“One of things that we really believe in is whole person care, what we mean by whole person care is that we don’t just treat just the physical health of a person, we have to treat the entire body, the mental health,” said Muriel Nouwezem, CEO of Saban Community Clinic.
Recently Saban Community Clinic hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Crenshaw Family Health Center, which will be a state-of-the-art facility that will expand healthcare for one of Los Angeles County’s highest-need areas. Elected officials, community leaders, healthcare advocates and local stakeholders attended the groundbreaking and spoke about the coming clinic.
“Every family, every child, every senior, every person in this community deserves access to quality healthcare,” said Nouwezem.
The South Los Angeles area has suffered from a shortage in healthcare with mobile clinics, pharmacies and other healthcare facilities trying to fill in the gap. The new two-story healthcare center is another addition to close that gap in access to healthcare. Denise has been a resident of the Crenshaw District for the past 50 years; she is also a member of the Saban Community Clinic.
“No matter what I needed, I knew that I could go there and get care,” said Denise about Saban Community Clinic. “To see Saban coming to Crenshaw, the community that I love, it’s exciting and it’s very special.
She continued, “I know what this clinic will mean to families here—shorter trips to care, familiar faces and a place where people feel seen, supported and cared for.”
Nearly one in three adults delay or forgo care because of transportation and limited provider availability. Over 287,000 residents in the Crenshaw Corridor lack access to primary care, the highest rate in Los Angeles County. Residents face higher rates of chronic disease and life expectancies up to 13 years shorter than in more affluent areas.
The new clinic is being built on the property formerly occupied by Phillips BBQ. A community member expressed their dissatisfaction with the groundbreaking according to a Saban Community Clinic official. Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA 37) shared what the new clinic will mean for the community and its importance.
“I love Phillips BBQ, I came here as a college student and it is definitely a community landmark,” said Kamlager-Dove. “It is as important that we support small Black businesses—as it is that we support our community’s health.”
She continued, “Saban Community Clinic coming here is important to the physical and mental health of the Black community. We have the highest rates of maternal mortality, diabetes, high cholesterol, amputations, we have to prioritize our healthcare, we have to prioritize having providers that look like us and care about our communities.
“We have to prioritize having more healthcare centers in our neighborhoods so that our people do not have to travel twice as far to get the care that their neighborhood deserves.”
Tommie McMillian, a South L.A. resident, remembers when the property was Leo’s BBQ and supports having a clinic in the community.
“As much as I love BBQ and all the fixins, I know it’s not the healthiest thing for us, so it’s nice to see that something is coming behind [Phillip’s BBQ] that’s better for folks in the community,” said McMillan.
Saban Community Clinic was founded in 1967 as the LA Free Clinic and offers care to anyone who needs it. Saban operates multiple Los Angeles health centers, as well as a mobile clinic, delivering medical, dental and behavioral health services through more than 157,000 patient visits annually. Predominantly serving low-income individuals and families, the majority of the Clinic’s patients live below the federal poverty line.
The new clinic will offer a variety of care including medical, dental and mental health care. They will help with enrolling the community in a healthcare plan and offer pharmacy services. It is expected to deliver more than 24,000 patient visits annually.
“We can take care of the entire body and the mental health, not just physical health—that’s the idea, to treat the entire person,” said Nouwezem.
