[1] The history of the group dates back to 1930, when Dr. Russel Van Arsdale Lee founded the Palo Alto Medical Clinic (PAMC).

[3] In 1946 – before health plans were standard business – PAMC agreed to provide medical care to nearby Stanford University students in exchange for a flat fee.

The Education Division provides classes, lectures, support groups and consultations, and manages PAMF's Community Health Resource Centers located in several Bay Area cities.

[9] PAMF provides an e-health service that allows patients to view their records and test results from their personal computers, and request appointments and prescription renewals online.

In 2008, it launched a pilot program to promote online communication between diabetic patients and their health care providers.