We’re proud of our history that spans over five decades as a leader in the community health center movement. From a volunteer-driven clinic that was birthed out of the Watts riots in 1965 to serving those most in need in Los Angeles county, we’ve grown to become a federally recognized and award winning, health care institution.
1967: The South Central Multipurpose Health Services Center opened on September 16
1968: Clifton Cole appointed as the organization’s first Executive Director, with a tenure from 1968 – 1979
1969: House of Uhuru (HOU) opens
1979: Watts Health Center (WHC) opens, and Dr. Clyde W. Oden, Jr was appointed as the second President and CEO, with a tenure from 1979 – 2002
1982: UHP Health Plan is established
1987: Jordan Wellness Center (JWC) opens
1997: Crenshaw Community Health Center (CCHC) opens
2002: Watts Healthcare Corporation (WHCC) was established, and William D. Hobson was appointed as the third President and CEO from 2002 – 2016
2014: Locke Wellness Center (LWC) opens, and the organization is also recognized as a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH)
2016: 9901 Wellness Center opens and Dr. Roderick Seamster was appointed as the fourth President and CEO
2017: Jefferson Crenshaw Health Center (JCHC) opens and the organization achieved the highest-level NCQA recognition (Level 3) for PCMH.