Hollywood-Sunset Free Clinic

Every twice in a while the need for a peace of mind rises. Having been my first time testing myself I was uninhibited in my opinion once I walked through the doors of the clinic. To my gratitude I was treated with respect and comfort and the staff made the nerving experience as easy going as could be. The freedom surpassed the price and I recommend fellow LA citizen to do their part to make the world healthier by checking themselves.

Fantastic place with professional and empathetic staff. Under-​resourced and sometimes a bit of a wait, obviously, since it’s a free clinic in a country that doesn’t support accessible healthcare. A real life-​saver for me while I didn’t have insurance.

Through volunteer work I have met the most caring employees & other volunteers here at the HSFC.
I was delighted to be part of their events for the community. Lupe & Elaine were the most welcoming staff members there thanks gals! I would absolutely recommend volunteering here in addition to being seen here.
Tacy & the staff go out of their way to assist & give back to the community.
I was happy to be part of the HSFC fam!

As a new patient I had a terrible experience. I didn’t even stay to have my appt actually occur. The lady who scheduled my appt on ¹⁰⁄₂₂ was a sweetheart and scheduled me for ¹⁰⁄₂₄ @ 9a. When I got in, there were 3 others in the waiting room and one woman signing in ahead of me. After 20 mins, the woman who signed in was called. I went to the front desk and MATILDA asked if I was a new patient and kept apologizing for not having given me new patient paperwork.
At 9:35a I returned to give her my paperwork (all the while watching patients who signed in after me being called in and leaving). As I am waiting to give my new patient paperwork a patient comes in with a box of pastries and says her appt was at 9a. I give MATLIDA my paperwork.
It’s 10a and the patient who signed in 35 mins late is called in ahead of me. I go to the front desk again and MATLIDA kept asking me «Are you sure you gave me your paperwork?» And just kept apologizing. After telling MATILDA how upset I was about watching this entire scenario unfold she kept saying «You saw us being unable to find another patient’s chart. It’s been a crazy morning. You can go to another clinic. I can refer you somewhere else.»
Yeah, it was such a crazy morning that about 10 other patients had their needs and services met within the first hour and as a new patient I was completely forgotten about and basically told I could go somewhere else.
I notified MATILDA that I found this clinic on Unilocal and would be leaving an unsatisfactory review. I am sure this clinic is great but as a new patient and Matlida basically spending too much time socializing with already established patients left a bad impression on me.
If you’re thinking of becoming a new patient here please make sure you’re being taken care of and receiving your new paperwork and services in a timely manner and if not, do take the initiative to ask questions. Had I not, I would’ve wasted my entire morning here and never would have even be seen for my appt. I left at 10a and told MATILDA I’d be calling their office manager, Anthony, at 11a per her claim that that’s the time he comes in.

This is a great ***FREE*** clinic and all of the staff that I encountered were super nice, sweet and genuinely caring. I really don’t understand what some of you come in here expecting? Did you want a mimosa to ease the wait while your broke ass receives free health care?
At 26, my cozy & convenient health insurance that I’ve had my entire life under my Dad cut me off and I’ve been scurrying trying to find cheap/​free healthcare for anything I may need since then. Came here last Saturday to get an annual exam and yes, I had to be there for almost 3 hours before everything was done, even though I had an appointment. But who cares? Sit your ass down and be thankful.
Each day serves a different healthcare need. From what I know [and overheard], they help with family planning (or in my case, ANTI-​family planning), psychiatric needs, and even cancer detection. I hope they also care for common colds, flus, etc because I know my poor immune system will need some help this winter.
I also got 4 months of birth control for free, so THANK YOU. Please don’t mind these ignorant jerks, you all are doing an amazing job.

