Stanislaus County, California, supervisors have approved tax-exempt bond financing of up to $26 million to help Lumira Healthcare expand its clinic footprint in Modesto and build a new primary care hub out of a shuttered Ceres pharmacy. The financing covers three sites: an existing clinic on East Orangeburg Avenue, a building on Florida Avenue, and the former Rite Aid pharmacy at 1830 Mitchell Road in Ceres.
The bonds will be issued through the California Municipal Finance Authority, according to the Modesto Bee, and Stanislaus County used the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act process to sign off on the deal. The county is not financially liable for repayment of the bonds, the newspaper reported, and the interest rate will ultimately be set by market conditions whenever the bonds are publicly offered — though the Bee noted the current best guess sits around 4.7%.
A Pharmacy Becomes a Primary Care Hub
The biggest piece of the plan is the $13.8 million purchase and renovation of the former Rite Aid in Ceres, which Lumira intends to turn into a primary care hub for Stanislaus County. Once complete, the Ceres facility is expected to offer primary care, perinatal and pediatric services, dental care, a pharmacy, behavioral health support, imaging and optometry, per the same account in the Bee.
Lumira's chief medical officer, Dr. Glen Villanueva, said primary care services in the county are limited and access can be difficult for residents, adding that the new financing will expand the number of places people can get care. A separate $5.7 million project on Florida Avenue will cover acquisition of that facility along with a nearby parking lot on Claradell Avenue, and current tenants in the building are expected to remain, the Bee reported.
Refinancing Older Loans From a Local Bank
Part of the bond package will also let Lumira refinance loans from Farmers and Merchants Bank that were originally used to acquire its East Orangeburg Avenue building and expand its exam rooms and dental facilities, according to a county staff report cited by the outlet. The same tax-exempt financing is expected to support additional expansion of examination rooms and dental facilities in Modesto.
Lumira runs 10 health clinics across Stanislaus and Merced counties. The nonprofit, formerly known as Livingston Community Health, changed its name to Lumira in January, the Bee reported. Its clinics accept Medi-Cal, Medicare, Covered California and private insurance, and offer sliding-fee discounts for patients without coverage.
By its own account, Lumira served more than 27,000 patients in 2025, nearly 5% more than the year before, and logged over 125,000 patient visits, a 10% increase from 2024, according to figures on the Lumira Healthcare website. The organization says 62% of its 2025 patients were covered by Medi-Cal and 15% were uninsured. Separately, Lumira has reported roughly $25.6 million in California Municipal Finance Authority Series 2026A revenue bonds, an issuance figure distinct from the $26 million ceiling Stanislaus County approved, according to Dealroom.co, which also reported that Lumira's management expects revenue growth to outpace expenses through fiscal 2030 as new sites expand patient volumes.
Merced County Approves a Parallel Deal
Stanislaus County was not alone. The Merced County Board of Supervisors also approved TEFRA bonds for Lumira this week, per the Bee's reporting, to renovate and equip a health facility on Main Street in Livingston and to refinance a bank loan tied to a property acquisition on King Street in Lodi.
Lumira's chief executive officer, Leslie Abasta, said the unanimous bond resolutions from both county boards will help the organization expand affordable care across the Central Valley. Abasta added that the strengthened financing will grow Lumira's physical presence and access to care in both Ceres and Modesto.
Proposition 44's Defeat Looms Over the Sector
The bond approvals landed the same day California voters rejected Proposition 44, a measure that would have imposed a strict limit on health center overhead costs. According to LAist, 81.7% of voters opposed the measure on Tuesday, marking its defeat by an overwhelming margin. It was the latest in a string of losses for its backers — voters had also rejected three earlier ballot measures sponsored by SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West concerning dialysis clinics in 2018, 2020 and 2022, LAist reported.
California community health centers had expressed concern about potential adverse impacts from Proposition 44. Abasta said the measure's defeat reflected a shared priority among voters and would benefit Californians, framing it as a sign that residents want to protect health care access for families.
Other Central Valley Clinics Have Tapped Similar Financing
Lumira's approach mirrors financing other Central Valley health providers have used. The California Municipal Finance Authority previously completed a $9,189,559 bond issuance for Golden Valley Health Center, according to the agency's own announcement. Those proceeds were designated to refund outstanding debts and finance renovations, including the acquisition and renovation of an 8,308-square-foot facility in Ceres meant to serve as a primary care center, along with work at primary care centers in Turlock and Empire.
