History

Lyon-Martin Health Services provides personalized healthcare and support services to women and transgender people who lack access to quality care because of their sexual or gender identity, regardless of their ability to pay.

Lyon-Martin Health Services, a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization, was founded in 1979 by a group of medical providers and health activists as clinic for lesbians who lacked access to nonjudgmental, affordable health care. Named after Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, feminists and well-known LGBTQ civil rights activists, the clinic soon became a model for culturally sensitive community-based health care.

Since 1993, Lyon-Martin also has provided case management and primary healthcare in programs specifically designed for very low-income and uninsured women with HIV.

In 2007, the organization added sliding-scale mental health services for our patients.

Today, Lyon-Martin provides primary and preventive healthcare services to around 2000 patients. Currently, 39% of our patients are people of color; 14% are transgender and 41% self-identify as lesbian or bisexual; 84% live below 200% of the federal poverty level and 14% are homeless. Fifty-eight percent of our patients' appointments address mental health needs.