What Operation Access does

Operation Access is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1993 and headquartered at 312 Sutter Street, Suite 608, San Francisco. The organization coordinates donated surgical and specialty care from volunteer physicians and partner hospitals for uninsured, low-income residents of Northern California and the Central Valley who earn up to 400% of the federal poverty level (approximately $5,320/month for an individual or $11,000/month for a family of four) and are ineligible for Medi-Cal, Medicare, or CMSP. Services span hernia repair, cataract and pterygium removal, colonoscopy, ENT, dermatology, gynecology, orthopedics, plastic surgery, and urology. Patients are referred through community health clinics or apply directly via phone, with Spanish-English interpretation provided for approximately 85% of appointments.

Operation Access does not operate a proprietary technology platform. Care coordination is performed manually by a staff of 11-50 employees who screen eligibility, schedule appointments with volunteer physicians, arrange interpreter support, and notify referring clinics of outcomes. The organization tracks strong operational metrics: more than 96% patient compliance with appointments, less than 1% hospitalization rate for outpatient procedures, and a financial leverage ratio of more than $9 in donated medical care per $1 donated. Partner hospitals include Kaiser Permanente Richmond, whose Special Procedures Unit has delivered GI procedures to Operation Access patients.

The business model is entirely philanthropic. Operation Access generates no revenue from patients and charges no fees. Funding comes from individual donors, foundations, and corporate contributions; the organization holds a Candid Platinum Seal of transparency and a Charity Navigator Four Star Rating. Growth signals include active hiring, recent corporate partnerships such as the 2023 Sonoma County Vintners support event, and an institutional partnership with Kaiser Permanente Richmond. The organization is positioned within a defined regional footprint and has not disclosed plans to expand beyond Northern California and the Central Valley.

Name

Operation Access

Legal name

Operation Access

Website

https://operationaccess.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Operation Access is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that coordinates donated surgical and specialty care from volunteer physicians and partner hospitals for uninsured, low-income residents of Northern California and the Central Valley earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Healthcare Coordination Services

NAICS

Outpatient Care Centers (6214), Freestanding Ambulatory Surgical and Emergency Centers (621493), Other Ambulatory Health Care Services (6219)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Ambulatory Cardiology Diagnostic & Procedure Centers (Non-hospital-based) (HLAFABAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Home-Based Post-Surgical & Transitional Care (Skilled) (HLADAFAK)

Keywords

• Charity care coordination
• Donated surgical services
• Uninsured patient navigation
• Volunteer physician network
• Community health partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Operation Access is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded entirely by charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. Every dollar donated coordinates over $9 in donated medical care. The organization does not charge patients for services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Operation Access coordinates free outpatient surgical and specialty care for uninsured residents of Northern California and the Central Valley by screening patients for eligibility, matching them with volunteer physicians, and scheduling procedures at partner hospitals and surgery centers. The organization also provides interpreter services, primarily Spanish-English, and notifies referring community clinics of referral status and outcomes.

Product overview

Operation Access is a healthcare nonprofit organization, not a technology company with software products or modules. The organization provides care coordination services connecting uninsured patients in Northern California and the Central Valley with donated surgical and specialty care from volunteer healthcare providers. Services include patient referral coordination from community health centers, matching patients with volunteer physicians, appointment scheduling, interpreter services, and case management to navigate patients through the healthcare system. The organization does not offer a software platform, SaaS product, or technology module.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Donated Outpatient Surgical and Specialty Care Coordination

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 96% of patients show up on time and prepared for appointments
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Partner Hospitals and Surgery CenterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating hospitals and surgery centers benefit from a streamlined pathway for charity care that supports physicians with hands-on care coordination. Operation Access recruits volunteer providers who admit to participating facilities, mitigating risk and liability. Over 96% patient compliance rate ensures efficient resource utilization. Partners receive positive PR and recognition opportunities.
• Referring Community Health ClinicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner referring clinics benefit from prompt access to outpatient specialty and surgical care for uninsured patients. Operation Access provides culturally responsive case management and interpretive services. Wait time for specialist appointments is approximately 2-6 months. The organization promotes continuity of care by notifying clinics of referral status and service outcomes.
• Volunteer Physicians and Healthcare ProviderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhysician volunteers see patients for consult, outpatient procedures, and post-ops. They decide how many patients to see. Operation Access handles all logistics including patient navigation, language interpretation, and appointment coordination. Physicians must maintain current malpractice coverage and admitting privileges with one of the partner hospitals. Over 96% of patients show up on time and prepared.
• Volunteer InterpretersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterpreters are needed for 85% of appointments, primarily Spanish-English. Training and best practices provided. Once trained, volunteers choose when and where to serve. Travel expenses are reimbursed.
• Kaiser PermanenteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKaiser Permanente Richmond's Special Procedures Unit has partnered with Operation Access to provide GI procedures. In one session, they provided 13 procedures for 10 patients.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• MedShare: Nonprofit that recovers and redistributes surplus medical supplies and equipment to underserved communities — adjacent enabling organization that supports the broader free-clinic ecosystem but does not coordinate patient care.

Direct peers

• Remote Area Medical: Provides free mobile medical, dental, and vision care clinics to underserved and uninsured populations across the US — comparable volunteer-driven charity care nonprofit, though event-based rather than ongoing case management.
• Care Harbor: Organizes large-scale free healthcare events offering medical, dental, and vision services to uninsured populations — directly comparable charity-care nonprofit using donated clinician capacity.
• Surgery on Sunday: Kentucky-based nonprofit that provides free outpatient surgical care to uninsured and underinsured patients using volunteer surgeons and partner facilities — directly comparable outpatient charity surgery model.
• Project Access (Maricopa County): Project Access chapters coordinate donated specialty medical care for uninsured, low-income patients through volunteer physician networks — the same hub-and-spoke charity-care model Operation Access runs in Northern California, but serving the Phoenix metro area.
• Volunteers in Medicine: National network of free clinics staffed by volunteer clinicians serving uninsured and underserved populations — comparable nonprofit care-delivery model reliant on donated physician time, though broader in scope than OA's specialty-procedure focus.

Broad incumbents

• Direct Relief: Major nonprofit providing medical assistance and supplies to underserved populations in the US and globally — adjacent charity-care nonprofit with significantly larger scale and broader programmatic footprint than OA.
• AmeriCares: Large health-focused humanitarian nonprofit providing donated medicines, medical supplies, and care programs — broader organization with overlapping health-equity mission but operates primarily in disaster relief and global health.
• National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics: National membership organization representing 1,400+ free and charitable clinics across the US — broader ecosystem incumbent that overlaps with OA's mission but covers primary care as well as specialty services.

Emerging players

• Health Leads: Nonprofit addressing social determinants of health by connecting patients to essential resources — adjacent care-coordination nonprofit with overlapping health-equity mission but operating in a different service domain.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OperationAccess
• Facebookfacebook.com/OperationAccess
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/operation-access

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Operation Access