Operation Samahan

Specialties

Operation Samahan’s mission is to «build healthier, happier communities together. » With our patients, staff, and community partners, we promote better health and living conditions for all members of the community. Our emphasis lies particularly in serving the indigent, low-​income, uninsured and underserved individuals and families, by providing high quality, affordable and culturally accessible primary health care, dental care, behavioral health counseling, holistic health promotion and education, and multi-​faceted social services. What sets us apart is our belief in an integrative, holistic approach to keeping people well and healthy. This means we not only provide modern diagnostics and treatment, we also offer acupuncture, massage, yoga, and consultations with naturopathic doctors of natural medicine.

History

Established in 1973.

In 1973, a group of volunteer doctors and nurses met in a barber shop in downtown San Diego. Frustrated by the lack of culturally and linguistically competent health services available to their own family members and communities, they began seeing Filipino and Latino patients, providing primary and preventive health care. The demand for services rapidly grew, and the group realized this effort would take more organization, full time staff, and a space of their own. Operation Samahan (a Filipino word for «working together») has since grown to six clinic sites in National City, Mira Mesa, and Rancho Penasquitos, with an additional site in City Heights.

Meet the Business Owner

Joel S.

Business Owner

Mr. San Juan has been serving as Operation Samahan’s CEO/​Executive Director since 1989. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, having graduated Magna Cum Laude and with minors in physics, economics, and philosophy, before completing a full year Minority Fellowship Program with the American Sociological Association. Mr. San Juan has been responsible for a six-​fold increase in the company’s health and social services — lifting Operation Samahan from a deficit prior to his tenure, resulting in sextupled revenues and expanding the agency’s facilities from 3,100 to 20,400 square feet. He has improved relations and collaboration with highly diverse communities, government agencies on all levels, community-​based organizations, community clinics, hospitals, managed health care networks, foundations and community businesses, always fostering the spirit of collaboration that grounds Operation Samahan.