(May 23, 2014) LIVE OAK — About 200 people showed up Friday morning to celebrate something Live Oak has needed for a long time: A family-friendly and state-of-the-art medical clinic with more than a dozen practitioners to treat patients.

The East Cliff Family Health Center, located at 21507 E. Cliff Drive, is a sister clinic to the Santa Cruz Women’s Health Center, founded in 1974, where leaders identified an opportunity to make a difference in Live Oak with the Affordable Care Act expanding health coverage.

“Thank you,” said Santa Cruz County Supervisor John Leopold, who represents Live Oak, an incorporated area with more people than Capitola and Scotts Valley combined.

For two years, the $3.2 million project was championed by Leslie Conner, executive director of Santa Cruz Community Health Centers, which encompasses two clinic locations.

The clinic will provide primary care for men, women and children integrated with mental health and substance abuse services. It represents an unusual example of collaboration by health care institutions that often compete for patients.

Read the complete story here (with photos and video from the event!).