Uniquely Catholic Healthcare

From the earliest times, Christian ministry has involved healing the sick and care to the needy.  In the Western world, the Church founded the first hospitals, hospices, and medical universities.  Today, the Roman Catholic Church is the largest non-governmental provider of healthcare in the world.  One in six hospital beds in the United States is in a Catholic hospital.

Consistent with the long history of Catholic healthcare, we affirm the positive pro-life message of the Church.  We provide health care to persons of any faith, ethnicity, or age.

Happy couple riding bicycles


Care for the Needy

Our primary mission is to provide basic outpatient primary health care to the uninsured of our community.  Per our discussions with the IRS, they believe we were the first non-profit doctor’s office in the nation.  We have provided approximately 40,000 free doctor visits to the uninsured of or community and impacted lives, while saving the taxpayers millions of dollars by preventing more serious health problems that are paid through government programs.

Senior man and old age nurse in nursing home


Support of Marriage and the Family

We encourage the use of Natural Family Planning for achieving and preventing pregnancy.  We support marital chastity to build strong families.  We do not provide or refer for contraception, abortion, or sterilization.

marriage


Care for the Aged and Dying

We support quality, compassionate care for people at all stages of life, including the aged and those facing life-ending illness.  We have time and experience working with local home health agencies and hospices helping patients stay comfortable and well cared for, often times is their own home, until the natural end of life.  We do not practice euthanasia or Physician-Assisted Suicide.

care-for-the-eldery


Religious Questions

  • Do I have to be Catholic to be a patient here?

    No. We treat patients of all faiths and all ages. The Catholic healthcare tradition goes back centuries. The first medieval hospitals and hospices were organized by Catholic religious orders expressing dignity for the sick and dying. The Catholic Church is the largest non-governmental healthcare provider in the world. The Catholic hospital system in the United States is the largest private hospital system, responsible for one in six hospital beds in the United States.

  • Are the doctors Catholics?

    Yes, the entire staff of St. Luke’s Family Practice are currently all practicing Catholics; however, that is not a requirement for employment.  Part of the mission of St. Luke’s Family Practice is to practice in accord with the Catholic healthcare tradition.  For more information, see “Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services”

  • Do you prescribe birth control?

    No. As practicing Catholics, we do not provide contraceptives, abortions or sterilizations. However, we are happy to provide married couples information and referrals for Natural Family Planning (NFP), a very low-cost and non-hormonal method of recognizing times of fertility to help with both avoidance of pregnancy and achieving pregnancy.

  • What is Natural Family Planning?

    Natural Family Planning (NFP) is an umbrella term for several complimentary methods used to achieve and avoid pregnancies. These methods are based on observation of the naturally occurring signs and symptoms of the fertile and infertile phases of a woman’s menstrual cycle.  NFP is not the old “rhythm method.”

    For more information:

    “What is Natural Family Planning?”

How can I help?

  • Do you accept donations?

    Yes, we happily accept monetary donations to support the mission of St. Luke’s Family Practice. Because of our unique corporate structure, most capital improvements in our practice are dependent upon donations.

  • Do you accept donations of medication and medical supplies?

    No, not usually.  Experience has taught us that collecting, sorting, storing, and distributing donated medications and supplies is just too space and labor intensive to be of benefit to our mission.  Most of what we need we know how to obtain locally.  Please ask our Medical Assistant if you have further questions.

    To dispose of used medications, please take them to the “Drop the Drugs” box at the Modesto Police Department or your local Stanislaus County Sheriff’s office.

  • Do you use volunteers?

    Infrequently we use volunteers for special projects. If you have a special talent, or would like to be included on a volunteer list, please contact our Medical Assistant.