As Medicare open enrollment continues, Community Alliance Medical Group is helping patients stay connected to trusted doctors while reshaping local healthcare with a community-driven model.
Plus, a restaurant break-in and a home burglary in this week's police update
Crowds wrapped around the block for the grand opening of Page 78, a new independent bookstore created by the founders of Rebel and Fleur. The Redlands shop combines curated fiction, cozy reading nooks, and “book-ish” style in a space designed to feel like home.
As Medicare open enrollment continues, Community Alliance Medical Group is helping patients stay connected to trusted doctors while reshaping local healthcare with a community-driven model.
When Community Alliance Medical Group opened its first clinic in Yucaipa, its founders had a clear purpose: restore access, trust, and local decision-making to healthcare after years of corporate consolidation.
“Our group, even in its origin, was mission-driven,” said Ali McClintock, president of Community Alliance Medical Group. “We listened to what the community needed, more access, more responsiveness, and we built the organization around that.”
Since its founding, CAMG has grown to three locations in Redlands, Yucaipa, and Beaumont, with 13 primary-care physicians and a team-based approach that emphasizes same-day and next-day appointments. McClintock said access was one of the first problems the group set out to solve.
“Some seniors were going eight or nine months without seeing their primary-care doctor,” she said. “That leads to more urgent-care visits, higher costs, and patient outcomes and quality of care suffer. We knew we had to fix that.”
CAMG’s model is designed to be nimble and locally accountable. The group surveys patients after each visit and adjusts based on feedback. One recent example: on-site labs added this fall after many patients requested the convenience of completing their lab work during the same visit.
The Redlands lab opened in October, with Yucaipa and Beaumont following in November.
“It’s about listening and acting locally,” McClintock said. “We don’t need to wait for approval from a boardroom in another state. When our patients tell us what they need, we can make it happen.”
That focus on local responsiveness extends to the physicians themselves. Many of CAMG’s doctors live in the area and have served local families for decades.
Founded by orthopedic surgeon, Dr. John Steinmann, CAMG’s structure was intentionally designed to keep healthcare decisions and funding local. Its bylaws are written like those of a nonprofit: the organization can never be sold, and once its startup costs are paid off, any excess funds will be reinvested in the community.
“We’re not enriching shareholders,” McClintock said. “We’re reinvesting in our patients and our community. That’s what sets us apart.”
Behind the model is a deep concern about what Dr. Steinmann calls the “strip-mining” of local healthcare — profits leaving the region while patients face longer waits and fewer choices. “Our goal is to give doctors their autonomy back and patients their access back,” McClintock said.
During Medicare open enrollment — Oct. 15 through Dec. 7 — CAMG plays a critical supporting role, helping patients stay in touch with their healthcare team as they review insurance choices.
McClintock emphasized that patients don’t necessarily have to change insurance plans to keep their doctor.
“If your physician moved from one medical group to another and we accept your insurance, you can usually keep your plan,” she explained. “You just need to update your medical-group assignment. That’s something we walk patients through all the time.”
For those without a broker, CAMG partners with licensed local agents, including Welsh Insurance Services, to ensure patients receive accurate, unbiased information.
“We can’t advise patients on specific plans, that’s outside our scope, but we connect them with trusted professionals who can,” McClintock said. “There’s so much misinformation out there. Having someone local, who’s licensed and ethical, makes a huge difference.”
With on-site labs expanding and new physicians joining CAMG continues to grow. The group is also developing relationships with more local specialists to simplify referrals and strengthen continuity of care.
As open enrollment continues, CAMG encourages patients to reach out if they have questions about coverage or appointments. “Healthcare can feel complicated,” McClintock said, “but we’re here to make it simple, and to make sure care decisions stay right here in our community.”
Community Alliance Medical Group has clinics in Redlands, Yucaipa, and Beaumont.
Learn more at camghealth.com
Spotlight on Local Healthcare is a Community Forward Redlands series highlighting local providers, partnerships, and solutions that keep care accessible and community-focused in Redlands and the Inland Empire. This article is made possible by Welsh Insurance Services, in partnership with Community Alliance Medical Group.
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