“I had a dream of what it could become,” says Mrs. Carmen Martinez, one of the founding mothers of what is today San Ysidro Health in San Diego County. In 1969, Mrs. Martinez, along with several other mothers who had limited formal education and few resources, organized a community group to advocate for healthcare for women and children with no access to doctors. Martinez worked during the day and at night met with stakeholders to establish San Ysidro’s first site, a little white house — “la casita” — staffed entirely by volunteers.
San Ysidro Health’s Founding Mothers formed el Club de Madres to help their children and people in the community find affordable and culturally appropriate healthcare within their own neighborhoods.
The legacy of Mrs. Martinez, who recently turned 101, continues to inspire those around her: “If I could do it, then you can too.”
San Ysidro’s Founding Mother Mrs. Carmen Martinez Reflects on Her Legacy
As described on their website, San Ysidro’s name and brand identity pay homage to its humble beginnings in the community where it was established 55 years ago. This community was named in honor of San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers, day laborers, and rural communities—the working poor. San Ysidro spent his life as a hired hand and always shared what little he had, even his meals, with people in need. The San Ysidro health center embodies these values of compassion and care for others through its mission to improve the health and well-being of all in the communities it serves, especially the most vulnerable across San Diego County. Learn more about San Ysidro’s history.
San Ysidro now a state-of-the-art provider of healthcare and other services
From its founding decades ago by mothers in search of medical services for their children, San Ysidro has grown into a vast and integrated network of 50 program sites across San Diego County. San Ysidro Health provides an array of services, including innovative medical, dental, and behavioral health care; HIV centers; WIC nutrition centers, mobile medical units, school-based health centers; and a senior health center — for all patients, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.
Related: Community Power Building in San Ysidro