Major sponsors for the evening include Cambridge Investment Research/Nationwide, Health Plan of San Joaquin, Merino Computer Concepts, University of the Pacific, and WMB Architects.
Join Community Medical Centers for A Black & White Masquerade, our Annual Gala and one of the most anticipated events of the year. On February 7, guests will gather at the Stockton Golf & Country Club for an unforgettable evening of dining, dancing, and live and silent auctions—all in support of adolescent health in our community.
This year’s Gala also marks the public launch of CMC’s Capital Campaign to complete a new Adolescent Health Center in downtown Stockton. Your ticket helps advance a dedicated space for adolescents to receive specialized, age-appropriate care during a critical stage of life—while supporting the families who care for them.
Guests can look forward to:
Major sponsors for the evening include Cambridge Investment Research/Nationwide, Health Plan of San Joaquin, Merino Computer Concepts, University of the Pacific, and WMB Architects.
The new Adolescent Health Center will be housed in downtown Stockton’s historic Rock Building and is scheduled to open later this year. By attending the Gala, you are directly supporting an investment in adolescent health and helping ensure young people and their families can access the care they need close to home.
Purchase tickets here
Explore sponsorship opportunities
Ticket sales close January 30. Space is limited.
Dress in black and white. Masks encouraged. Impact guaranteed.
Christmas at the Shelters 2025 – Sponsored by the Stockton Ports and We Paint
Each holiday season, CMC staff come together to spread joy beyond our walls—collecting and delivering gifts to children in local homeless shelters. What began as a simple act of kindness has grown into an organization-wide effort that brings joy to more than 100 children each year.
Anuit Al Bahar, Medical Staff Coordinator, has quietly led this beloved holiday tradition at CMC for the past 10 years.
Throughout the season, staff donations fill break rooms with toys, clothes, and cozy comforts. Behind the scenes, Anuit and volunteers sort, match, and prepare every gift—navigating missing tags, last-minute requests, and ever-growing needs.
The highlight comes on delivery day, when Anuit (often dressed as the Grinch) helps hand out gifts to excited children and grateful families. The smiles, laughter, and tears of joy are a powerful reminder of the impact a caring community can make.
This decade-long tradition shows that when people come together, the holidays can truly brighten lives—proving that the greatest gift is the love we share with others.
Last year, Stockton native Juan Lopez Solorza, MD, joined Community Medical Centers (CMC) as the Associate Medical Director of the Family Medicine Residency Clinic at Channel. For a variety of reasons, the 30 medical residents under his guidance are grateful that the man best known to his colleagues as Dr. JLS chose to come to CMC.
His residents say his leadership extends far beyond medical training.
“He’s very good at showing us different ways to connect to our patients, whether that be trying to get them connected to food banks or different services, or if somebody has hypertension, we need to try to get them a blood-pressure cuff so they can measure their blood pressure at home,” says Resident Simerjit Gill, MD. “He’s very good at finding the different avenues to getting the things our patients need.”
Resident Tarek Fatahi, MD, added, “With Dr. JLS’ background and experience, it helps connect with the patients here, and I think that’s huge for the community.”
Attracted by the chance to make a bigger community impact and to be part of leadership, Dr. JLS came to CMC from Turlock-based Livingston Community Health, where he was Associate Medical Director. He says his goal at CMC is to retain as many residents as possible.
“One of the biggest challenges is trying to grow your own,” Dr. JLS says.
He also says he wants to start more groups where patients can discuss the medical challenges they are facing with nurses, doctors or health educators.
“Peer-to-peer learning is extremely powerful,” Dr. JLS says. “You get a nurse with a health educator or a doctor who comes in and reinforces everything that’s being talked about. I used to do cooking lessons and chair exercises for patients. I’d say, ‘Look, you live in an area where it’s dangerous. You don’t have to go anywhere to do these exercises.’
“Let’s take a group of people who have the same condition, let’s put them in a room and talk about it, and be respectful of each other, and see how we can make improvements.”
The Family Medicine Residency Program is operated by Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Medical Center, which partners with Community Medical Centers to provide residents with comprehensive clinical training. CMC serves as the program’s primary outpatient continuity clinic, where residents gain hands-on experience caring for patients and building strong connections within the community.
CMC’s Respite Center recently took a new approach to helping the patients residing there while they work to overcome substance-use disorder and get their lives back on track. The approach was to have the patients create journals as a form of therapy.
Paula Sheil — board president of Tuleburg Press, a Stockton-based nonprofit publishing company — led the six-week program. The Respite Center patients created leather-bound journals in which they expressed their innermost feelings during a difficult time in their lives.
“Writing, I believe, moves trauma out of your body,” Paula says. “This process manifests itself in a certain level of confidence and appreciation for your own abilities. I’m asking you to show me what you know through writing. We all don’t sing well, and we all don’t write well. But we are all singers, and we are all writers. I do believe people need to write to express themselves.”
