North East Medical Services

What North East Medical Services does

North East Medical Services (NEMS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community health center founded in 1968 in San Francisco's Chinatown and operating as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) since 1991. Headquartered at 1520 Stockton Street in San Francisco, the organization operates 32 clinic and service sites spanning three San Francisco Bay Area counties (San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara) and, since March 2024, Las Vegas, Nevada. NEMS employs between 501 and 1,000 staff including more than 250 healthcare providers, and delivers care in at least nine languages including Cantonese, Mandarin, Toishan, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Burmese, Korean, Spanish, and Hindi, targeting medically underserved, predominantly Asian American and immigrant populations.

The clinical platform covers primary medical care, dental, optometry, behavioral health, integrative medicine (acupuncture, chiropractic, physical therapy), and ancillary services (on-site pharmacy, laboratory, radiology, health education). Specialized sub-brands include the NEMS PACE program for elderly care, an ACGME-accredited Internal Medicine Residency Program operated with Seton Medical Center, a Hepatitis B/C elimination program, a latent tuberculosis testing and treatment program, and a Comprehensive Perinatal Services Program. In October 2023 NEMS completed a full Epic EMR implementation across all sites, becoming the first nonprofit community health center in the United States to deploy Epic MyChart in both Simplified and Traditional Chinese, with Epic Care Everywhere enabling health information exchange.

The revenue model combines fee-for-service patient revenue, cost-based Medicare and Medi-Cal reimbursement under FQHC rules, capitated PACE payments, specialty pharmacy dispensing (URAC accredited), and 501(c)(3) grants and donations. A sliding-fee discount program pegged to federal income guidelines supports uninsured patients, and free membership registration keeps access frictionless. The go-to-market is community-led: patient acquisition occurs via community outreach, social services referrals, word-of-mouth within immigrant communities, and partnerships with organizations such as the San Francisco Department of Public Health, UCSF, Hep B United, and the Hepatitis B Foundation. Leadership is headed by President & CEO Eddie Chan, PharmD (since 2008), supported by a C-suite that includes a CFO, COO, CIO, and Chief Strategy Officer; the ACO REACH program was terminated effective March 31, 2025.

Name

North East Medical Services

Legal name

North East Medical Services

Website

https://nems.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

North East Medical Services (NEMS) is a 501(c)(3) Federally Qualified Health Center operating 32 clinic and service sites across the San Francisco Bay Area and Las Vegas, delivering multilingual medical, dental, optometry, behavioral health, and pharmacy care to medically underserved Asian American and immigrant populations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Health Center Services

NAICS

Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists) (621111), Ambulatory Health Care Services (621), Health Care and Social Assistance (62)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Chronic Disease & Complex Care Management (Geriatrics) (HLADALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Non-Communicable Disease Prevention & Chronic Disease Programs (BPAIAJAI)

Keywords

• Community health center
• Primary care services
• Federally qualified health center
• Multilingual healthcare
• Behavioral health services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices24 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Patient Services Revenue: Fee-for-service revenue from medical, dental, optometry, behavioral health, and ancillary services (laboratory, radiology, pharmacy). Charges vary based on complexity of visit, specialist services, and additional procedures.
2. Government Program Reimbursement: Reimbursement from Medicare, Medi-Cal, and other government health programs. NEMS is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) approved in 1991.
3. PACE Program Revenue: Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly provides capitated payments for comprehensive health and community-based services for eligible participants.
4. Pharmacy Services: On-site pharmacy services generating revenue through prescription dispensing. NEMS pharmacy has achieved specialty pharmacy accreditation with URAC.
5. Grants and Donations: Support from individual contributions, private foundations, public grants, and contracts as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NEMS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center delivering comprehensive primary and specialty care across 32 clinic and service sites in the San Francisco Bay Area and Las Vegas. Its core clinical offerings include medical (Internal Medicine, Family Practice, Pediatrics, OB/GYN), dental, optometry, behavioral health, integrative medicine (acupuncture, chiropractic, physical therapy), and ancillary services (pharmacy, laboratory, radiology, health education, nutrition). Specialty programs include PACE for elderly care, an Internal Medicine Residency Program, and Hepatitis B/C and TB elimination programs.

Product overview

North East Medical Services (NEMS) is a multi-service community health center offering a comprehensive array of healthcare services across 32 clinic and service sites in the San Francisco Bay Area and Las Vegas. The organization operates as a platform providing core clinical services (Medical, Dental, Behavioral Health, Optometry, Integrative Medicine) alongside specialized sub-brands including PACE for elderly care, Internal Medicine Residency Program for physician training, Hepatitis B and C Elimination Program, Latent Tuberculosis Infection Testing and Treatment Program, and Comprehensive Perinatal Services Program. Technology-enabled services include Epic EMR with MyChart patient portal (including Chinese language access), telehealth/virtual visits via Zoom, and Welcome Kiosk self check-in. NEMS also provides ancillary services including pharmacy, laboratory, radiology, health education, and nutrition counseling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medical Services Primary and specialty medical care for people of all ages including Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Family Practice, and OB/GYN services provided across multiple NEMS clinic locations.
• Dental Services Comprehensive oral health care for adults and children including general dentistry, extractions, and preventive care, offered across multiple NEMS dental clinic locations.
• Behavioral Health Services Confidential mental health consultations integrated with primary care, addressing emotional and psychological concerns holistically for children, adults, and seniors.
• Optometry Services Vision care services including eye exams, contact lens fitting, frames and sunglasses, and diagnosis and management of eye conditions, offered at dedicated NEMS optometry sites.
• Ancillary Services Support services including on-site laboratory, pharmacy, radiology, health education, and nutrition services at most NEMS clinic locations.
• Integrative Medicine Complementary health services including acupuncture, chiropractic, and physical therapy that complement conventional medical care across multiple NEMS sites.
• NEMS PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) Nationally recognized model of care providing comprehensive health and community-based services for older adults with chronic health needs through a dedicated interdisciplinary healthcare team at the NEMS PACE San Francisco and San Jose centers.
• Internal Medicine Residency Program ACGME-accredited three-year Internal Medicine Residency Program in partnership with Seton Medical Center, training physicians in primary care with focus on culturally responsive care for diverse underserved populations.
• Hepatitis B and C Elimination Program Comprehensive hepatitis B and C care program aiming to eliminate HBV and HCV through universal screening, vaccination, perinatal prevention, monitoring, and treatment, with free testing available for uninsured community members.
• Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI) Testing and Treatment Program Program targeting TB elimination through testing, evaluation, and treatment of persons infected with TB, with free TB testing available for uninsured community members.
• Comprehensive Perinatal Services Program (CPSP) Free Medi-Cal program for pregnant women providing comprehensive perinatal care including OB/GYN services, nutrition counseling, health education, acupuncture, psychosocial support, and behavioral health services from pregnancy through one year after birth.
• NEMS MSO Enhanced Care Management Managed care services for Medi-Cal members providing nurse case managers to help access extra services and coordinate care across the healthcare system.

