This August, Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties (PPOSBC) is celebrating a decade of primary care through Melody Health. As one of the only affiliates to offer these services to our community, we have the unique opportunity to ensure that our patients have access to quality primary care with the same level of compassion and expertise that they receive at Planned Parenthood.
“One of the most gratifying things about starting Melody Health was that it was up to us to decide what primary care was going to look like for us,” said Dr. Connolly. “But that also meant we had complete control to make the most of our patient experience and to create an accessible and non-judgmental space for those we serve.”
Luckily the culture to achieve this mission was already in place. Continues Dr. Conolly: “the beautiful thing about working for PPOSBC is that you never have to explain the right thing to do for patients. It already is in front of mind because that’s what’s engrained into who we are and everything that we do.”
It’s because of that sentiment, Melody Health continues to expand and grow. What started with two physicians at six locations is now nine physicians and 15 advanced practice providers with more than 18,000 patients on our panels at seven health center locations across Orange and San Bernardino Counties. Last year alone, Melody Health conducted 40,560 primary care visits, averaging 3,000 per month.
In the past two years, Melody Health has also added capacity for gender-affirming care and expanded mental health services through our online behavioral treatment program. Now in its second year, our online behavioral visits doubled with our health counselors and therapists managing 3,700 visits in FY 2022/2023.
Looking back ten years ago to its inception, it’s remarkable to see how much Melody Health has transformed, expanded and evolved from hundreds of patients in a year to seeing that many in a day. Ten years from now, we have no doubt that Melody Health will continue to transform as we continue to proactively assess the needs of the region we serve and find new opportunities to provide the compassionate, quality primary care that our patients love.
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