|
City Heights Family Health Center
In October 1970, Laura Rodriquez and many other local residents of Barrio Logan organized a sit-in at a neighborhood building, demanding a health center in their community. After eight days of occupation, city and civic leaders decided to
gift the building to the community and a new health center opened shortly thereafter. From this remarkable beginning, Family Health Centers of San Diego has grown to become the second largest health center in the nation, with more than 30
sites throughout San Diego County, and one in a very unique location on El Cajon Boulevard.
Family Health Center of San Diego has a mission to serve everyone in need, with a special commitment to low income, uninsured and medically underserved. City Heights Family Health Center (CHFHC), the center on 5379 El Cajon Boulevard
mainly serves City Heights, but everyone is welcome. There are over 40 employees at the center and they see an average of about 2,000 patients every month. The center provides primary care, mental healthcare, prenatal services and
obstetric/gynecologic services, in addition to offering a variety of special programs, including pediatric development services to indentify and address developmental delays, HIV prevention and treatment and health education, to name a
few. To address the diversity of people that call City Heights home, the center employs staff that speak a host of languages including English, Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese, French, Amharic, Creole and even sign language.
According to Alberto Aldrete, the clinic director, "We are here to serve and make sure every person has access to caring, affordable, high quality healthcare." For instance, the CHFHC helped a father who was struggling as a single parent.
His children were suffering from medical and mental healthcare issues, and the clinic was able to coordinate care for the whole family. Providing support to this family in a critical time is what helped them hold everything together.
Alberto believes that one of the things the center does very well is assessing the ‘pulse' and needs of the local community. Since 2004, CHFHC has seen a 500% growth in patient visits. One thing that is obvious is that the community has
a much larger need than when they first opened their doors. This is why the center is expanding and relocating. Have no fear though, since in early 2012 CHFHC is only moving two blocks east to a building that is currently being
constructed at 5454 El Cajon Boulevard. Because City Heights is a community with a lot of healthcare need and El Cajon Boulevard is surrounded by many local schools, shopping centers and transit, this is an optimal location. This new,
larger site will allow for additional patient care and services that more closely aligns itself with the growing healthcare needs of the community. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call (619) 515-2440.
Boulevard Recipes
Step inside the kitchen and learn how to cook specialty dishes from around the world, taught by great chefs on El Cajon Boulevard. In Episode #1, Tom Vergos of Venice Pizza quickly demonstrates how to cook their delicious linguine and
clam sauce.
Yelp About the Boulevard
Tiger! Tiger!
3025 El Cajon Boulevard
Yelper: Awesome! Awesome!
The fantastic four* have done it again! Despite the "ultra-soft" opening caveat, they easily earned five tigers, er stars.
Chef Aaron's menu is superb-- sandwiches and soups with some desserts, and with a good selection of vegan options.
I had a corn-clam-bacon-potato chowder and a seasonal salad with mixed greens, pomegranate seeds, persimmons, apples, and fried chickpeas. Both were sublime.
Lee assured me that the current picnic table setup (not the most comfortable) is temporary; they're building more permanent benches from the same beautiful reclaimed wood planks that make up the bar.
Let's hear it for the El Cajon Boulevard renaissance!
Click
here for more yelp reviews.
Featured Art on the Boulevard
In 2009, the El Cajon Boulevard Business Improvement Association (BIA) started a pilot recycling program with 10 bins. Following that, the Association saw this as an opportunity to bring more art to the Boulevard and worked with
graphic design students at SDSU to develop the concept. The designs created by the students were to enhance the look of these standardized bins, and at the same time, help identify the recycling bins from the trash bins located next to
them.
The bins are reclaimed standard city trash bins with a custom fabricated top on the recycling bins. In the coming months, the Association is expanding the number of recycling bins to 20.
The students developed several great options. The El Cajon Boulevard BIA Board was so impressed by the designs that they decided to select three of the student's designs rather than the single design that was initially planned.
Congratulations to Kristin Hardy, Sonya Calderon, Cat Hunt for providing your creative design work which greatly enhances the Boulevard's garbage and recycling bins!
|
