ABOUT THE CLINIC

Mission, Vision, and Legacy

The Order of Malta Clinic of Northern California is a free nonprofit healthcare clinic located in downtown Oakland, adjacent to The Cathedral of Christ the Light. Staffed by an all-volunteer team of physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, the Clinic provides comprehensive preventative and specialty medical care to more than 5,000 uninsured and underserved patients a year. As part of our commitment to providing care to those in need, all medical services and treatments are provided at absolutely no cost to patients.

This past year, our Clinic witnessed a significant surge in employed yet uninsured patients, underscoring the critical need for affordable and accessible healthcare. These patients are often one medical crisis away from serious financial hardships and rely on the Clinic’s free services to avoid housing insecurity.

While our doors were temporarily closed for construction last year, our commitment to providing essential healthcare remained unwavering. Through telehealth services, community programs, and strategic partnerships, we ensured patients continued to have access to care and treatment. Despite the closure, we served nearly 4,000 patients— highlighting the growing need for accessible healthcare in our community.

Although the Clinic is located in Oakland, our impact reaches communities throughout Northern California. Our services now extend to patients hailing from more than 80 cities in the Bay Area and beyond, reaching as far as Sacramento, Santa Clara, and Sonoma counties.

Our Story

The Clinic was first envisioned in 2005 by the former Bishop of Oakland, Allen Vigneron, and the President of the Western Association of the Order of Malta, Richard Madden. Rising from the Order of Malta’s commitment to practice charity to the sick and the poor, both men saw the opportunity to positively impact the health and well-being of the uninsured and the vulnerable of the Greater Bay Area. In 2008, several devoted Knights and Dames of the Order, under the leadership of the first President of the Clinic, William McInerney, partnered with the Western Association and the Diocese of Oakland to create the very successful Order of Malta Clinic of Northern California.

Our Mission

Uphold human dignity and care for people in need.

Our Model

Our team is composed of more than 65 volunteer physicians, nurses and support staff, all committed to delivering high-quality care to those who need it most. Our streamlined operations and proven model allow us to provide medical care at $150 per patient visit on average, in contrast with a $2,715 visit to an emergency room physician.

Our Legacy

The Order of Malta’s story began more than 900 years ago in 1048 A.D., when a group of hospitaller monks of the Order of St. John were asked to manage and staff a hospital in Jerusalem, caring for pilgrims and travelers of various faiths. That group of monks acted accordingly, and thereby founded the organization presently known as the Order of Malta, a lay religious order of the Catholic Church which ministers to the sick and the poor of many nations.

Today, we are honored to carry on the Order of Malta’s legacy of service by caring for the Bay Area’s uninsured and underrepresented communities. This includes undocumented families who are wary of seeking medical attention at physician offices or hospitals, as well as patients who do not visit a doctor regularly or have received little to no medical attention in recent years. For these individuals, our Clinic is their only source of safe medical care, in an environment of trust and compassion.