 We are excited to celebrate the installation of our roof top solar system consisting off 35 solar panels. This system was donated by Direct Relief and will get the Free Clinic off the grid, so in the event of a power outage our services do not have to stop.
This project was funded through a $165,000 unrestricted grant from Direct Relief. The solar system allows the Free Clinic to cover 100% of the its electricity needs and officially be net zero for carbon emissions. The Free Clinic project was the first Power for Health Initiative project completed at a free or charitable clinic in the mainland United States.
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 The Free Clinic of Simi Valley in collaboration with Kaiser Permanente serves as a training facility for resident physicians. This partnership was established in 2007, and thus far, 62 residents have participated in the training.
We are so proud to continue this training and are especially grateful to the many residents who have trained with us and volunteered their services. Say hello to our current resident physicians in training ... In the photo - from left to right: Resident Charlene Oh; 3rd Year Resident, Erin Adams, M.D.; Kaiser Attending, Shwesha Govia; Pre-med Student, Cameron Walker; and Pre-med Student, Brian Chilin.
On Monday, March 1, 1971, the Free Clinic of Simi Valley opened its doors and began providing medical services for those in need; and over the years services were expanded to include dental, legal, and family counseling. In a span of 50 years the Free Clinic has helped more than 400,000 patients and clients. On an annual basis, the Clinic provides services valued at approximately $750,000. It is thanks to the generosity of thousands of donors that the Clinic has been able to sustain this level of service over the last five decades to the community.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created hardships for so many families. Now more than ever, the Free Clinic’s role in the community is essential and in celebration of the 50 Year Anniversary we are launching our $50,000 for 50 Years Campaign. We are asking for your support in raising $50,000, which will cover the costs to provide help for more than 1,200 patients in one year. No donation is too small - $5, $50, $500, $1,000; and we are seeking donors willing to match donations dollar for dollar in amounts of $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 or larger. Donations can be made online at www.freeclinic.com/support-us or mail to: Free Clinic of Simi Valley $50,000 for 50 Years Campaign 2003 Royal Ave Simi Valley, CA 93065 To all of our loyal supporters – Thank You for “Saying Yes” for the last 50 years. KCLU's Lance Orozco sits down to discuss the Free Clinic of Simi Valley's 50th Anniversary with Free Clinic Executive Director, Fred Bauermeister. Transcript:
Lance Orozco (LO): Stan Frgacic was having a tough time. The simi valley man was hit by the loss of his job and his divorce which left him squeezed financially. Stan Frgacic (SF): I found myself out of a job. I found myself without insurance and I was on medication. I was on a statin for cholesterol. I was just like, you know what, I can't afford health insurance on my own. It's just way too expensive. I was just like [being] between a rock and a hard place. LO: There was a clinic in his neighborhood. It was the Free Clinic of Simi Valley. He wondered maybe it could help.  The Free Clinic of Simi Valley has been named the Non-Profit Organization of 2017 by the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce. The Free Clinic received the inaugural award from the Chamber. "This is a wonderful recognition of the work that the Free Clinic has been doing in Simi Valley for over 45 years," said Fred Bauermeister, Clinic Executive Director.
In 2016, while celebrating its 45th Anniversary, the Free Clinic saw almost 4,000 individuals, equivalent to over 14,700 client contacts between its four service areas - medical, legal, counseling and dental. All of these services were provided through a network of over 160 mostly local volunteers and five staff members. The Dental Clinic is one of the only places in Southern California that provides free comprehensive dental services. The Clinic even has an in-home dental program for Seniors 60+. Many of the clients of the Free Clinic have nowhere else to go for help. The Clinic is a partner with Adventist Health Simi Valley in providing a health safety net for the community. The Free Clinic does not receive payments or reimbursements from Federal, State or Local government. The Free Clinic relies entirely on the generosity of individual donors, businesses, service clubs, churches and foundations. Moreover, the Free Clinic is not supported by any national parent corporation or foundation. The Free Clinic is proud to be the only Simi Valley based charity to achieve the level of GuideStar Exchange Gold Participant, a ranking for financial and ethical transparency among 501(c)(3) organizations. 2016 and 2017 were especially tough years for the Free Clinic due to the collapse of the long awaited "Under One Roof" project. Based on the driving force of the Free Clinic and its Board, the Free Clinic looks forward to the opening of the new "Multi-Services Center," which will not only allow the Clinic to combine its two facilities into one, providing greater efficiency in service delivery, but will also allow the expansion into services, such as optometry, while providing offices to seven additional Simi Valley charities. The Free Clinic will be feted at the 2018 Salute to Excellence Gala to be held Friday, January 26, 2018 from 6:00pm-10:00pm at The Vineyards, located at 2525 Stow St. The event will feature cocktails, dinner, dancing and casino games. Also being celebrated are:
RSVP for Gala: Click Here Full Nominating Statement for the Free Clinic of Simi Valley: The Free Clinic of Simi Valley has served the community since 1971. It currently provides individuals and families in need with free medical, legal, counseling and dental services. In 2016, while celebrating its 45th Anniversary, the Free Clinic saw almost 4,000 individuals, equivalent to over 14,700 client contacts between its four service areas - medical, legal, counseling and dental. All of these services were provided through a network of over 160 mostly local volunteers and five staff members. The Dental Clinic is one of the only places in Southern California that provides free comprehensive dental services. The Clinic even has an in-home dental program for Seniors 60+. Many of the clients of the Free Clinic have nowhere else to go for help. Besides providing excellent care to its patients and clients, the Free Clinic serves as a training facility for doctors from two esteemed Kaiser Permanente training programs - Kaiser Permanente Family Resident Program and Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Program. As of 2016, the Free Clinic has trained over 88 residents. Additionally, the the Free Clinic provides internship training for Marriage and Family Therapists, many of whom continue to practice in Simi Valley. To date, over 56 therapists who have interned at the Free Clinic have become licensed MFTs. The Clinic is a partner with Adventist Health Simi Valley in providing a health safety net for the community. The Free Clinic does not receive payments or reimbursements from Federal, State or Local government. The Free Clinic relies entirely on the generosity of individual donors, businesses, service clubs, churches and foundations. Moreover, the Free Clinic is not supported by any national parent corporation or foundation. The Free Clinic is proud to be the only Simi Valley based charity to achieve the level of GuideStar Exchange Gold Participant, a ranking for financial and ethical transparency among 501(c)(3) organizations. 2016 and 2017 were especially tough years for the Free Clinic due to the collapse of the long awaited "Under One Roof" project. Based on the driving force of the Free Clinic and its Board, the Free Clinic looks forward to the opening of the new "Multi Services Center," which will not only allow the Clinic to combine its two facilities into one, providing greater efficiency in service delivery, but will also allow the expansion into services, such as optometry, while providing offices to seven additional Simi Valley charities. |
