Free clinics and low cost health centers across Ventura County
Ventura County's largest network of low cost clinics began as a small free clinic in Santa Paula in 1971. That organization is now Clinicas del Camino Real, and it operates sixteen health centers across the county. This guide covers that networks as well as the county's other medical, dental, and mental health options, with phone numbers, websites, and notes on who qualifies.
The county government runs a second large clinic system of its own, anchored by Ventura County Medical Center, with family medicine offices and walk-in urgent care from Oxnard to Simi Valley. Volunteer free clinics operate here too. The Free Clinic of Simi Valley, the Conejo Free Clinic in Thousand Oaks, and Westminster Free Clinic's weekly evening sessions all treat patients at no charge.
Clinic networks serving every part of the county
Clinicas del Camino Real is a federally funded health center with locations in Oxnard, Ventura, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Ojai, Camarillo, Moorpark, Newbury Park, and Simi Valley, plus two CarePlus urgent care centers that take walk-ins. Call the main office at 805-647-6353, or use the locations page at https://clinicas.org to find the direct number for the health center nearest you. Care is provided in English and Spanish.
- Each Clinicas health center combines several services under one roof, including family medicine, pediatrics, pregnancy care, dental care, eye care, mental health care, and x-rays. Patients with Medi-Cal, Medicare, or private insurance are accepted. Uninsured patients pay on a sliding fee scale based on income and family size.
Ventura County's own Health Care Agency runs a network of medical clinics as part of the county hospital system. Clinics operate in Ventura, Oxnard, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Thousand Oaks, and other communities, and several sites include urgent care with walk-in hours. Every clinic and its direct phone number is listed at https://hca.venturacounty.gov/ambulatory-care-clinic-locations/.
- The county clinics see patients by appointment and serve as the public safety net, so no one is denied access to services. They accept Medi-Cal, Medicare, and private insurance, and discounts are available for patients who qualify based on income. The same agency runs public health clinics that provide immunizations, family planning, and testing and treatment for TB, HIV, and other infections.
Community Memorial Healthcare, the nonprofit system behind the hospitals in Ventura and Ojai, operates more than twenty health centers across the west county. The offices provide primary and specialty care, accept Gold Coast Health Plan, which is the Medi-Cal plan for Ventura County, and include multiple urgent care locations. Find each office and its phone number at https://www.mycmh.org.
Clinics where care is completely free
The Free Clinic of Simi Valley provides medical care, dental care, counseling, and legal help from volunteer professionals. The clinic is now located at 2003 Royal Ave in Simi Valley. Call 805-522-3733 for an appointment. The website is https://www.freeclinicsv.com.
Anyone who is uninsured, underinsured, or otherwise unable to afford care can be seen, with no strict qualification rules. All visits are by appointment, and hours change each week based on volunteer availability, so check the schedule posted on the website. A donation is suggested at each visit, but no one is required to pay. Dental services generally run on weekdays and are popular, so expect a waiting list.
The Conejo Free Clinic at 80 E. Hillcrest Dr., Suite 102, in Thousand Oaks has offered free medical, dental, and legal services since 1976. Call 805-497-3575. The website is https://www.conejofreeclinic.org.
- More than one hundred volunteer doctors, nurses, dentists, and attorneys staff the clinic, which serves uninsured and underinsured residents of Ventura County and northern Los Angeles County. Services include primary care for ages 12 and up, women's health exams and cancer screenings, chronic disease management, and low cost or free medications. Dental care is prioritized through a simple income screening because demand is high. Everything is free, and donations are optional.
Westminster Free Clinic runs weekly evening clinics in three cities, generally on Tuesday evenings in Oxnard, Wednesday evenings in Thousand Oaks, and Thursday evenings in Santa Paula. Patients are seen first come, first served starting in the late afternoon, so arrive early. Call 805-241-8366 or check https://westminsterclinic.org for this week's details.
- The clinic is completely free and serves working people with no health insurance. Patients who already have Medi-Cal, Medicare, or other coverage are not eligible, because the clinic exists for people with no other option. Volunteer doctors work alongside trained local high school students, and services include medical visits, blood pressure and diabetes care, dietitian counseling, and free food distribution before clinic hours.
Dental care without dental insurance
Several of the organizations in this guide treat teeth. Clinicas del Camino Real offers dental care at most of its health centers, from cleanings and fillings to dentures, on the same sliding fee scale as its medical care. The Free Clinic of Simi Valley and the Conejo Free Clinic both provide free dental services through volunteer dentists, with waiting lists. The county's Magnolia Dental Clinic in Oxnard treats children, young adults, and pregnant patients with Medi-Cal, with income-based discounts, and its number is on the county clinic page listed earlier in this guide.
Oxnard College runs a dental hygiene clinic on its campus that is open to the public. Call 805-678-5823 to schedule. The clinic page is https://www.oxnardcollege.edu/dentalclinic. Dental hygiene students provide cleanings, deep cleanings, x-rays, fluoride, sealants, and oral cancer screenings under the supervision of licensed dentists and hygienists. Fees are low and set in advance, and children's cleanings cost nothing. Appointments take several hours because it is a teaching clinic, and openings follow the school calendar, so call to confirm the current schedule.
Anyone with Medi-Cal already has dental coverage through the Medi-Cal Dental program. Find a dentist who accepts it at https://smilecalifornia.org or by calling 800-322-6384.
Mental health treatment and the county crisis line
The entry point for county mental health and substance use care is the Ventura County Behavioral Health Access and Crisis Line at 866-998-2243. The line answers at all hours, every day, for people in crisis, people considering suicide, and anyone who simply needs help finding treatment. Details are at https://hca.venturacounty.gov/behavioral-health. You can also call or text 988 to reach the national crisis line.
Counseling is available at several places already in this guide. Clinicas provides mental health care at its health centers, and the Free Clinic of Simi Valley offers free ongoing counseling with trained volunteer counselors.
Women's health and veterans care
Planned Parenthood California Central Coast runs MULTIPLE health centers in the county, in Ventura, Oxnard, and Thousand Oaks. Call 888-898-3806 to book at any location. The affiliate's page is https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-california-central-coast. Services include birth control, STI testing and treatment, cancer screenings, pregnancy testing, and well person exams. Medi-Cal is accepted, and uninsured patients pay on a sliding scale based on income.
Veterans in the county are served by the Captain Rosemary Bryant Mariner Outpatient Clinic at 5250 Ralston St. in Ventura, part of the VA Greater Los Angeles system. Call 805-339-6400. The clinic provides primary care, mental health care, dental care for eligible veterans, women's health services with a separate entrance, labs, and physical therapy. Enrollment help is available at the clinic, and locations can be confirmed at https://www.va.gov/find-locations.
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