Mission Statement: Operation Samahan is a nonprofit community health center aimed at improving health and living conditions of indigent, uninsured and under-served populations of San Diego County.

Advancing Health and Wellness: Operation Samahan Clinic aims to promote better health and living conditions for all members of the community particularly among low-income and uninsured families. “Samahan” is a Pilipino word which means working together. It was established by the Filipino community almost four decades ago. The clinic provides high quality, affordable and culturally competent primary care, oral health and behavioral health programs to the community to more than 20,000 patients a year. Services offered are built on grassroots efforts as well as direct community engagement.

History: “Samahan” is a Pilipino word which means working together. It was founded in 1973 by a group of doctors and other health professionals as well as community leaders to assist ailing Filipino elders access healthcare. A small barbershop in downtown San Diego became Operation Samahan’s hub of health screening as well as informal health education gatherings. As the number grew and more Filipinos and other underserved ethnic groups accessed its services, Operation Samahan was officially incorporated in 1973 into a 501 © 3, nonprofit freestanding private community clinic.

More than thirty years later, what started as a community project initiated by Filipino community volunteers turned into a multi-service family health and multi-service center serving low-income families and individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds—Latinos, Filipino, Laotians, Asian and Pacific Islanders, African-American, Caucasians and refugees from the Middle East and other countries.

Mission Support Grant Application Video

Mission Support Grant Award Video

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Contact Information: Fe Seligman; feseligman@operationsamahan.org; 619-471-5433 | www.operationsamahan.org | Facebook | Twitter