“Since I came to the U.S. in the 80s, escaping from war in El Salvador, I have felt that La Clínica is my home away from home.   Everyone at La Clínica has been really supportive, especially when I needed them the most. When the doctor told me that I had ovarian cancer, I was afraid of what was going to happen to me; I was afraid to die.   But with La Clínica’s support I was able to receive the care and treatment that I needed and be a cancer survivor.”  

 Bessie, Patient of La Clínica 

Why we started

La Clínica del Pueblo was founded in 1983 in response to the emergent health needs of the Central American immigrant population displaced by civil wars. Today, La Clínica provides over 7,500 men, women, youth and children with access to over 59,000 linguistically and culturally appropriate health and education services per year including: primary care, mental health and substance abuse services, HIV/AIDS care, interpreter services, and health education and outreach. La Clínica was incorporated as a separate non-profit 501(c)(3) agency in 1995 and was awarded Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) status in 2007 by the Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration. All direct service staff are bilingual, and most are first-generation Latino immigrants, dedicated to a mission “to build a healthy Latino community through culturally appropriate health services, focusing on those most in need.”

Who we are

La Clínica del Pueblo is one of the very few Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) serving the needs of  uninsured and underinsured Latino immigrants and others in need in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. La Clínica serves clients at two sites: a health facility and a new, non-medical site serving the health and health education needs of Latino youth, both located in the heart of the District of Columbia. Located at the crossroads of the Columbia Heights, Mount Pleasant, and Adams Morgan neighborhoods in Ward One of the District of Columbia, La Clínica fills many needs in an area that, according to the federal government, has a “physician shortage.” However, through partnerships with organizations in Maryland and Virginia, La Clínica also serves Latinos in the Grater DC Metro Area. Each department offers innovative programs targeting populations who fall through the cracks of the traditional health and social services system.

Who we serve

• 98% of our clients are of Hispanic origin.
• 86% of our clients are Latino immigrants from Central and South America; 55% are from El Salvador.
• Over 90% have no health insurance and have incomes below the poverty level.
• More than 50% have less than a seventh grade education.
• Over 90% are more comfortable communicating in Spanish.
• 70% of La Clínica’s clients live in the District of Columbia; 23% in Maryland; and 7% in northern Virginia.
• 57% are female; 19% are under the age of twenty.

 

 

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