Roots Community Health Center

What Roots Community Health Center does

Roots Community Health Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community health organization founded in 2008 and headquartered in Oakland, California, with a second regional base in San Jose. Operating as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) look-alike, Roots delivers integrated primary care, behavioral health, and health navigation/care management services to individuals and families in the East Bay and South Bay impacted by systemic inequities and poverty, using a sliding-scale model that serves patients regardless of ability to pay. Multiple clinic locations across Oakland (MacArthur Blvd., International Blvd., Parker Campus, Armstead Hall) and San Jose (S 7th St headquarters, The Alameda clinic) anchor service delivery, supplemented by mobile and community-based outreach.

The organization's service model is organized around four pillars: Health & Wellness Services, Outreach & Transition Services, Workforce Enterprises & Training, and Community Advocacy & Capacity Building. Beyond clinical care, Roots operates social enterprise programs — Clean 360 Bath & Body Products, Glow 360 Candles, and the Emancipators youth training program — that combine workforce development with revenue generation. Community engagement is reinforced through Roots Radio (broadcast Tuesdays at 10am PT), an active social media presence, a Constant Contact newsletter, and a referral system. Revenue is generated through Medicaid/Medicare/private insurance reimbursement (enhanced via FQHC look-alike status), charitable donations and foundation grants (including a $1 million gift for the Roots for Youth program), and social enterprise product sales.

Leadership is headed by CEO Noha Aboelata. Roots has received regional recognition including California Nonprofit of the Year 2020 and is actively engaged in policy advocacy, notably the Pulse Oximeter Lawsuit challenging racial inaccuracies in pulse oximeter devices. The organization maintains HIPAA-compliant practices and supports specialized programs for youth (Young People's Wellness Center, Roots for Youth) and women/families (Women of Wellness Family Navigation), positioning itself as a whole-health, community-rooted provider rather than a traditional clinic.

Name

Roots Community Health Center

Legal name

Roots Community Health Center

Website

https://rootsclinic.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Roots Community Health Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit FQHC look-alike in Oakland and San Jose providing integrated primary care, behavioral health, health navigation, workforce development, and advocacy services to underserved communities impacted by systemic inequities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Health Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Other Individual and Family Services (62419)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Primary Care for Underserved Populations (e.g., migrant, homeless, refugee clinics) (HLAFAGAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health Access & Social Care Innovations (Community Health, Telehealth for Underserved) (BPAGALAG), Community Health & Health Equity/Social Determinants Units (HLAJAAAO)

Keywords

• Community health services
• Primary medical care
• Behavioral health services
• Health navigation programs
• Workforce development training

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Healthcare Services Revenue: Revenue generated from providing primary care, behavioral health, and navigation services billed through Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance. As a federally qualified health center (FQHC) look-alike, the organization receives enhanced reimbursement rates.
2. Donations and Grants: The organization receives charitable donations and programmatic grants from foundations and individual donors to support operations and fill gaps in healthcare coverage for uninsured and underinsured patients.
3. Workforce Enterprises: Social enterprise programs including Clean 360 Bath & Body Products and Glow 360 Candles generate revenue while providing job training and employment opportunities for community members.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Roots Community Health Center provides integrated medical care, behavioral health, and health navigation services to underserved communities in Oakland and South Bay (San Jose) through multiple clinic locations. It supplements clinical services with workforce development social enterprises (Clean 360 Bath & Body, Glow 360 Candles, Emancipators), housing and transition support, and community advocacy addressing systemic health inequities.

Product overview

Roots Community Health Center is a nonprofit healthcare organization offering a comprehensive suite of services organized around four core pillars: Health & Wellness Services (medical and behavioral health care), Outreach & Transition Services, Workforce Enterprises & Training (including Clean 360 Bath & Body Products and Glow 360 Candles social enterprises), and Community Advocacy & Capacity Building. The organization operates multiple clinic locations in Oakland and San Jose, providing primary care, behavioral health visits, and navigation/care management services, with specialized youth programming through the Young People's Wellness Center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Roots for Youth: Program serving youth in East Oakland
• Women of Wellness Family Navigation
• Young People's Wellness Center

Products and services

• Health & Wellness Services Comprehensive medical and behavioral health care services for underserved communities in Oakland and South Bay, including primary care visits, behavioral health visits, and navigation/care management delivered at multiple Roots clinic locations.
• Outreach & Transition Services
• Workforce Enterprises & Training
• Community Advocacy & Capacity Building
• Clean 360 Bath & Body Products
• Glow 360 Candles

Quantifiable outcome

• Received $1 million gift for Roots for Youth program

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Roots RadiominorOthersRoots Community Health maintains Roots Radio, a radio program featuring community health content and discussions, aired on Tuesdays at 10am PT as part of community engagement and health education efforts.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• La Clinica de la Raza: La Clinica de la Raza is a large Oakland-based FQHC network delivering primary care, behavioral health, and community support services to low-income populations across the East Bay. Directly comparable to Roots in geography (Alameda County), patient population, scope of services, and FQHC-based funding model.
• Asian Health Services: Asian Health Services is an Oakland FQHC providing multilingual primary care, behavioral health, dental, and health navigation services to underserved Asian and other communities. Overlaps directly with Roots on FQHC status, primary care delivery, health navigation, and equity-focused community health model.
• LifeLong Medical Care: LifeLong Medical Care is a Berkeley-headquartered FQHC operating multiple sites across Alameda and Contra Costa counties with primary care, behavioral health, dental, and senior services. Highly comparable to Roots on integrated community health center model, multi-site Bay Area footprint, and underserved-population focus.
• Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center: Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center is a Hayward-based FQHC serving southern Alameda County with primary care, behavioral health, and community health programs. Comparable to Roots as a Bay Area FQHC serving uninsured and Medicaid populations with a similar whole-health approach.
• Native American Health Center: Native American Health Center is an Oakland FQHC providing primary care, behavioral health, dental, and community wellness programs to Indigenous and other underserved populations. Direct peer in geography (Oakland), FQHC structure, and integrated medical/behavioral/community services approach.
• Bay Area Community Health: Bay Area Community Health is a Santa Clara County FQHC operating primary care, behavioral health, and community health services across multiple South Bay sites. Direct peer in the San Jose footprint where Roots operates its South Bay HQ and Clinic, with a similar population-health focus on underserved residents.

Broad incumbents

• Alameda Health System: Alameda Health System is a public safety-net health system operating hospitals and outpatient clinics across Alameda County. Provides overlapping primary and behavioral healthcare to underserved populations but on a much broader hospital-and-clinic footprint, making it a broader incumbent rather than a niche FQHC peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rootsempowers
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@RootsCommunityHealth
• Facebookfacebook.com/rootsempowers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roots-community-health
• Instagraminstagram.com/rootsempowers

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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 Roots Community Health Center