It's somehow fitting that a community clinic aiming to be a one-stop shop is opening at the site of a former supermarket in Linda Vista.
The Linda Vista Health Center, at 7011 Linda Vista Road, is part of the San Diego Family Care network, and it's huge: 23,000 square feet. There are 21 exam rooms. A spacious waiting area for adult patients.
San Diego Family Care CEO Roberta Feinberg said it also has two separate waiting areas for kids.
“We don’t want the germs mixing, so we built the well-child waiting room," she said.
The clinic incorporates a number of distinctive design elements, including soft, pastel colors and a large lobby with vaulted ceilings and lots of natural light.
Feinberg said the advent of Obamacare and the expanded Medi-Cal program created the need for this new clinic.
"Over the past two years, we have experienced such an enormous influx of uninsured people who suddenly had insurance, and they were all looking for a primary care doctor," she said. "Plus we still serve many, many thousands of uninsured, who for one reason or another, don’t yet have insurance.”
The Linda Vista area also has a dearth of doctors and other medical providers.
That's why this health center is designed to fill a variety of needs, including dentistry.
Dental director Tomas Juska said they can offer the same services as would any private dentist.
"From extractions, to root canals, dentures, cleanings, and preventative dental care," Juska said.
And there’s something else that you won’t find at many other community clinics: a private mental health pavilion.
Dr. Gurgiana Stekovski, director of mental health, said patients can get counseling in five different languages, all just steps away from their primary care doctor.
“You know, if it was at a completely separate facility, sometimes people are hesitant to come in, or to seek help in general," she said. "But here, it makes it easier, it also makes it more comfortable for them, where they feel like it’s OK to ask for help.”
The Linda Vista Health Care Center opens for business Monday, May 9.
