A new Upvalley health clinic run by longtime Napa Valley nonprofit healthcare provider CommuniCare+OLE is coming to Calistoga.

CommuniCare+OLE was formed through a 2023 merger of Napa’s OLE Health and Davis-based CommuniCare Health Centers. Before the merger, OLE served Calistoga since 1999 and the broader Napa County community since 1986.

The organization currently leases a small facility in Calistoga, but it sought to expand in 2023 with the new permanent clinic in response to increased service demand, according to a Calistoga city staff report.

The Calistoga Planning Commission on May 13 unanimously approved the clinic project — proposed as a one-story, 11,247-square-foot clinic at 1861 Lincoln Ave., on a 2.8-acre property — along with associated improvements, including an outdoor trellis, trash enclosure and a 6-foot fence running along the perimeter of a parking lot.

Alicia Hardy, CEO of CommuniCare+OLE, said at the meeting she’s been deeply invested in the project for almost a decade.

“We provide care to anyone who walks through our doors, regardless of ability to pay,” Hardy said.

Obstacles including zoning and cost issues have forced the organization to shift the project design and location several times, Hardy said, but the organization has “been unwavering in our commitment to build this clinic, because we believe this community deserves a clinic they can be proud of, a health center that can meet the needs of everyone who lives in this community.”

In recent years, the organization has held fundraisers to help support a $12 million capital campaign for the primary care hub in Calistoga.

Public commenters and planning commissioners both spoke in support of the project at the meeting.Jenny Ocón, executive director of UpValley Family Centers, said at the meeting CommuniCare+OLE is a trusted provider of healthcare to some of the most vulnerable people in the community, including agricultural workers, low-income families and uninsured people.

“It will bring a much-needed expansion of services here, and it’s an investment in the long-term resilience of the Calistoga community,” Ocón said.

Planning commissioner Rick Kaiser said he volunteers at OLE Health once a month, and he thinks the work the nonprofit does to support people in need is “remarkable.”

“We heard a lot of testimonials today that have definitely demonstrated this community really appreciates clinic OLE, really wants it to expand and is very much in approval of the current site and the proposed plan,” Kaiser said.