Quantifiable outcome

• HRSA 2025 National Quality Leader awards for Cancer Screening and Behavioral Health
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• California Department of Public HealthmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaborated on TB prevention and care improvement initiative. State health department partnership supporting primary care and public health collaboration for TB risk stratification and provider education.
• UCSF (University of California, San Francisco)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Academic partnership supporting TB research and elimination efforts. UCSF serves as a partner in the multipronged approach to TB prevention workflows and provider decision-making processes.
• San Francisco Department of Public Health TB CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaboration between NEMS and SFDPH TB Clinic to address TB screening-to-TPT completion pathway. Utilized provider education and EHR systems modifications as decision aids for TB risk stratification.
• URAC (Utilization Review Accreditation Commission)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024NEMS Pharmacy achieved specialty pharmacy accreditation with URAC, demonstrating high standards of quality in pharmacy services for complex disease states.
• Epic Systems CorporationcoreTechnology or Integration · 2 October 2023Epic implementation of electronic medical record system. NEMS became the first nonprofit community health center in the US to provide Epic's MyChart patient portal in Simplified and Traditional Chinese. Partnership enables health information exchange through Epic Care Everywhere.
• Seton Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2023Partnership with Seton Medical Center in Daly City, California for the Internal Medicine Residency Program. Residents complete training at NEMS clinics and Seton Medical Center as part of their three-year residency journey.
• HRSA (Health Resources & Services Administration)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021HRSA is the federal funder of NEMS as a Federally Qualified Health Center. NEMS participates in HRSA's quality recognition programs and ACO REACH model (terminated 3/31/2025).
• San Francisco Hep B Free - Bay AreamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Longstanding partnership (over a decade) with San Francisco Hep B Free-Bay Area to promote HBV awareness within the Asian American community and advocate for HBV support and resources.
• Hep B UnitedmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010National advocacy partnership with Hep B United to advocate for more HBV support and resources so future generations are HBV free. Joint efforts in hepatitis B awareness and elimination.
• Hepatitis B FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010National advocacy partnership with Hepatitis B Foundation to advocate for hepatitis B support, resources, and elimination efforts in alignment with Hep B United coalition.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Asian Health Services: Oakland-based FQHC serving the Bay Area's Asian American community with multilingual primary care, dental, and behavioral health across multiple sites. Most direct competitor given overlapping Bay Area geography, similar patient demographic, and comparable FQHC service mix.
• Charles B. Wang Community Health Center: New York City-based FQHC serving predominantly Chinese American communities in Manhattan and Queens with multilingual primary care, dental, mental health, and social services. Closest functional analog outside California given its Chinese-language focus, FQHC status, and large patient volume.
• Chinatown Service Center: Los Angeles-based community health and social services organization serving the Chinese American and broader AAPI community with primary care, dental, behavioral health, and senior services. Comparable scale and culturally-tailored multi-site model.
• International Community Health Services: Seattle-based FQHC serving Asian Pacific Islander communities with multilingual primary care, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy across multiple sites. Comparable Pacific coast AAPI focus and FQHC scale.
• South Cove Community Health Center: Boston-based FQHC serving Asian American communities in Greater Boston with multilingual primary care, dental, and behavioral health. Comparable multilingual, FQHC model serving a specific immigrant community.
• La Clínica de La Raza: Oakland-headquartered FQHC operating more than 30 sites across the Bay Area delivering primary care, dental, behavioral health, and PACE. Highly comparable in scale, multi-site Bay Area footprint, and inclusion of a PACE program.
• Ravenswood Family Health Network: East Palo Alto-based FQHC serving a predominantly Latino, low-income patient population with primary care, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy. Comparable Bay Area multi-site FQHC model targeting medically underserved populations.
• Asian Pacific Health Care Venture: Los Angeles-based FQHC serving Asian Pacific Islander communities with multilingual primary care, behavioral health, and enabling services. Similar AAPI-focused FQHC model with comparable scale.
• Petaluma Health Center: Sonoma County-based FQHC providing comprehensive primary care, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services to medically underserved populations in Northern California. Comparable Northern California FQHC peer with multi-site footprint.

Others

• California Primary Care Association: Statewide consortium and advocacy organization representing California's community health centers, including NEMS. Relevant as an ecosystem participant and industry convener for FQHC peer benchmarking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nemssf
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/nemssf
• Facebookfacebook.com/NEMSsf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/north-east-medical-services
• Instagraminstagram.com/nems_sf

Compliance20 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about North East Medical Services