It was Lei McMiller, CMC’s Director of Substance Use Disorder Services, who first approached Paula with the idea of the journaling program. Lei believed creating journals could be therapeutic for the Respite Center’s patients.
“It allows patients to learn from themselves,” Lei says. “Journaling gives them the ability to informally assess what’s gone on in their lives, recognize the things they may need to change, and also recognize the things they have control over or have a sense of empowerment from.”
Paula recalled one participant, a Respite Center patient in his early 40s with three sons. The man’s relationships had collapsed because of alcohol addiction, and he had been living on the streets. Journaling provided an avenue for healing.
“He really wanted to recapture his dignity and his life, and he really wanted to work again and to see his children regularly,” Paula says. “There was something about the process that was so personal to him, and he could hone in on his goal: to recover from his addiction and to make right his life. When he finished the journal, he was so proud of it. He held it to his chest.”
Anita Ydrogo, Center Manager at the Respite Center, says patients told her they appreciated the benefits of journaling.
“It gave them the ability to look within themselves, and to be able to share their journey, their trauma, their life,” Anita says. “It gave them a support group to share their feelings. They said they felt very free, very open, and they felt they were being heard, and that was very therapeutic for them.”
The recent journaling program is only part of Paula’s relationship with CMC. She is partnering with CMC to produce WordsOutspoken, the spoken-word event that will take place Oct. 25 at Delta College.
“We’re using the spoken word as a mental health/wellness supplement to a whole person,” Paula says. “If you have a story that’s traumatic and you write that down, you are letting out some of the pressure, just like a balloon.”
STOCKTON — Community Medical Centers and Tuleburg Press are bringing poetry, performance and storytelling to San Joaquin Delta College from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in a free, community-centered event that explores behavioral health, substance use and today’s social justice issues.
The WordsOutspoken Literary & Resource Fair will connect audiences with local writers, offer opportunities to engage with the literary arts, and highlight creative expression as a tool for healing and community dialogue. The event will take place at Delta College’s Dawn Mabalon Forum and feature an impressive lineup of poets and authors:
Alongside the live performances, Delta College’s Dolores Huerta Plaza will host a Community Poetry Wall inviting attendees to contribute their own words and reflections; a KidsLit Corner offering storytime, free books and fun activities for children; and an Open Mic tent providing attendees a chance to express themselves onstage. Booths featuring local artisans, small businesses and food vendors will fill the plaza.
“This event is unique because it combines the arts with healing, wellness and community engagement,” says Jennie Rodriguez, CMC Director of Development. “We’re celebrating community voices through poetry and performance, exploring topics like community trauma, social injustice, substance use, and behavioral health, while also connecting attendees with local resources.” Email WordsOutspoken@cmcenters.org for more information.
STOCKTON — Community Medical Centers will host an open house on Wednesday, Aug. 27, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., to introduce its new Manteca Recovery Center. The new space is designed to support patients who need outpatient sobering services and those working to overcome Substance Use Disorder (SUD).
The event will be held at CMC Manteca, 200 Cottage Ave. The Manteca Recovery Center is expected to open to patients in September.
“We’re very excited to bring recovery services to Manteca and the surrounding area,” CEO Greg Diederich said. “Our model of care is to offer substance use treatment side-by-side with primary care to improve access to services and reduce the stigma associated with seeking help.”
CMC Manteca already offers a wide range of healthcare services, including adult medicine, behavioral health, pediatrics, perinatal care, preventive dental, women’s health, and WIC.
The new facility is being established with $950,000 in federal funding secured by U.S. Congressman Josh Harder (D-Tracy) and an additional $840,000 from Health Plan of San Joaquin.
“We greatly appreciate the support that is enabling us to bring these much-needed services to the Manteca area,” said Chief Behavioral Health Officer Alfonso Apu. “The Manteca Recovery Center will benefit not only patients and their families, but the entire community.”
At full staffing, the new location will offer counseling, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), sobering services, mental health and trauma treatment, case management, linkage to CMC’s Respite Center in Stockton, and referrals to community partner programs.
The Manteca Recovery Center will also give the Manteca Police Department a new alternative to support individuals struggling with substance use, helping divert them from jail and into care.
“Substance use disorder comes with complex challenges and social stigma,” said Lei McMiller, CMC’s Director of Substance Use Disorder Services. “It’s vital for individuals seeking recovery to have a safe, supportive environment where they can access the services and treatment they need.”
With the addition of the Manteca Recovery Center, CMC expands its outpatient recovery services, complementing existing programs at Tracy Central and Waterloo, as well as its Respite Center in downtown Stockton, which offers inpatient care.
