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Many are applauding the move by SAC Health after the care provider purchased a former Rite Aid building in Victorville.
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SAC Health, the largest specialty-based and teaching Federally Qualified Health Center in the U.S., will occupy the former Rite Aid building located at the corner of 7th Street and La Paz Drive.
With the goal of providing accessible, high-quality healthcare to underserved communities, SAC Health’s expansion marks the second dedicated location for the healthcare organization in the High Desert region, the company said.
The Victor Valley is home to nearly 150,000 Medi-Cal-eligible patients, according to SAC Health.
The newly purchased building will be transformed into a medical clinic, specializing in delivering comprehensive primary and specialty care services, specifically tailored to support Medi-Cal patients and families in the High Desert.
SAC Health currently operates clinics in San Bernardino as well as a Barstow location. The addition of the future Victorville clinic will bridge the geographic gap between these existing hubs, the agency stated.
Improving healthcare consistency
For years, patients residing in the High Desert and desert valley regions have had to travel approximately 35 to 40 miles in either direction to receive care at the San Bernardino or Barstow facilities, SAC Health officials said.
The new Victorville clinic will bring these vital resources directly to the local community, dramatically reducing travel times and improving healthcare consistency.
“Looking ahead, this new clinic represents a vital step forward in bringing primary and specialty care directly to where High Desert families live,” SAC Health CEO Maryellen Westerberg said. “By establishing a closer, more accessible location in Victorville, we are looking forward to minimizing long travel barriers and creating a dedicated space for health, healing, and community partnership.”
SAC Health officials said that while an official opening date has not yet been set, typical timelines for projects of this scale require approximately two years to complete extensive renovations. Further updates regarding construction milestones, specific service offerings, and official opening dates will be shared as the project progresses.
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Rite Aid transformations
In 2025, the financially struggling Rite Aid drugstore chain continued to sell or close its remaining stores across the country and the High Desert, the Daily Press reported.
The drugstore chain eventually filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May after previously filing in 2023.
Since then, former Rite Aid buildings across the county have been transformed into restaurants, gyms, thrift stores, convenience stores, schools and health facilities.
In June 2026, Barstow Community College officials announced the purchase of a former Rite Aid building, with plans to transform the property into a new Career Technical Education Workforce Training Center, the Daily Press reported.
In July 2026, workers were preparing for a Spirit Halloween store to move into the shuttered Rite Aid in the Jess Ranch Marketplace in Apple Valley.
Randy Sanchez, senior commercial associate at MGR Real Estate, whose office closed the deal, was the first to contact the Daily Press about the transaction.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: SAC Health care provider to transform vacant Rite Aid in Victorville
Reporting by Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
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This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 2:31 AM.