The Mobile Health Clinic run by Walnut Creek-based John Muir Health has provided free primary care, mental health support, and vaccinations to more than 13,000 patients across Contra Costa County since 2001, the health system announced Thursday, July 16, 2026.

The program fills a specific gap: working residents who earn too much to qualify for Medi-Cal but too little to buy private insurance.

"Our door serves as a portal to health care for a very important sector of our community," said Dr. Kishore Nath, the clinic's medical director. "It allows us to see patients who fall in between: those who work hard and make just enough money not to qualify for Medi-Cal, but not enough to buy health insurance."

In 2025, the clinic served 457 unique patients across 846 encounters. Of those patients, 84% were non-English speakers and 99% were uninsured, according to John Muir Health.

The program launched in Brentwood in 2001 through a collaboration with the Village Community Resource Center. It has since expanded to sites in Antioch, Concord, and Pittsburg. In 2026, the program added a new location at Grace Bible Fellowship of Antioch.

Jamie Elmasu, John Muir Health's director of Community Health Improvement, said the program removes barriers including lack of insurance, transportation challenges, and language access. Juliana Rodriguez, a licensed vocational nurse who supervises the clinic, said services are tailored to be culturally and linguistically aligned with patients' needs.

Key milestones over the program's 25 years include a 2008 expansion to Concord through a Family Medicine Residency collaboration, a 2018 launch of mental health counseling with Fred Finch Youth & Family Services, and the delivery of more than 3,600 COVID-19 vaccinations between 2020 and 2022.

The clinic's work takes on added relevance as federal Medicaid proposals could reduce coverage for tens of thousands of Contra Costa County residents by 2029, according to KQED reporting on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

All services are free. Residents can reach the Mobile Health Clinic at (925) 941-7940 or find the schedule at johnmuirhealth.com.