training.
- Choose or change your doctor within the Venice Family Clinic network.
- Take part in your care. You and (your family when appropriate) work closely with your health care team. This team approach makes sure you have well planned care.
- Talk about all your health choices with your doctor and not worry about the cost of your health plan coverage.
- Get a second opinion from another doctor of your choice within Venice Family Clinic.
- Say no to any tests or care offered to you, if you choose.
- Receive as much information about any proposed treatment or procedure as you may need in order to give informed consent or to refuse this course of treatment. Except in emergencies, this information shall include description of the procedure or treatment, the medically significant risks involved in this treatment, alternate courses of treatment or non-treatment and the risks involved in each and to know the name of the person who will carry out the procedure or treatment.
- Know what’s in the forms you need to sign.
- Know all risks of and benefits to taking part in any research study or clinical trial. A clinical trial is a study that uses patients for testing new medications (or meds). To take part in such a study, you would have to give your approval in writing. If you do not want to take part in such a study, you would also have to let us know in writing.
- Get help with making an Advance Health Care Directive. An Advance Health Care Directive puts your wishes in writing about your health care and the decisions you’d like made for you if you cannot speak for yourself. It also lets you write down the name of the person you want to make health care decisions for you if you cannot speak for yourself.
- Get a timely answer for services that you have asked for. Services can mean tests or exams and referrals to specialists.
- Get needed health care and education to help you prevent disease.
- Be referred for urgent health care.
- Have your pain treated and managed.
- Have access to specialty care.
- Privacy in receiving your care and with all of your personal needs.
- Privacy in handling all your personal, health, and social records. Venice Family Clinic cannot give out these records to anyone without your written approval. VFC may only use or make known this information if it is needed in an emergency situation, because of state and federal laws or in the event you express the will to harm yourself or others.
- Get a copy of your health records with enough notice. You can let your doctor know in writing if something is missing or wrong with your record.
- Allow us to use your health information in a Health Information Exchange (HIE) that share health records with participating doctors, hospitals, labs, radiology centers, and other health care providers in a secure and electronic manner.
- Give your written approval or consent to VFC for the use of any sound, video, or film recording of you.
- Make a formal complaint (“grievance”) and/or challenge the care provided to you (“appeal”).
- Ask for a State Hearing. A Hearing is a legal procedure where you can present your concern to the State of California. At the Hearing, you may represent yourself or have another person such as an attorney, friend, relative or any person you choose.
- Offer your thoughts on how to make these Patients’ Rights and Responsibilities better.
As a Patient, you have the responsibility to:
- Show identification and/or insurance cards at each visit. This proof lets your doctor know that s/he has the right health record.
- Tell your doctors if you do not understand what they are telling you.
- Tell your doctors about past illnesses. We may also ask you about hospital stays, medications, and other information about your health care.
- Work with your doctors to care for your health care.
- Learn about your health problems. Help set goals that both you and your doctor agree on as much as possible.
- Follow instructions about your care and let your doctor know if you cannot follow the instructions or choose not to.
- Tell us about changes in your address, phone number, insurance coverage, and changes in income as soon as you know.
- Make and keep your doctor’s visit. Please come to your visit on-time. Please call Venice Family Clinic at 310-392-8636 when you think you might be late or need to cancel an appointment. If you are late, you may have to reschedule your appointment.
- Be respectful when calling or visiting Venice Family Clinic, which includes respecting doctors, staff, visitors, and property.
- Respect the privacy of others.
All patient rights and responsibilities apply to the person who may have legal responsibility to make decisions regarding medical care on behalf of the patient.