Ben Hensley<\/a><\/p>\nUnited Health Centers of the San Joaquin Valley (UHC) cut the ribbon for its 40th location on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, marking a major milestone for one of the region\u2019s largest and fastest-growing safety-net providers.<\/p>\n
The new Fresno Shields Health Center west of Highway 99 represents more than just another dot on the map for the Valley provider; for UHC, their 40th location underscores years of rapid growth to meet demand in underserved neighborhoods across the Valley.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis new site allows us to continue meeting patients where they are and ensuring access to essential health care services,\u201d said Justin Preas, president and CEO of United Health Centers.<\/p>\n
Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said the organization\u2019s expansion represents a \u201ctestament to their commitment to the folks in Fresno,\u201d noting the specific impact on areas that have historically seen many residents underserved.<\/p>\n
The home of the 10,070-square-foot Shields Avenue facility was first acquired by the provider before the pandemic. The health center sits in a West Fresno a community that local leaders, including Fresno City Councilmember Annalisa Perea who represents the district \u2014 acknowledge have been long underserved.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a part of my district that\u2019s extremely rich in people, in culture, in strength and resilience, but the level of investment and access to resources has not always been there,\u201d Perea said. \u201cI\u2019m proud to say that today we are closing that gap; we\u2019re breaking down that barrier between east and west of 99, and it\u2019s through investments like this one where we\u2019re continuing to increase access to resources, specifically in health care, specifically in parts of our city that are a health care desert.\u201d<\/p>\n
Preas echoed Perea\u2019s sentiment, adding that access to health care is the root of what makes communities successful.<\/p>\n
\u201cAreas like this are areas that have been forgotten for so long and really are a desert for affordable and accessible health care,\u201d Preas said. \u201cIf people don\u2019t have good health care or access to it, so many other things in life are just not possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new center offers medical, dental, behavioral health, chiropractic, women\u2019s health and X-ray and lab services. Officials said the integrated model is designed to keep patients out of overcrowded emergency rooms, addressing needs earlier and closer to home.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur job is to keep them out of the hospital,\u201d Preas said. \u201cIf we can take care of people in their backyard and provide those basic services so that people don\u2019t have to use our emergency rooms, then we\u2019re really doing our job here.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to care and delivery, the facility carries an economic impact; Preas emphasized that UHC employees dine, shop and get gas nearby \u2014 fueling the small business economy in the surrounding area.<\/p>\n
Preas added that UHC aims to continue expanding its footprint in underserved regions, adding that walk-ins are welcome at all facilities and emphasized that no patient is turned away, regardless of ability to pay.<\/p>\n
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