Sacramento County Health Center
Sacramento County Health Center provides primary care, preventive services, and behavioral health care for county residents, including people with Medi-Cal and those who are uninsured or underinsured. This article explains the center’s services, accepted coverage, appointment procedures, community programs, and medical records requirements so you can choose the appropriate service and prepare for your visit.
Who the Health Center Serves
The Sacramento County Health Center is a Federally Qualified Health Center operated through Sacramento County Health Services. It serves low-income and medically underserved residents through adult medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, and related services. Its main clinic is on Broadway in Sacramento, with additional programs that bring care into schools and the community.
The center functions as a medical home: a place where patients receive ongoing primary care and help coordinating other health services. Patients have a primary care provider, often called a PCP, who works with a team that may include nurses, medical assistants, behavioral health clinicians, pharmacists, and office staff. This arrangement supports continuing care rather than treating each appointment as an isolated visit.
Available care includes routine checkups, management of long-term conditions, treatment of acute illnesses, screening, and referrals. Some specialty services are available on-site, but the center describes these as limited. When a condition requires other care, the primary care team coordinates referrals to appropriate specialists.
Coverage and Enrollment Assistance
The center accepts several forms of health coverage. Its published coverage information includes the following:
Medi-Cal Fee-for-Service.
Medi-Cal Managed Care for members enrolled with the County Health Center.
Healthy Partners.
Medicare.
Combined Medicare and Medi-Cal coverage, sometimes called Medi-Medi.
A sliding fee scale for qualifying patients, subject to income restrictions.
Having a Medi-Cal managed care plan and being enrolled with the County Health Center are separate considerations. The center specifically identifies enrolled members in its managed care coverage information. Registration or Member Services staff can help you address questions about coverage and your relationship with the clinic before an appointment.
Patients with low incomes who do not have health coverage may qualify for the sliding fee scale. Qualification depends on income restrictions; it is not an automatic benefit for every uninsured patient. Ask registration or Member Services staff for assistance with this option.
Staff also assist with obtaining or renewing health care coverage. If your income, marital status, or other circumstances have changed, discuss those changes when seeking enrollment help. The patient handbook identifies separate contacts for clinic Member Services, Medi-Cal eligibility issues, and Medicare issues. These offices handle different questions, so a clinic appointment request should go to the Health Center rather than an eligibility office.
Primary Care for Adults and Families
Adult Medicine
Adult Medicine provides comprehensive primary care, including preventive services, chronic disease management, and coordination with other providers. Patients can receive ongoing care for conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, along with education and follow-up visits.
The department maintains dedicated same-day appointment capacity for urgent needs. Contact the center to request an appointment when you need prompt attention. Same-day scheduling is an appointment service; the county’s description does not establish an unrestricted walk-in service at the main clinic.
Family Medicine
Family Medicine provides primary care for individuals and families across the lifespan. Services include preventive care, management of chronic conditions, and coordination of treatment. The center’s service information also includes obstetrics and gynecology within its family medicine offerings.
Primary care visits may include annual checkups, immunizations, screenings, evaluation of illnesses, and patient education. Your provider can discuss which screenings and follow-up services apply to your care. The center also offers communicable disease screening and referrals when a patient needs services beyond those provided at the clinic.
Pediatrics and the Circle Clinic
The Pediatric Department provides primary care for children through pediatricians, residents, and nurse practitioners. Its services support low-income and medically underserved families throughout the county.
The department includes the Circle Clinic, a specialized program for children and youth in foster care. The county describes this program as providing trauma-informed care. Families seeking this service should identify the Circle Clinic when discussing their child’s care with the Health Center so the request reaches the appropriate program.
Appointments and Clinic Hours
The main Health Center’s office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The patient handbook also identifies holiday closures. Use the center’s appointment number for scheduling, cancellations, rescheduling, or help confirming the date of an existing appointment.
The county’s appointment and contact information page explains the first-visit arrival requirement and after-hours contact options. For a first appointment, arrive at least 30 minutes early to complete necessary forms. The patient handbook asks returning patients to arrive 15 minutes before subsequent appointments.
If you cannot attend, notify the center at least 24 hours in advance or as soon as possible. Giving notice allows staff to offer the appointment to another patient. If you have forgotten your appointment time, contact the clinic for confirmation.
Documents and Items to Bring
Prepare the following items for your appointment:
Your Medi-Cal, Medicare, or Healthy Partners card, as applicable.
Valid photo identification, such as a driver’s license, state-issued identification card, or passport.
Completed forms, if you have them, or time to complete the required paperwork at the clinic.
The medications you are taking.
Information provided to you after a recent hospital stay or emergency department visit.
Registration staff can help if you need assistance completing paperwork. Keep your contact information current as well. Staff ask for telephone numbers and whether you would like appointment reminders by text message.
What Happens During a Visit
Registration staff first check you in. A medical assistant then measures items such as your weight, height, blood pressure, and pulse. Your primary care provider reviews your medical history and examines you. Before leaving, you can schedule your next appointment.
Tell the care team about changes in your condition and discuss the concerns you want addressed. The center’s medical home approach includes patient participation in treatment decisions, so ask for clarification when instructions or treatment options are unclear.
Behavioral Health Services
Behavioral health care at the center includes individual counseling, psychiatry, medication management, education, and supportive services. The patient handbook also identifies buprenorphine treatment and referrals for detoxification and residential treatment.
Behavioral health appointments are requested through the Health Center’s appointment number. These services are part of the center’s broader approach to primary and behavioral health care. Patients can also discuss behavioral health concerns with their primary care provider.
On-site treatment and referrals serve different purposes. A referral for detoxification or residential treatment connects a patient with another level or location of care; it does not mean that residential treatment takes place at the Broadway clinic.
