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Community Health Center

GVHC - Empire

198 N G St, Empire, CA 95319-5132

209-383-1848 Directions

GVHC - Empire is a community health center dental clinic in Empire, CA, operated by Golden Valley Health Centers, which runs 12 clinics in California.

The health center is open about 40 hours a week, though dental sessions are usually a subset of that.

Access to This Clinic

This clinic is located inside a school. School-based health center sites typically serve enrolled students, and in some cases their families or the surrounding community. Access is determined jointly by the school and the health center. Contact the clinic before visiting to confirm whether patients who are not students can be seen.

Clinic Details

Address198 N G St, Empire, CA 95319
Phone209-383-1848
Operated byGolden Valley Health Centers
ProgramHealth Center Program (federally funded)
SettingSchool

Costs and Coverage

Fees follow an income-based scale, so the same treatment costs different patients different amounts. Because Golden Valley Health Centers sets the thresholds itself, the same household can pay different amounts at two different health centers. Get the assessment done first; it changes what the whole plan costs, not just the first visit. Our guide to applying for the discount lists the documents to bring.

No Medicaid registration has been recorded for this clinic, which is not the same as Medicaid being refused. California decides its own adult dental benefit, which ranges from comprehensive to emergency extractions only depending on the state and the year. Children are covered everywhere. The Medicaid dental page covers how to check yours.

Dental Services

The treatments available at this clinic are not listed publicly. Health center dental programs usually cover examinations, cleanings, X-rays, fillings and extractions; root canals, dentures and oral surgery are the ones that vary, and are often referred out.

Planning Your Visit

198 N G St, Empire, CA 95319

The published number is 209-383-1848. At larger organizations it may reach central scheduling rather than the dental department, so say which clinic you are calling about and that it is for dental care.

Before making the trip, check: the dental hours, and which days appointments run, whether new dental patients are being taken, and the current wait, what a first visit costs, before and after any discount, whether your insurance or Medicaid dental plan is accepted, by plan name, and what to bring for the sliding fee application.

Common Questions

Does California Medicaid cover adult dental work?

That is decided at state level and has changed more than once in most states, ranging from comprehensive to emergency extractions only. Dental coverage for children enrolled in Medicaid is a required benefit everywhere. Our Medicaid dental page covers how to check where your state stands now.

Is there help if I do not speak English?

Health centers are required to provide language assistance and most have interpreting available, in person or by phone. Say which language you need when you book rather than on the day, so an interpreter can be arranged for the appointment.

Do they treat patients who are pregnant?

Yes, and dental care during pregnancy is not something to postpone: professional guidance is that examinations, cleanings, fillings and extractions can be done, and untreated infection carries its own risk. Tell them when you book. Our pregnancy guide covers what changes and what does not.

Can I be seen without insurance?

Yes. Being uninsured is the ordinary case at a clinic like this, not an exception, and it is much of the reason the sliding scale exists. Bring income documentation if you have it and ask what they accept if you do not.

What if I cannot get there?

Ask whether the clinic has transport assistance or can tell you what local programs exist — many health centers help with this and it is rarely advertised. Your county health department is the other place that knows.

What if I need more work than I can afford?

Say that plainly at the start. A dentist who does not know the budget will quote the ideal plan. Told the constraint, they can usually say which item is urgent, which can wait a year, and where a cheaper option is clinically reasonable. Ask for the plan in writing so you can stage it.

Other Clinics Operated by Golden Valley Health Centers

Golden Valley Health Centers operates 11 other clinics in 8 other communities in California. Where an organization runs several clinics, the waits rarely match. It is worth asking which one has capacity before settling on the closest. A sliding fee determination made at one of its clinics commonly carries across to the others, so income documents may not need providing twice. What is treated at one site is no guide to another, so confirm with the clinic you actually intend to visit.

Other Dental Clinics Nearby

Distances are straight-line, not driving. Waiting times differ sharply between neighbors, so call more than one.

Confirmed Payment Options

Income-Based Fees

Call GVHC - Empire

Confirm current dental services, appointment availability, costs and accepted insurance directly with the clinic.

209-383-1848

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