PARA PUBLICACIÓN INMEDIATA
TUSTIN, Calif. — August 14, 2026 — After more than two decades of serving Orange County and 10 years as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Look-Alike, Families Together of Orange County (FTOC) is proud to announce that it has been selected by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as a New Access Point, transitioning the organization to a fully funded Federally Qualified Health Center.
The designation comes as part of a historic $102 million investment announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) yesterday, marking the first major expansion of the Health Center Program since 2019.
Since becoming an FQHC Look-Alike in 2016, FTOC has undergone tremendous growth, evolving from a small community health center into one of the region’s fastest-growing healthcare organizations. In just 10 years, FTOC has expanded its footprint across Orange County, grown to serve more than 23,000 patients annually and built a comprehensive model of care that includes medical, dental, vision, behavioral health, wellness and specialty services, along with mobile programs that bring care directly into the community.
That growth has been matched by a continued commitment to quality and operational excellence. FTOC has achieved 100% compliance on each of its last three HRSA site visits, with no corrective actions required, has been recognized as a National Quality Leader by HRSA for two consecutive years and most recently earned six HRSA Community Health Quality Recognition badges for 2026 — the most in the organization’s history.
“This is a milestone we have been working toward for the last 10 years and an incredible moment for Families Together,” said Alexander Rossel, CEO of Families Together of Orange County. “When we became a Look-Alike in 2016, we had an ambitious vision for what Families Together could become. We didn’t wait for additional funding to start building that vision. We continued to grow, invest in new services and find new ways to meet the needs of our community. Becoming a fully funded FQHC gives us an even stronger foundation to build on that work and expand our impact throughout Orange County.”
New Access Point funding is the primary pathway for organizations to become HRSA-funded health centers. As a funded FQHC, FTOC will now have access to federal Health Center Program resources that can help strengthen its infrastructure, expand access to care and support its ability to respond to the evolving needs of Orange County’s communities.
The designation comes at a particularly important time as community health centers navigate an increasingly uncertain healthcare landscape and prepare for changes that could impact how patients access and maintain coverage. For FTOC, becoming a funded FQHC provides additional resources and opportunities to respond to these challenges while building on a mission that began in 2003: improving access to healthcare for underserved communities. More than two decades later, that mission remains at the heart of FTOC as it enters this next chapter.
“Becoming a funded FQHC is not the finish line for Families Together; it opens the door to what comes next,” Rossel continued. “We are incredibly proud of how far we have come, but even more excited about what this will allow us to do for our patients and our community. Our mission has always been to make high-quality healthcare accessible to those who need it, and this next chapter gives us an opportunity to expand that impact even further.”
Acerca de Families Together of Orange County
Since 2003, Families Together of Orange County (FTOC) has provided accessible, high-quality healthcare to communities throughout Orange County. FTOC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center offering comprehensive medical, dental, vision, behavioral health and wellness services in a welcoming, multilingual and patient-centered environment. FTOC is a member of the Coalition of Orange County Community Health Centers, the California Primary Care Association and the National Association of Community Health Centers.
Por favor visite www.familiestogetheroc.org for more information on Families Together of Orange County.
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