Each year, the National Association of Community Health Centers sponsors National Health Center Week, bringing community health centers across the country together to recognize their shared role in making healthcare more accessible. The week is also an opportunity to celebrate the patients, staff, partners, and communities at the heart of that work.
For Lumira Healthcare, National Health Center Week was an opportunity to highlight the people and connections that strengthen community health across Stanislaus and Merced counties. Throughout the week, Lumira honored patients and staff, shared preventative health information and resources, spotlighted the diverse populations it serves, and thanked community partners for their role in connecting people with care and support.
The week also provided an opportunity to celebrate an important milestone in one of those communities: the grand reopening of Lumira Healthcare’s newly renovated clinic in Hilmar.
A Special Celebration in Hilmar
Hilmar holds an important place in Lumira’s history. After more than four decades serving the community from its Livingston campus, Lumira expanded to Hilmar in 2012, opening its second health clinic and taking a step toward bringing care closer to more communities across the Central Valley.
Since then, the Hilmar location has grown alongside the community it serves. What began as a 2,500-square-foot space with just three exam rooms has expanded to better support the health and wellness needs of Hilmar and the surrounding area.
Community members, Lumira staff, and local leaders gathered during National Health Center Week to celebrate the newly renovated space and the role accessible, local healthcare continues to play in the region.
During the event, Lumira Healthcare CEO Leslie Abasta reflected on the intention behind that work: “It is our commitment to this community to be present, and to be here.”
This is particularly important in smaller and rural communities where accessing care can require traveling farther and navigating additional barriers.
Congressman Adam Gray and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar underscored the importance of access during the celebration, speaking to a reality many Central Valley communities know: having health coverage is only part of the equation. People also need healthcare providers and services that are available where they live.
The event also brought together local and regional partners, including representatives from Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil’s and Assemblymember Juan Alanis’ offices, the Merced County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Hilmar Chamber of Commerce and Hilmar Unified School District Superintendent Tony Lomeli — reflecting the broad community support behind expanding access to care in Hilmar.
National Health Center Week is a reminder of what community healthcare requires every day: an understanding of what our patients need, building lasting relationships, and reducing barriers to care.
Hilmar is one example of that commitment in action. Today, Lumira Healthcare serves communities across the Central Valley through 10 locations, each helping bring care closer to the people who need it. Investments in updated facilities, equipment, and services — like those made at the Hilmar Clinic — reflect Lumira’s ongoing effort to evolve alongside the communities it serves and respond to changing needs with care that remains accessible, relevant and close to home.
Learn more about Lumira Healthcare locations and services.