Laboratory, Imaging, and Pharmacy Services
The center has on-site laboratory, radiology, and limited pharmacy services. Having these services at the clinic can support coordinated care, but your health plan and the service you need may determine where you receive testing or fill a prescription.
Laboratory Testing and Results
Most routine laboratory testing is available on-site. Some health plans or medical groups require patients to use another laboratory, and the care team will let you know when that applies.
Ask your primary care provider how and when you will receive test results. The location where a test is performed and the way results are communicated are separate parts of the process. Confirm the expected follow-up with your care team rather than assuming every result will be delivered in the same way.
Radiology and Other Imaging
An on-site radiology clinic provides imaging services. Other radiology or imaging procedures may take place elsewhere, depending on your health plan and clinical needs. Your provider or care team will explain where to go for the service ordered.
Prescriptions and Refill Requests
The on-site pharmacy provides limited services. Some patients need to fill prescriptions at another pharmacy, and the provider will discuss where prescriptions should be filled.
The patient handbook asks patients to request prescription refills at least 14 days before running out. Track your remaining supply and submit the request with that lead time. If you have questions about a medication or its refill, ask the care team or pharmacy staff.
MyChart and Patient Communication
Health Center patients can use MyChart to access personal health information securely online. The county’s Health Center services and patient access page includes the MyChart sign-in and sign-up option.
The portal supports communication with your doctor, viewing test results and provider comments, requesting refills for refillable medications, and managing appointments. Patients can also view details of past and upcoming appointments. Registration and Member Services staff ask patients about signing up for the portal.
MyChart messaging is not intended for matters requiring urgent attention. Contact the provider’s office for urgent medical concerns. For a life-threatening emergency, call 911.
After-Hours Care and Hospital Follow-Up
When the Health Center is closed and you have a question for your doctor, the county’s appointment page directs patients to call the main clinic number to connect with a health professional. The patient handbook specifically identifies that number for after-hours nurse advice for Healthy Partners, sliding fee scale, and Medi-Cal Fee-for-Service members.
Medi-Cal Managed Care members also have access to their health plan’s member services and 24-hour nurse advice line. The plan can provide information about its urgent care clinics. Use the advice-line information supplied by your health plan when seeking that service.
If you or your child is hospitalized, the handbook asks that you or someone close to you notify the Health Center. The center can share treatment information with the hospital, notify your primary care provider, and arrange follow-up. The handbook describes scheduling a follow-up visit within a week of discharge.
Bring the hospital or emergency department paperwork to your clinic visit. This gives the care team the discharge information provided to you and supports coordination between hospital treatment and ongoing primary care.
Community and Refugee Health Programs
School-Based Health Centers
Sacramento County works with multiple school districts to provide on-campus mental health services in underserved schools. These programs also link students to medical care, including well-child visits and immunizations at a local Federally Qualified Health Center or health center.
The distinction between services matters: the county describes mental health services on campus and connections to medical care at local health centers. A school-based program should not be assumed to offer every service available at the main clinic.
Mobile Medicine Van
The Mobile Medicine Van, called Wellness Without Walls, brings clinical services and referrals to unhoused communities and transitional-aged youth. Its services include HIV care, sexual health services, and broader clinical support.
The program is intended to improve access to health services, information, and resources among marginalized communities in Sacramento County. It extends the center’s reach beyond the main building through mobile service delivery.
Refugee Health Clinic
The Refugee Health Clinic provides culturally and linguistically appropriate health assessments for newly arriving refugees and asylees. Families are connected with health, behavioral health, and dental services for ongoing care.
The county identifies referrals from local resettlement agencies as the eligibility pathway for refugees. This specialized assessment program has a different purpose from routine primary care: it evaluates newly arriving patients and helps connect families with continuing services.
Copies of Your Medical Records
A request for copies of medical records requires an originally signed Authorization to Release Medical Records, Form 2099, and a copy of the patient’s photo identification. Electronic signatures cannot be accepted. Complete the authorization with an original signature before submitting the request.
Submissions may be emailed to DHS-FAX-PHSMRRequest@SacCounty.gov or sent to the records fax number in the contact list below. A request submitted by a third party must also include a check or money order for the $15 processing fee. The county specifies this payment requirement for third-party submissions.
Requests are processed in the order received. The county states that records should be sent within 10 days of receiving the request. For additional information, or to check a request after 10 days, contact the medical records number. Leave only one voicemail message so staff can respond to calls in a timely manner.
MyChart access and a formal records request are separate services. The portal allows patients to view available personal health information online; obtaining copies through the records process requires the signed authorization and identification described above.
Language Access and Patient Rights
The Sacramento County Health Center Patient Handbook explains patient rights, appointment expectations, and clinic procedures. Patients have the right to understandable information about their health, treatment, providers, and health plan.
You may ask for a provider or interpreter who speaks your language when receiving health services. The handbook also states that patients who have a disability or do not understand information will receive help so they can make informed health care decisions.
Other rights include respectful care, private discussions with providers, protection of health information, and participation in treatment decisions. Patients may review and copy their medical records and ask their doctor to correct information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or unrelated to their care.
The handbook also describes the right to a fair review of complaints involving health plans, providers, facilities, waiting times, and available hours. Patients are expected to attend appointments on time, communicate relevant health information, report changes in their condition, and treat staff and other patients respectfully.
Health Center Office Contacts
Sacramento County Health Center
4600 Broadway, Sacramento, CA 95820
Phone: (916) 874-9670
County Health Center Member Services
Phone: (916) 874-1805
Pharmacy Services
Phone: (916) 874-4342
Medical Records Requests
Phone: (916) 874-9298
Fax: (916) 854-9251
Department of Human Assistance
Phone: (916) 874-3100
Social Security Office
Phone: 1-877-274-5419