San Diego Arthritis Clinic Network

The San Diego Area Chapter is the only Arthritis Foundation chapter in the country currently providing a clinic network offering initial diagnostic and follow-up care for individuals with arthritis who have no form of insurance or means of medical care.

Clinic Locations

The Chapter operates this network from four clinic locations in San Diego County:

Downtown San Diego (at St. Vincent DePaul Villages)
Kearny Mesa (at Children’s Hospital)
Vista (at the Vista Community Clinic)
San Ysidro (at the San Ysidro Health Center)

The Arthritis Foundation has been serving San Diegans since 1963, and collaborating with other agencies operating clinic facilities to provide quality specialized arthritis health care since 1998. The clinic network’s board-certified rheumatologists, and the rheumatology fellows they supervise, are associated with renowned institutions, such as University of California, San Diego, and Scripps Health Care.

Physicians and rheumatology fellows have, at minimum, a basic knowledge of Spanish that allows them to communicate with clients in Spanish to perform in-depth physical examinations, and take medical histories without adding additional burden to sick clients who may not speak English. Clients attending clinic sessions at any of the four current locations also have access to a translator if he or she needs clarification of the physician’s orders and use of the prescribed medications.

Because the Arthritis Foundation, San Diego Area Chapter, does not own or operate physical clinic facilities, partnering with established organizations that do, such as our current partners, is critical to our continuing service delivery in the most cost-effective means possible. The Arthritis Foundation Free Clinic Network has served more than 500 clients through 1,600+ visits since its inception in 1998. The clinic network provides care only for the working poor, specifically those individuals who have no form of medical insurance and earn too much to qualify for public welfare. Case managers at each partnering clinic site ensure that each patient is enrolled for any public services to which they may be entitled. Those in need of treatment, or a diagnosis, for arthritis and related diseases who do not have the public benefits or insurance needed for care elsewhere are then scheduled for an appointment at our arthritis clinic. They then receive, at no cost, the necessary medical attention to appropriately diagnose and/or treat their condition. Patients in need of treatment, who have the insurance or public benefits to qualify for that treatment elsewhere, are referred to an appropriate healthcare provider.