About
the Clinic
Venice Family Clinic provides high quality comprehensive health care to families and individuals who might otherwise go without the care they need.
Our Vision
To improve the health of people and communities through accessible, quality care.
Our Mission
To provide quality health care to people in need.
History
Venice Family Clinic was founded in 1970 by Philip Rossman, MD and Mayer B. Davidson, MD. Back then, volunteer physicians and other dedicated individuals provided basic medical care after normal business hours at the UCLA Dental Clinic on Lincoln Boulevard.
Today, Venice Family Clinic is a leading community health center that serves people in need from the Santa Monica Mountains through the South Bay. Venice Family Clinic has an expanding network of clinic locations, Early Head Start centers, and multiple mobile clinics, plus an extensive street medicine program to reach people experiencing homelessness. A team of more than 500 staff and 1,100 volunteers delivers care to 45,000 people with compassion, dignity and respect.
Since our inception, the Clinic has continued to expand the scope and comprehensiveness of our services to meet our communityʼs needs. Our innovative, integrated approach addresses the unique combination of clinical and social factors that impact our patientsʼ health
50 Years of Health
Venice Family Clinic opened its doors as a free clinic, providing health care at no charge to anyone who lacked access to it. As demand has grown over time, we have expanded our locations, programs and services to meet every rising challenge. Click the arrows to learn more.
1970
Venice Family Clinic is founded as an all volunteer-run free clinic.
1978
Venice Family Clinic signs affiliation agreement with UCLA.
1979
Inaugural Venice Art Walk raises $35,000 to support Clinic operations and keep the doors open.
1983
Venice Family Clinic opens its flagship facility on Rose Avenue.
1985
Venice Family Clinic launches services specifically tailored for people experiencing homelessness.
1985
Venice Family Clinic starts offering mental health services.
1989
Venice Family Clinic tests new model to alleviate the cycle of family poverty, which evolves into its Early Head Start program
1995
Venice Family Clinic takes over two county facilities – now the Simms/Mann Health and Wellness Center and the Robert Levine Family Health Center – protecting access to health care for more than 10,000 people.
1998
Venice Family Clinic begins providing medical care to students at Santa Monica High School.
2001
Venice Family Clinic formalizes Health Education as a department.
2003
Venice Family Clinic opens a clinic at the Mar Vista Gardens public housing complex.
2003
Venice Family Clinic begins providing medical care at Culver City Youth Health Center – now known as Sandy Segal Youth Health Center – which serves students at Culver City Middle and High Schools.
2006
Venice Family Clinic launches integrative medicine program, which synthesizes conventional medical care and alternative modalities, including chiropractic, acupuncture and osteopathy.
2006
Venice Family Clinic hires its first dentist to provide dental services to Clinic patients.
2007
Venice Family Clinic begins providing medical care to people experiencing homelessness at OPCC (now The People Concern Annenberg Access Center).
2011
The Affordable Care Act becomes law, making it possible for more of our patients to obtain health insurance and enabling Venice Family Clinic to expand its capacity.
2012
Venice Family Clinic becomes a federally qualified health center (FQHC).
2013
Venice Family Clinic takes over Common Ground, a longtime nonprofit partner serving people with HIV/AIDS.
2015
Venice Family Clinic expands the Irma Colen Health Center and builds the Lou Colen Children’s Health and Wellness Center, which are specifically designed to help integrate delivery of comprehensive services to patients.
2017
Venice Family Clinic adopts new strategic plan, which specifies housing, food security, and trauma as priority issues to address.
2020
Venice Family Clinic celebrates 50 years of providing quality health care to people in need.
2021
Venice Family Clinic and South Bay Family Health Care merge to become one unified organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of people and communities from the Santa Monica Mountains through the South Bay.
2022
Venice Family Clinic launches its Street Medicine Curriculum, a detailed training guide designed to inspire and educate the next generation of homeless health care providers.
2023
Venice Family Clinic celebrates the renovation and grand reopening of its flagship location on Rose Avenue, renamed the Chuck Lorre Rose Avenue Health and Wellness Center
2024
Venice Family Clinic, opens at York School’s Maxine Waters Health and Dignity Center to provide medical care, mental health support and other health and wellness services for students.
2024
Venice Family Clinic begins offering behavioral support to young people at allcove Beach Cities, expanding its partnership with Beach Cities Health District
2024
Venice Family Clinic launches inaugural Vote for Your Health campaign to educate patients and community members about how their vote makes a difference for their health.
Our Patients
Patient Visits
People Served
Live at or below 200% of the federal poverty line
Children
Older adults
Have health insurance
Screened as food insecure
Experiencing homelessness
Speak Spanish as their primary language
Our Team
The People
-
550
Staff
-
1107
Volunteers
The Places
-
19
Clinics and Early Head Start centers
-
3
Mobile Clinics
Leadership
Venice Family Clinic’s Board of Directors and experienced senior management team steward strategy and day-to-day operations, leading an experienced team of staff and volunteers who are committed to providing quality health care to people in need throughout the communities we serve.
Our Partners
Venice Family Clinic partners with a variety of local, statewide and national organizations and institutions as part of our mission to provide quality care to all.
Key medical partners include UCLA Health and David Geffen School of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, Torrance Memorial and Providence Saint John’s Health Center.
We also partner with community-based organizations and service providers, so our patients have access to social and economic programs including housing, food, clothing, vocational training and financial services.
Together, we work to help everyone in our communities lead healthier lives.
Financials and Annual Report
Venice Family Clinic offers quality health care through a combination of generous private donations and grants, government grants and health insurance reimbursements. We continue to grow sustainably thanks to community partnerships and support. Audited financial statements can be found on GuideStar.org or provided upon request by emailing VFCGiving@mednet.ucla.edu.
Click to see our most recent annual report to learn more about Venice Family Clinic’s impact and how we carry out our mission.
Career Opportunities
Are you interested in joining our team? Venice Family Clinic recruits dedicated and dynamic individuals who share our commitment to making a difference in the lives of others. As an affiliate of UCLA, the Clinic offers competitive salaries and excellent benefits.
You may view current job openings and fill out an online application by clicking the appropriate link.
Venice Family Clinic is supported by grants from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of the United States (U.S.) Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of financial assistance awards totaling $15,661,461 with 15.5 percentage funded by ACF/HRSA/SAMHSA/HHS and $85,007,868 amount and 84.5 percentage funded by non-federal source(s).