In 1976, a group of Gray Panthers – activists and advocates against ageism – came together to address the growing need for healthcare services for older adults in their community. They built the “Over 60 Health Center” in a storefront on San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley CA as an innovative clinic to address this need. In 1996, “Over 60” merged with the Berkeley Primary Care Access Clinic and West Berkely Health Center to create a non-profit community health center network known as LifeLong Medical Care. Fifty years on, what was built on the premise that all people have the right to health care access has grown to serve an expansive set of communities and people across the lifespan.
LifeLong Medical Care now serves more than 53,000 patients each year across Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the East Bay region. Primary care is at the root of LifeLong’s mission. Over the years it has added services for all adults, children, those with unstable housing, behavioral health challenges, dental needs, and multiple chronic conditions, continuing to define community-responsive integrated care. Its robust network of primary care centers and dental centers is complemented by school-based health centers, adult day health programs, supportive housing, medical respite, and urgent care, as well 2 mobile dental vans, 5 street medicine vans. Street Medicine program launched in 2020.
In 2020, the health center added integrated oral health services to strengthen the comprehensive whole-person care model. Operating both dental clinics and mobile dental units allows the organization to truly meet people where they are. Lifelong’s dental program includes a Senior Oral Health Clinic supported by Delta Dental and a research partnership with UCSF, which serves unhoused patients age 50+.
LifeLong is a teaching health center, graduating its first class Family Medicine Residency class in 2023. The health center is investing in the next generating by training 6 doctors each year since in community-based primary care. Training is also offered in behavioral health, through graduate social work and marriage and family therapy st externship opportunities across the health center’s services. LifeLong’s Dental Externship program in partnership with Howard University, provides many cohorts of students with experience serving the dynamic needs of the Bay Area and inspiring future clinicians to invest in community-centered work.
LifeLong’s commitment to the community runs deep, evidenced by their many programs that support care for all members of the community including unhoused individuals. The health center has provided supportive housing for nearly 800 community members. Through their Trust Health Centers, LifeLong offers primary care, HIV+ care, podiatry, behavioral health care, case management, recovery support services and temporary respite tailored to those experiencing homelessness. But care doesn’t stop where the clinic walls end. LifeLong’s street medicine team routinely visits encampments and other places where unhoused people gather in, providing on-the-ground services for acute and chronic conditions including behavioral health, dentistry, and case management. These services make a tangible impact – while homelessness in the Bay Area rose 6% in 2024, the health center’s service area in Alameda County saw a 3% drop and the City of Berkeley, a 20% drop.
Throughout its history, LifeLong has paired innovative and robust service delivery with advocacy. From its Gray Panther roots to its ongoing policy engagement, the organization has championed expanded home- and community-based care, access for people with disabilities, and reductions in health disparities.
Fifty years after a small group of activists opened a storefront clinic, LifeLong Medical Care stands as a regional safety net rooted in community power. Though the setting may have changed and the model of care evolved, LifeLong Medical Care has grown its footprint based on the singular mission that started all those years ago.
