Stockton’s first Adolescent Health Center, CMC The Rock, is under construction downtown and expected to open in fall 2026. Community Medical Centers held a news conference on April 14 at Ebenezer AME Church, steps away from the construction site at 701 E. Weber Ave. The center will offer primary care, behavioral health, dental services, and substance use disorder treatment for teenagers and young adults ages 13 to 25.
Purpose and Impact
CEO Greg Diederich stated: “Today, we’re facing one of the most urgent challenges of our time, the health and well-being of the young people in our community. Too many of our young people are navigating systems that are fragmented and intimidating, and simply out of reach for so many of them.” CMC is building on the legacy established by Ebenezer AME Church, which started The Rock Senior and Youth Service Center more than 30 years ago.
The center’s design is intentional, offering youth ability to receive therapy, psychiatry services, primary care, substance use treatments, and case management—all in one spot with coordinated care. Michelle Coble, CMC’s director of Behavioral Health, explained: “When care is compassionate, coordinated, and accessible, health outcomes improve across the board.”
Funding and Construction
An investment of $9.5 million has been secured for the project, though CMC continues accepting donations with $1 million still needed for furniture, fixtures, and equipment. Construction began in April 2025 and is expected to complete in September 2026. Superintendent David Williams noted that upgrading a 125 to 130-year-old building to modern medical facility use presents unforeseen challenges.
Operations will be backed by “a sustainable plan of buildable services under Medi-Cal and CalAIM.” Leihua McMiller, director of substance use treatment, noted that more than half of fentanyl-related deaths in recent years were of those ages 14 to 35, underscoring how deeply this crisis affects young people.
Dr. Vanessa Armendariz, a 36-year-old Stockton native and former pediatric patient at Community Medical Centers, is now a CMC family medicine physician who will work at the new center. She attended Johns Hopkins for college and the University of Kansas School of Medicine, with residency at Sutter Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency Program, “all with the intention of coming back home to practice.”
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.recordnet.com/story/news/local/2026/04/16/stockton-cmc-the-rock-youth-health-center-opening-fall-2026/89629644007/