The Tri-Valley is home to a diverse population, including many who lack health coverage. The mission of Axis Community Health is to provide quality, affordable, accessible, and compassionate health care services that promote the well-being of all members of the community. Axis is the sole provider of health care services for uninsured and underinsured community members. Nearly 95% of Axis patients have an annual income below 200% of the federal poverty line of $48,500 for a family of four. One-quarter of its patients are children aged 18 and under.

"Our patients are the working poor, struggling to make ends meet on hourly and part time wages," says Valerie Jonas, Chief Development Officer. "We provide whole person care, meaning our patients can rely on us for medical, mental health, behavioral health, and dental care. Our patients also receive case management support that links them to specialty care and services, which enables them to attain and maintain a healthier life."

Axis has served Eastern Alameda County since 1972. Today it provides health care services to 1 in 14 Tri-Valley residents, a total of 15,000 people. The opening of the Axis Hacienda site in 2016 enabled the nonprofit to meet the rapidly growing need for affordable, quality healthcare in the Tri-Valley. Axis continues to expand to meet the needs of its patients, most recently by opening a dental clinic in Dublin.

Dental services for low-income residents of the Tri-Valley are extremely limited. Until now most Axis patients, including children, were traveling to Alameda County's Highland Hospital in Oakland or to other out-of-area clinics for care. More than one-third of Axis patients referred for dental care were unable to get care due to the distance involved and long wait times for appointments. Services include preventive care and treatment for basic dental needs such as fillings, extractions, and uncomplicated root canals. Axis will serve 2,000 patients in this first year and is putting an emphasis on dental care for pregnant women and children, ensuring a lifetime of good dental health.

"We are so proud to now offer dental care to our patients," says Sue Compton, Axis Chief Executive Officer. "This project has been a long-sought dream."

Axis worked with the Cities of Pleasanton, Dublin, and Livermore as well as Alameda County Health Services and the Southern Alameda County Dental Society to develop this project for local dental services. Grant funding from Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, and Alameda County are supporting the project. A $100,000 grant from Palo Alto Medical Foundation also helped to launch the project.

Since 2009, Axis has been a federally qualified health center, receiving 15% of its annual budget of $17 million through the federal Health Resources and Services Administration. Grant funds from foundations; Alameda County; the cities of Dublin, Livermore, and Pleasanton; and donations from community members help support the significant amount of unreimbursed services Axis provides each year.

Axis has five service offices throughout the Tri-Valley and a staff of 170. In addition to the Hacienda office, they include an office on Railroad Avenue in Pleasanton, which offers medical care and mental health counseling and houses patient services. A clinic in Livermore provides medical care and mental health counseling, while an office on Santa Rita Road in Pleasanton contains the Axis Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program.

Axis Community Health opened its health care center on West Las Positas Boulevard in Hacienda in March of 2016. "We sought a location that would be readily accessible for our patients by car or public transportation, and a building suitable for renovation as a health center," notes Jonas. The Hacienda health center has a staff of 100. This includes medical and mental health professionals, clinic support staff, quality enhancement, human resources, development, and fiscal services.

For more information about Axis Community Health, including how to become a patient, please visit www.axishealth.org .