Celebrating 110 years of service to our community: Huntington Ambulatory Care Center

In 1915, Woodrow Wilson was president, World War I raged on, women were fighting for their right to vote, and Huntington Ambulatory Care Clinic (HACC) opened its doors. Back then, HACC was called the Pasadena Dispensary. To help those in need, its staff provided medications and medical care - and for a time, prepared infant formula in its kitchen to distribute to the community.

The dispensary was founded by a committee within the Pasadena Hospital Board to deliver outpatient care for sick Pasadena residents unable to pay private physician fees. After careful planning, prominent women in the committee raised funds for its construction and secured land from Pasadena Hospital on the southeast corner of Congress Street and Fairmount Avenue. It was staffed by Pasadena Hospital doctors - who did not charge for their services - and two to three nursing students who cleaned/prepared the clinic, admitted patients /managed their records and assisted doctors. (The nursing students also had to weed the clinic's garden!) Membership dues paid for these daily operations.

In time, the staff expanded to include registered nurses, social workers and volunteers. In 1922, the dispensary obtained ongoing financial support from the Community Chest and enhanced its operations by collaborating with the Pasadena Health Department and other government agencies. By 1947, the dispensary operated 21 clinics to address numerous medical needs. In 1948, it was decided to add medical and surgical residents to better meet the clinic's needs. Today, this once modest dispensary is now HACC, a full-service medical clinic that provides excellent primary care, sub-specialty care and surgical services to adults and seniors in an outpatient setting.

HACC currently has nine staff members, including a medical director, nursing supervisor, nurses, medical assistant, an ambulatory care technician, and a social worker. It also has over 30 internal medicine and surgical resident doctors and attending physicians. Located on the ground floor of the Wingate Building on the Huntington Hospital campus, HACC offers 20 clinics, including various sub-specialties and a primary care clinic.

In addition, in keeping with its original philanthropic roots, it provides a financial assistance program. Patient assistance efforts at HACC are supported by Huntington's generous donors, Martha and David Ho and Dr. Robert Siew.

In a recent interview, Talar Kavafyan, MD, director of HACC, shared how this program impacts patients. "Recently, a patient without insurance was able to get two complex thyroid surgeries to remove a cancerous growth through our charity care program," she explained. "Also, a patient hospitalized for congestive heart failure and complications from uncontrolled diabetes was discharged with the daunting task of managing nine new prescriptions. The cost of the medications without insurance was staggering. Fortunately, while awaiting Medi-Cal approval, a process that can take up to 60 days, we were able to help the patient access our funds and get his medications."

HACC staff and physicians continue to support the community in every way possible. They participate in various community outreach events, going out into the community to provide blood pressure and blood sugar screenings. To learn more about HACC and its recently expanded pulmonary clinic, click here.