Growing Impact
Over the past decade, our Clinic has seen a sharp rise in patient growth and an increasing demand for care.
Our Mission
Founded in 2008, the Order of Malta Clinic of Northern California is a nonprofit medical clinic located in downtown Oakland, California, adjacent to Cathedral of Christ the Light. We provide free, on-site preventative health care services and treatment to uninsured and low-income patients – no questions asked.
While the average span of faith-based medical clinics is just 2 1⁄2 years, our clinic has been in operation for more than a decade and continues to grow in services, number of patients served and geographic reach. We are dedicated to healing and helping the Bay Area’s uninsured communities, within an atmosphere of trust, compassion, and state-of-the-art facilities and care.
Our mission is simple: “Uphold human dignity and care for people in need.”
A LOW-COST HEALTH CARE MODEL
Our innovative, volunteer-run service model reduces conventional health care costs - so we can provide free care to every uninsured patient we see.
Patient visits have recovered since the 2020 decrease due to COVID.
Staff volunteer hours have steadily increased since 2020.
A LEGACY OF COMPASSION AND CARE
The Order of Malta’s story began more than 900 years ago in 1048 A.D., when a group of hospitaller monks of the Order of St. John were asked to manage and staff a hospital in Jerusalem, caring for pilgrims and travelers of various faiths. That group of monks acted accordingly, and thereby founded the organization presently known as the Order of Malta, a lay order of the Catholic Church which ministers to the sick and the poor of many nations.
Today, we are honored to carry on the Order of Malta’s legacy of service to the sick and poor by caring for the Bay Area’s uninsured community.
INCREASING HEALTH CARE ACCESS FOR UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS
Today, an estimated 500,000 people live without health insurance in the Greater Bay Area, including more than 195,000 people in Alameda County.
Studies have shown that, historically, low-income individuals and people of color face barriers to access health care, receive lower-quality care, and ultimately experience worse health outcomes. Our Clinic exists to address the health disparities among these underserved populations.
We serve patients without insurance and do not require paperwork or proof of citizenship. Many are undocumented families who are wary of seeking medical attention at doctor’s offices or hospitals. More than half of our patients do not visit a doctor regularly and most new patients have received little to no medical attention in recent years. For many, our clinic is their only source of medical care.
Volunteer-led
Our team is comprised of more than 50 volunteer physicians, nurses and support staff, all committed to delivering high-quality care to those who need it most.