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SANTA YNEZ, CA – March 11, 2026 – The Santa Ynez Tribal Health Clinic (SYTHC) has announced it has successfully earned a renewal of its national accreditation from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) for another three-year period, following stringent review of its care and services.
To earn AAAHC accreditation, an organization must participate in ongoing self-evaluation, peer review and education to continuously improve its care and services. An organization is also required to go through a thorough, on-site survey by AAAHC surveyors, who are also health care professionals, at least every three years.
SYTHC is one of only two primary care facilities in Santa Barbara County to attain AAAHC accreditation.
“AAAHC accreditation is more than a certificate on the wall—it’s a confirmation
that our systems, our staff, and our culture continually meet nationally recognized standards,” said Rita Gonsalves, Executive Director for the Santa Ynez Tribal Health Clinic. “This latest achievement reinforces our ongoing commitment to excellence and continuous improvement for every patient we serve. Last year, we served more than 9,000 patients, and we remain deeply committed to listening, learning, and growing to meet the needs of our community.”
SYTHC accommodates more than 26,000 patient visits per year with an active patient population of over 9,200 and employs 68 team members.
“Each accreditation cycle is an opportunity for us to elevate the standard of care we offer our community,” said Kenneth Kahn, Tribal Chairman for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. “I’m proud of our team’s dedication to delivering safe, culturally grounded, high-quality health services year after year.”
Founded in 1979, AAAHC is the leader in ambulatory health care accreditation with more than 6,800
organizations accredited. It accredits a wide range of outpatient settings, including ambulatory surgery centers, office-based surgery facilities, endoscopy centers, student health centers, medical and dental group practices, community health centers, employer-based health clinics, retail clinics and Native American/Tribal health centers, among others.
AAAHC advocates for the provision of high-quality health care through the development and adoption of nationally recognized standards. The AAAHC Certificate of Accreditation demonstrates an organization’s commitment to providing safe, high-
quality services to its patients. It is recognized by third-party payers, medical professional associations, liability insurance companies, state and federal agencies and the public.
SYTHC is located on the Santa Ynez Reservation at 90 Via Juana Lane in Santa Ynez. The staff specializes in the highest standards of quality health care through modern medicine and cultural traditions. While the clinic’s comprehensive medical, dental and behavioral health services are available to Chumash Community Members, the clinic also treats non-native patients of diverse ethnic backgrounds with unique needs. The facility accepts Medicare, Medi-Cal and most major insurance plans.
The clinic is a not-for-profit organization under the Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) guidelines and receives funding through various grants, including grants from the Indian Health Services (IHS). The clinic has achieved mature contractor status with IHS and the Bureau of Indian Affairs and is certified as an FQHC look-a-like Medi-Cal/Medicare facility.
For more information, contact SYTHC at 805-688-7070 or log on to http://www.sythc.org.
