Our Mission

Accessibility to high quality healthcare is essential in a strong community. Coastside Family Medical Center exists to provide this access through the delivery of exceptional family practice and pediatric care to all — those who can afford it and those who cannot.

Our History

The Coastside Clinic was established in 1985 in Half Moon Bay, Calif., by a group of private practice physicians. Acquired by Stanford Hospital and Clinics in 1995, it operated as a department of Stanford until early 2001, when Stanford made the decision to close its off-campus clinics, including Coastside Clinic.

In response to the threat of losing a large portion of its primary care providers, a group of concerned Coastside citizens led the effort in forming a new entity that would continue to serve the needs of the community. As a result, Coastside Family Medical Center (CFMC) was founded in October 2001, when all clinic responsibilities were handed over from Stanford to CFMC. Affiliated with CFMC, Mills-Peninsula Health Services was a vital partner in facilitating this transition, providing both financial and in-kind support.

Coastside Family Medical Center was formed as a nonprofit public benefit corporation and has tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. As the only full-time and fully-operational healthcare clinic in the region, CFMC has a tremendous task of administering quality care to a diverse mix of patients. San Mateo County is one of the most affluent counties in the state, yet it is estimated that there are approximately 135,000 adults and almost 3,000 children without health insurance in the region.

Since its establishment, CFMC has filled major gaps in care within the county. In 2002, a small health clinic was established in Pescadero by the South Coast Collaborative (SCC), comprised of a group of local community members concerned about the lack of social services for residents of the four remote towns in the region. The purpose of this project was to maintain locally available health services for the most vulnerable residents of the community who, without these services do not have access and go without care due to lack of transportation, insurance and the ability to pay, as well as language barriers. Funding sustained the clinic for two years, and when county services left, CFMC stepped in. 

CFMC serves approximately 26,000 patient visits annually — 40 percent of whom are underinsured. We accept most types of insurance and also offer services on a discount program , based on the federal sliding-fee guidelines. While all patients are asked to pay some portion of their fees, no one is denied care due to inability to pay.

CFMC works with several community agencies on the coast and with the San Mateo County Public Health Department in the coordination of services for migrant and seasonal farm workers.