School Health Clinics of Santa Clara County improves the health and well-being of more than 6,200 low-income, medically underserved individuals each year by providing easily accessible, high-quality health care. Our five clinics are located on public school campuses in San José and Gilroy, and offer comprehensive primary care to the communities where they are located, including immunizations, well-child checkups, behavioral health services, and reproductive health services.
We keep kids healthy, safe, and in school so they can reach their full potential in school and in life!
School Health Clinics of Santa Clara County began in 1986 with a locally supported clinic at San José High Academy. It recognized that no matter how good schools are, students can’t learn if they aren’t healthy, and aimed to bridge the gap in low-cost primary medical care in poor communities by leveraging the natural fit between schools and health care clinics.
Over the years, SHC added clinics throughout San José and in Gilroy, while school-based health care became the model across the nation for delivering primary care in low-income communities. In 1999, SHC’s designation a Federally Qualified Health Center resulted in streamlined operations, improved efficiency and effectiveness of care, and a sustainable source of core funding. Today, SHC operates 5 clinics that serve more than 6,200 individuals annually, fulfilling its mission to provide high quality, affordable primary medical care for the low-income community. School Health Clinics of Santa Clara County’s proven model of partnering with local schools to meet the health needs of low-income families is built on well-established evidence that healthier students are better learners.