As with all CMC services, care will be available to everyone in need, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. For more information or to RSVP, visit our webpage, email info@cmcenters.org, or call (209) 373-2430.
National Health Center Week (Aug. 3-9) is an annual event that recognizes the invaluable contributions organizations like Community Medical Centers (CMC) have made to their communities since the 1960s. This year’s theme is “America’s Health Centers: Celebrating 60 Years of Improving Our Nation’s Health.”
The work that led to CMC’s establishment began 57 years ago, when physicians, nurses, and dentists from the San Joaquin Medical Society began volunteering in local fields and orchards to care for farmworkers and their families. Today, CMC operates 29 service sites, serves over 116,000 patients each year, and employs more than 1,100 staff members.
During this special week, CMC will honor the contributions of its partners, patients, and employees. The celebration culminates in a free Health & Resource Fair on Saturday, August 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Stockton Ports Baseball Stadium, 404 W. Fremont St., in Stockton.
“This free event is a chance for the entire community to come together, receive important health information, and also have a good time in support of our mission to improve health and well-being in our communities,” said CMC Chief Executive Officer Greg Diederich. “We hope everyone will take themselves out to the ballpark for what promises to be a very enjoyable and informative day.”
Visitors to the Health & Resource Fair will have the opportunity to receive free health screenings, access wellness information, enjoy family-friendly activities, and learn more about local resources. Giveaways and prizes will be available while supplies last.
Major sponsors of the event include Health Plan of San Joaquin, Kaiser Permanente, Dameron Hospital, Health Net of California, and Gilead Sciences. Community organizations, including Bread of Life, the Emergency Food Bank, and Little Manila Rising, will have booths. Representatives from the City of Stockton’s Community Services Department, along with San Joaquin County’s departments of Aging & Community Services, Behavioral Health Services, and Child Support Services, will also be in attendance.
CMC program staff from Behavioral Health, CareLink/Mobile Community Response, Health Coverage Counseling, Health Education, HIV Early Intervention, Population Health, Substance Use Disorder Treatment, and WIC will participate. Health screenings will be performed by CMC nurses, physicians, and resident physicians from the St. Joseph’s Medical Center Family Medicine Residency program located at CMC Channel.
“Early detection is key when it comes to managing chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure,” said CMC Associate Medical Director of Family Medicine Dr. Juan Lopez Solorza. “This health fair is a great opportunity for our community to access free screenings, learn their numbers, and take steps toward better long-term health.”
Organizations like CMC are a cornerstone of the U.S. healthcare system, serving 1 in 5 uninsured individuals, 1 in 3 people living in poverty, and 9.4 million children. Despite delivering care to over 32.5 million patients annually, community health centers account for approximately 1% of total U.S. healthcare spending—making them among the most cost-effective solutions for improving public health.
We’re excited to announce that CMC will soon be upgrading to a new electronic health record (EHR) system called Epic. This new system will help us improve quality, efficiency, access, and communication for our patients.
We’ve put a lot of effort into planning a smooth transition, but we do expect some temporary challenges that might affect access to CMC:
Thank you for your understanding and patience during this transition. Please check back here for updates.
Stockton, CA — The Board of Directors of Community Medical Centers (CMC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Greg Diederich as the nonprofit’s new Chief Executive Officer. Based in Stockton, CMC is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) dedicated to improving the health and well-being of low-income and underserved populations.
With a distinguished career in healthcare spanning three decades, Diederich has held key leadership positions, most recently serving as director of the San Joaquin County Health Care Services Agency. In this role, he oversaw a comprehensive agency with a budget exceeding $459 million and approximately 1,470 employees. His leadership was instrumental in achieving national accreditation for the Public Health Department and implementing many innovative programs, including the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System and a Jail-Based Competency Treatment program.
“We are thrilled to welcome Greg as our new CEO,” said CMC Board President Jasmine Leek Peterson. “His knowledge of the community and his understanding of healthcare delivery systems will be invaluable as we work to meet the needs of our community.”
Diederich also served as interim CEO for SJ Health, an FQHC look-alike, where he managed seven primary healthcare clinics and a mobile clinic, serving over 33,000 patients annually. His tenure as Chair of the San Joaquin County Health Commission saw significant improvements in quality scores, financial stability, and the expansion of services into additional counties.
“I am honored to be chosen for this important role,” said Diederich. “The CMC mission resonates with me because I believe all of us have a responsibility to look out for our neighbors. I welcome the opportunity to work with senior leadership to guide CMC into the future and continue the legacy of caring for all the members of our community.”
Before moving to the Central Valley, Diederich graduated with honors from Notre Dame High School in Riverside and earned both a B.A. in Business Economics and an M.A. in Economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Diederich will step into his new role on Nov. 18, following the retirement of Christine Noguera, who has served as CEO since 2014.
