SAN MATEO COUNTY: Unveils New Health Clinic
The San Mateo County Health Clinic, "a major component of the county's $109 million Health Center," opened its doors this weekend "with an open house and health fair." The San Mateo County Times reports that the clinic provides primary care, specialists' services, respiratory, pediatric, AIDS and OB/GYN clinics and psychiatric care. Ron Robinson, deputy director of hospital clinics for the county, said the clinic and center replace the old county hospital and outlying buildings which were not seismically sound or up to modern building codes. As part of the county health system, the clinic is required by state law "to provide health services to residents who are unable to pay for them." The county Board of Supervisors approved plans for the new center in 1993, despite some suggestions that the county could avoid the cost of building a new facility by farming out patients to other county or private hospitals. A study "showed that that would not be feasible." The County Times reports that San Mateo County contains about 70,000 uninsured or underinsured residents (Marinucci, 11/9).
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