White Memorial Medical Center Charitable Foundation

Programs: The white memorial medical center (wmmc) charitable foundation creates and sustains philanthropic relationships that are committed to supporting the programs and services provided by white memorial medical center, which improve and enhance the quality of life in our community. White memorial medical center is a 353-bed nonprofit, faith based, teaching hospital located in los angeles county, california. Wmmc provides a full range of inpatient, outpatient, emergency, and diagnostic services. Services include cardiac and vascular care, intensive and general medical care, oncology, orthopedic care, rehabilitation, specialized and general surgery, and women and children's services. As a major teaching hospital, white memorial plays an important role in training physicians, nurses, and other medical professionals. In addition, we are an employer of choice for the communities we serve. The hospital facilitys primary service area is comprised of the communities of boyle heights, central city, downtown los angeles, echo park, el sereno, hollywood, mid-city wilshire, monterey hills, mount washington, silverlake, west hollywood, and westlake. This service area has a population over one million persons and the majority are hispanic or latino. The area has a vulnerable population that experiences high rates of unemployment (up to 26. 7%) and poverty (30%), and 50% of adults ages 25 and over do not have a high school diploma. The wmmc charitable foundations service accomplishments focus on supporting the charitable work of the hospital facility as it meets the needs of the community. The hospital engaged in a community health needs assessment (chna) that identified significant health needs in the service area community. With input from community stakeholders, wmmc chose to address the following priority health needs: access to health care and education; maternal and child health; chronic disease management; respiratory illness; and senior care. The foundations support of wmmc resulted in the following accomplishments. Access to health care and education: provided enrollment services to 1,927 individuals for state-funded insurance plans including medicare, covered california, and medi-cal. Expanded transportation services for those in need of transportation to and/or from the hospital for over 12,520 patients. Provided 1,633 taxi vouchers and 2,098 bus tokens to those in need of a ride home from wmmc. Hosted the 6th annual bridge to health community health & wellness fair in mariachi plaza in conjunction with the boyle heights 5k, and sponsored and participated in multiple community health fairs for 2,459 participants. Established clinics in the community to provide access to primary care. Wmmc expanded access to medical care by adding 29 primary care and 45 specialty care physicians to our medical staff in response to our federal designation as a medically underserved area. Provided clothing, food, and water to over 190 homeless men and women in our community. Offered workshops for 126 homeless and battered women at the house of ruth to promote self-esteem and confidence and reduce depression. Monthly meals were provided to the women. Maternal and child health: the welcome baby program provided baby basics classes; conducted home visits; participated in community health fairs with a baby care booth; and provided community educational classes, providing 2,354 encounters. The family focus program provided programs that included natural nursing, lactation clinic, child birth (lamaze) class, we care baby care, and infant cpr and safety; accounted for 1,722 encounters. The cecilia gonzalez de la hoya cancer center provided breast cancer prevention classes and conducted weekly spanish language breast cancer support groups for 1,746 encounters. Child participants in the healthy eating lifestyle program (h. E. L. P. ) program are helped to maintain their weight and achieve a decrease in body mass index as they grow. H. E. L. P. Has provided education and services to 318 individuals; 87% of participants, both child and adult, have maintained or reduced bmi by the end of the program. 95% of participants, child/parent pair, have attended all h. E. L. P. Classes during the program. Chronic disease management: provided 3,210 free breast and prostate cancer screenings to the community at health fairs, mobile screening events, and at community clinics. The cecilia gonzalez de la hoya cancer center provided 2,000 cancer detection diagnostic screenings at no cost for those with no health coverage in our community. The diabetes program provided community outreach and education programs that support those who have been diagnosed with diabetes or are at-risk for diabetes, helping them and their families manage their diabetes; accounting for 1,062 encounters. Wmmc provided 1,167 free glucose screenings for those at risk for diabetes during diabetes alert day, national diabetes awareness month, and health fair screenings for juvenile diabetes, and through community participation in the type 1 diabetes trialnet clinical trial program. The community information center, diabetes program and dietary program offered community wellness programs including fitness, nutrition education classes, cooking classes; providing service and education to 7,165 members of our underserved community. Provided hot meals at the dolores mission serving 792 homeless men and women. Respiratory illness: partnered with the american heart association to host the annual sidewalk cpr event to educate the community on cpr procedures for adults, children, and infants. Included hands on training with the use of multiple simulator mannequins of various ages. 97 community members participated. Provided pulmonary rehabilitation to 90 participants to promote health improvement. Sponsored and participated in the fight for air stair climb in downtown los angeles to promote respiratory health among community residents and provided information on prevention and treatment of respiratory illness. Provided a smoking cessation program to the community. Participated as the primary partner in boyle heights 5k to promote respiratory health and wellness in the community. Partnered at the bridge to health fair with breathela and provided simple spirometry to assess lung function and diagnose asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and other conditions that affect breathing. Additionally, the wmmc better breathers club had 25 participants. Expanded the walking path around the wmmc campus promoting exercise and organized weekly walking groups. Senior care: provided senior health improvement activities and workshops, health checks, and fitness outings to promote activity and wellness in the senior community accounting for 4,523 encounters. In partnership with the local ymca, provided senior health workshops and fitness activities accounting for 642 encounters. Nonetheless, a significant portion of the mission-driven assistance wmmc provides its community is intangible or otherwise difficult to quantify. The following story illustrates this:recently, i ran into dr. Brian johnston in the hallway on my way to a planetree meeting. He does not know me well, but he knows ive helped him with his homeless projects each year by donating clothes and ziploc bags of hygiene products. We are always helping adults, he said out of the blue. What about the children who are homeless? The only thing i could think to say is where are they? He mentioned the chaplains office. They can help you find them. And find them they did. Thirty-eight homeless children who all attend the 2nd street elementary school. Christina munoz, the school principal, told me that because they are homeless, these children often have problems with head lice and, since their families cannot afford to buy lice shampoo, are kept out of school. I took the leap dont ask me why and declared that i would adopt her 38 children and get them school supplies. I think i shocked her, possibly myself, as she at first could not believe what she was hearing. I assured her that i was good at my word, and we shook hands in agreement. At home, all i could think of were the 38 children. I called my family and we started our campaign that my sister sylvia named fill the backpacks. I went to my unit-based council and informed the planetree council of my intentions. As word got around, coworkers, committee members, family and senior citizens donated several items, including a donation of 38 boxes of lice shampoo from the white memorial pharmacy. On aug 12, we arrived with our backpacks and school supplies and much else. Principal munoz was very thankful. Had had we not provided these school supplies for the children they would have nothing at all. She shared with us that when school starts, they would give them a warm breakfast every morning and a lunch. But she was not quite sure what they would have for dinner that evening. But for now they would have backpacks and school supplies and so muc