Yes the ignorant grouchy complaints below are a travesty and a sign of extremely bad breeding. The HSFC staff are saints. They have treated me very well and my only inconvenience is having to come in person to get my lab results.
Look at what you get for $ 0:
Well Woman exam: value $ 120
All lab tests including HIV and other free screenings: value $ 100 at least
BC pills for 3 months (at their partner pharmacy on Sunset): value $ 90
Other prescriptions: Value $ 20 – 300
Mammogram: $ 250 at Good Sam
They care for me for years when I was broke and now that I have insurance I let someone else have my spot.
If you have insurance, fine, go use it at a typical doctor, and enjoy the co-​payments. If not, you have some nerve complaining about this place. Consider the above estimates, you primadonnas, and when go to HSFC, give them a $ 20 donation. If we don’t support our social programs they will close one day for lack of funding. Then you’ll really be bitching.
Tips: This is designed for women who are of childbearing age. You can’t get your care here if you say your last period was 6 months ago or longer. For mammograms, plan ahead. They only do them certain times. Please get one if you are over 40. It saves lives. Another tip: your appointment will almost always be on Saturday morning, and it will take at least an hour and a half to be seen. Bring your phone, book, or computer to pass the time. The doctor is lightning fast. Get ready for a speed pap. But she is compassionate, super-​skilled and goes out of her way for you.
Lastly, it’s funded by donations from philanthropy, your donations, and other private money. Not much government money.

Great clinic, nice staff :-), has one of the best psychiatrist in LA. He is in on Fridays. Also hooked me up 3months refills on my meds :-)

It makes me sad there are so many one stars. It’s a free clinic people. What are you expecting? The doctors who come here are volunteering. They don’t need to help our broke asses out. If you have to wait a little bit spend the time being grateful you live in a time and place where you can get medical help if you need it. Good god, the self entitlement.
Anyway, I come here a lot and sure, it isn’t perfect, I have to wait, the black lady doctor scares me a little bit, but I know she cares about people, otherwise she wouldn’t be there. She’s got pretty great hair, too.
The lady at the desk always remembers me and I walk in on Saturdays a lot and they make room for me. It’s easy to pick up prescriptions just down the street on silverlake blvd.
Also, a friend I know went here for therapy during a difficult time of depression and said they were extremely caring and even called to check in on him throughout the week.
I’ve been to Saban also and I like this place a million times more.

I called to volunteer my services for an upcoming event the clinic is having and waited on hold for over 10 minutes and no one came back to the phone, so decided to hang up and call again. I called one more time, and another female voice answered, saying that she was not at the front desk, but in the back room. I informed her I need information about the upcoming event to volunteer, and she also decided to place me on hold. What? All she needed to do was take my number for someone to call me back! I was going to try one more time! I call again and a woman answered, I asked what her name was, and she identified herself as Matilda. I again repeated the reason I was calling left my name and number for someone to call me back. I informed her how many times I had called and length of time I was on hold, and she became extremely defensive and rude! She was speaking so loudly over me as for her not to hear me, but for me to hear her rambling. «I am the only person at the front desk, if you call other clinics your wait time could be more than half an hour, and went on and on screaming! Before I could get another word in, she rudely ended the call by hanging up on me! This person is very combative and should not be answering the telephones as she does not have any idea of what Customer Service is! It is very sad that this is the type of first contact and type of person people who are calling to either make appointments, or for additional information on health services offered by the clinic get!

This place is a nightmare. I had a 9am appointment and arrived her at 830 in the morning. At 10 o’clock I asked how much longer would it be until I’m called and was told that the doctor is not even here and I «will be called whenever the doctor decides to come in.» What??? What is the point of being open when there is no doctor and what is the point of making an appointment??? Also, when I went in back to use the restroom the people «working» here were sitting around chatting with each other while there are about 20 people sitting in the waiting room. I understand it is a free clinic, but c’mon!

The doctors and employees here are great! It is a good place to receive health care. A good dispensary too for your medical needs.

