Services
In addition to its primary care services, Golden Valley Health Centers also provides several specialized programs to promote health, motivate patients to be in charge of their health and take a proactive approach to prevention. On a monthly basis, our Health Promotions team provides training to keep our health educators and patient care coordinators current on new patient training methods. Three times a year the health promotions team launches a four-month campaign focusing on training for all staff members on the following:
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Optometry ServicesGood vision is important to your overall health and happiness. Your eyes change over time and having regular exams allows your eye doctor to watch for those changes to protect your vision. For more information, please contact:  Appointment:(866) 682-4842 |
Diabetes Program
Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects 20.8 million people in the United States. In 2002, the direct and indirect cost of diabetes reached $132 billion dollars. This cost included medical care and services, short and long-term disability, and premature death due to diabetes.
For several years, Golden Valley Health Centers (GVHC) has implemented system wide improvements to deliver quality care to our diabetes patients. Our leadership has adopted strategic goals to promote improved access to quality care and services. This visible support has yielded a number of meaningful improvements within our health system design. We have standardized our diabetes progress notes, adopted best practice guidelines, and implemented a new disease tracking registry. In short, these changes have allowed us to deliver better patient centered care in the communities we serve.
For more information, please contact:
Kennoris Bates
Nutritional Services Coordinator
(209) 385-5583 or
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Integrated Behavioral Health Program
Golden Valley Health Centers began integrating behavioral health into its primary care services five years ago as a response to overwhelming nationwide research that many patients seeking care in primary care clinics also suffer from stress or other concerns or problems which adversely affect their health. In addition, most patients prefer to receive counseling or mental health medications at the same place they receive their physical care. GVHC currently has 13 behavioral health providers and three psychiatrists serving 17 of GVHC’s sites.
Behavioral health providers address severe mental illness as well as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, parenting concerns, stress, and other life struggles. In the integrated program, behavioral health clinicians work with primary care providers as a team to treat the whole person, addressing physical and mental health needs.
For more information, please contact:
Alex Abarca, LCSW
Director of Behavioral Health Services
(209) 385-5226 or
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Breast Cancer Research
With the support from the California Breast Cancer Research Program and in partnership with local researchers, Golden Valley Health Centers is creating, implementing and evaluating a health promotion research project (Project Perlas). The goal is to increase mammography screening among Latinas with Diabetes to help reduce the health disparity gap. The objectives of the project are to adapt an existing diabetes program to include components that may increase mammography screening and to assess the feasibility of the intervention.
For more information, please contact:
Christine Noguera
Deputy Chief Executive Officer
(209) 385-5220
Project Perlas: Mammography Screening Video
Healthy South Merced
The Healthy South Merced Project is a joint effort between GVHC and Neighbors United for a Better South Merced to improve their health by improving the South Merced neighborhood. Areas of focus include cooperation with the violence prevention program Operation Cease Fire, minimizing the stray dog population, bringing a grocery store to the neighborhood, a community garden project on the GVHC campus, and increasing safe accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists along highly utilized corridors of travel in South Merced. To better inform the wider South Merced community on relevant topics that impact their health, Neighbors United for a Better South Merced and GVHC staff hold a community meeting every first Wednesday of the month and a Community Clean Up twice a year to help fight blight in the neighborhood.
Contact us for more information or to join the mailing list for meetings and events.
For more information, please contact:
Mary-Michal Rawling
Community Health Program Manager
(209) 385-5490 or
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Dental Health
Recent research has shown that oral health is significantly associated with many health conditions. Golden Valley is working toward incorporating oral health into all health areas. A few examples are our Diabetes and Oral Health Project and our referral and tracking system for pregnant patients to see the dentist. Recently, an oral health needs assessment was done for the state of California, and it found that there is an exceptionally high rate of cavities in young children. GVHC will be doing a dental day for early screening and education of children 0-5. GVHC is also working on a fluoride varnish program in the future and creating open access for mothers to come in to the dentist to help overcome barriers to appropriate oral health care.
For more information, please contact:
Lisa Swenson, DDS
Chief Dental Officer
(209) 385-5472 or
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Reach Out and Read (ROR) Program
This program is part of the National ROR center, which promotes early literacy by making books a routine part of pediatric care. Golden Valley Health Centers¹ medical providers give children six months to five years of age a new book at every well-child visit. Along with the age and language appropriate book, parents also receive advice about the importance of reading aloud early to their children. Volunteer readers in the waiting rooms model reading techniques for parents as they wait to see the doctor. (Sponsored by: First 5 Merced County, Target Stores, National ROR Center, and Golden Valley Health Centers).
For more information, please contact:
César E. García
Reach Out and Read Coordinator
(209) 385-5412 or
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