Our History
Mission Neighborhood Health Center (MNHC) was founded as a health center in 1967 to respond to the healthcare needs of low income families in the Mission neighborhood community in San Francisco. From the humble beginnings of delivering care in a trailer in the parking lot at our Shotwell Street site for $1 per visit, we have grown to become an integral part of the community. Each year, MNHC serves nearly 13,000 patients at its four sites in the Mission and Excelsior neighborhoods of San Francisco.
MNHC delivers primary health care services across the life-cycle including prenatal care, pediatrics, teen services, family planning, women’s health services and adult and senior medicine. MNHC also provides specialized HIV services at its Clinica Esperanza and a program of support and health services to the homeless through our Mission Neighborhood Resource Center.
Over the years, the community has come to rely on Mission Neighborhood Health Center to respond to the evolving needs of the community. Our history includes:
| Year | Development | MNHC Response |
| 1960’s | President Lyndon B. Johnson signs Medicare and Medicaid into law | MNHC opens as a “free clinic” in 1967 |
| 1970’s | 49.5 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid | MNHC collects $1 per patient visit |
| 1980’s | 8,000 confirmed HIV cases in the US | Clinica Esperanza opens to address the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic |
| 1990’s | AIDS cases among Latino/Hispanics are nearly three times that of non-Latino Whites | Confidential HIV testing begins |
| Adolescent pregnancy rate in the US is nearly twice as high as Canada and four times as high as France | Teen clinic opens in response to rising pregnancy rates | |
| 2000’s | Total number of uninsured Latino/Hispanics grows to over 15 million; 3.9 million Americans are homeless – 39 percent of which are children | 12,222 patients and over 70,238 healthcare service visits; Mission Neighborhood Resource Center opens to serve the homeless |
| 2010’s | Health Care Reform | MNHC joins efforts to assist families in obtaining insurance – renews commitment to caring for the remaining uninsured. |
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Phone: (415) 552-3870
Monday to Friday
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
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