I don’t understand the low ratings for this clinic or the very misinforming comments. My roomate suggested this clinic because it was free (unlike a few other free clinics I’d called before, that in fact charge just for a basic physical) anyway from reading the reviews I was having second thoughts but remembered most Unilocalers are basic & unrealistic… and decided to call & make an apappointment. My experience:
. The receptionist was rushing on the phone but polite.
. She made me a same day appointment (which would never happen w/​planned parenthood)
. The office was clean and quiet when I walked in, the receptionist was rushing but polite.
. The medical assistant who took my blood was friendly & quick (I’m not good w/​needles)
. The doctor who gave me my exam was quick & very straightforward but still respectful.
. My appointment was at 3, I left at 415.
. I had 4 different blood tests done and a pap for $ 4 because they work off donations & that’s all I had or I would have donated more.
My point being its a free clinic. You can’t fly coach & expect first class service its unrealistic. What I experienced at this clinic was what I’d expected PLUS more because the staff was actually polite.
All in all I suggest you call and make an appointment and yes they say you don’t HAVE to but obviously you’ll have to wait much longer & then I’ll have to read your misinforming and useless reviews because you were the dummy who doesn’t understand what making an appointment actually means.

you get what you pay for. I went twice for a OBGYN exam and a referral to the LAC+USC medical center for a mass in my breast. I was there for about 2 hrs. total (on a Saturday). when I called for an appt. I was surprised they had an opening within 1 week… I was expecting to have to wait at least 2 or more. the DR was nice but a bit rushed to get everyone seen. I’ve noticed that they don’t really take walk in patients so call and make an appt. they only allow people to call to make an appt. on mon, wed, fri from 10 am to 12 pm.

A free clinic, generally has different days for different forms of medical care. On certain days, SFC offers general medicine, other days gynecology and STD treatment, and other days mental heath and so on and so forth. For each of these days, there is different staff. They are just like a regular doctor’s office, I would recommend calling ahead of time and scheduling an appointment for your non-​emergency. There is no cost. They do however, ask for a donation, which you can decline, as I have on my visits and you will still get the same treatment and care. I have been to this location several times as well as a few friends of mine. All with a decent experience. It is not the clinic’s responsibility to educate on any of this. I found this out all on my own. Please do your research. As for blaming Obama, please read:
I’m all for freedom of speech, but Unilocal isn’t just a place to complain. It’s a place to inform about your experience, perhaps broaden your horizon and educate yourself and you can learn to be a little bit more sympathetic to a free clinic dealing with limited resources.

This place really needs to be shut down…
It’s a pathetic excuse for a government subsidized free clinic. First off, they are never taking new patients. Even though as I stopped in recently and they were totally empty.
The receptionists (especially Lupe and Brenda) are totally incompetent and rude as if being incompetent isn’t bad enough. You can at least be dumb with a smile ;)
As much as the country needs low/​no cost options this place is literally a joke and whatever tax dollars they get are being put to waste with employees that barelly have a GED and a grasp on the English language.
Even if it’s out of your way go to the Saban Clinic down the way on Hollywood Blvd. They may be mean there as well but at least it’s run a little more efficiently… kind like a DMV.
Where’s my healthcare Barack!!!

i had a great experience at the hsfc today. i got an appointment the day of. the receptionist was able to squeeze me in for the day. thank you matilde. everyone was extremely nice. for it being a free clinic it didn’t take all day, less than two hours considering i had a bunch of paperwork to fill out. i don’t know why people on other reviews complain about giving a donation! they politely asked for a small donation and i gladly donated some money. all in all i was pleased. thank you hsfc!

I went in with chest pains and the receptionist said they only deal with mental health issues and sent me away. I don’t understand why they don’t update their website. I wouldn’t have wasted my time going up there. She did give me an address of another medical office downtown, so she gets two stars for that.

I am a volunteer here at the clinic for the last six months. I join the family here at HSFC because they are compassionate people who offer the best care to their patients.
This is a free clinic and it continues to offer its services for free largely due to donations from the patients and other local and national organizations. Due to the lack of funding, however, they offer limited services for general medical issues. Their focus is on female and male reproductive health.
The clinic offers a wide range of other services. It offers full laboratory services, comprehensive counseling support, acupuncture, tattoo removal, vaccinations, patient education, and many other services.

I have been going here only because I need birth control and I have had issues with things before and they dont handle things other than STD texting. ITS A CLINIC! They have fail to tell me my results twice for things. I dont care if it is good or bad I have a right to know. Dont got to this clinic they only want money. Not to help you.

A bit strange. I walked in here complaining of tonsilitus, and they said they dont handle «general medical issues». Thats not what their website suggests, so i dont know what they do in fact handle.