Press Releases: Southern California
January 28, 2009
Kaiser Permanente Provides $1 Million Grant for La Maestra Community Health Center Construction
Funding will enable La Maestra to expand Circle of Care to uninsured families and become one of the first national models for a "green" community health center
PASADENA, Calif. – La Maestra Community Health Center is celebrating the New Year with a $1 million grant from Kaiser Permanente. This generous contribution represents the largest grant La Maestra has received to date from any single donor, and the largest grant Kaiser Permanente has ever given to a San Diego nonprofit organization. The funding will support La Maestra's Heart of the Community capital campaign, and the construction of a new 34,660 square-foot, state-of-the-art facility. One of the first "green" community health care centers to be built in an underserved community, the new facility will be able to accommodate an anticipated 180,000 patient and client visits per year, more than 3 1/2 times the number currently served.
"Kaiser Permanente and La Maestra have a shared vision to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve," said Benjamin Chu, MD, MPH, president of Kaiser Permanente Southern California. "In these difficult economic times, the need for La Maestra's programs and services will continue to increase. With this new, larger facility, La Maestra has the potential to improve the lives of thousands of families who are struggling to preserve their health."
As the need for quality health care for the uninsured has grown, La Maestra has evolved into a center for total health and well-being for the residents of City Heights, providing physical, mental and dental care as well as new programs and services vitally needed by the community.
"La Maestra is a clinic that has helped my family in so many ways," added Alma Duran, patient, La Maestra Community Health Centers. "My children have been patients there for years receiving medical and dental services and I have benefited from La Maestra's Microcredit Program for Women, which has enhanced my business and helped my family. We have become a part of their family, and I know I am not the only patient that feels this way. La Maestra is a special place."
Every staff member at La Maestra, from receptionist to physician, is trained in the Circle of Care approach: To identify the patient's needs; to work as a team to assess the patient's needs; and to guide the patient towards treatment, education, training and finally, self-sufficiency. The organization's mission is to provide quality health care and education, improve the overall well-being of the family, and bring the underserved, ethnically diverse communities into the mainstream of society in a caring, effective, and culturally competent manner that respects patients' dignity.
"Residents find not only a 'medical home' at La Maestra; they find a family that cares about their overall well-being," said Zara Marselian, CEO of La Maestra.
A shared commitment to environmental health
La Maestra's construction of a "green" health center demonstrates its commitment to environmental health as well as personal well-being. The entire facility will comply with the Gold Level LEED (Leadership in Environmental Excellence Development) Certification offered by the United States Green Building Council. This means that the facility is designed with the highest environmentally friendly standards. Factors such as air quality ventilation, lighting, energy-use sources, waste management and natural materials will be selected based on this standard.
"Both Kaiser Permanente and La Maestra recognize that healthy communities and a healthy environment are critical to individual health and wellness. Helping to create a healthy environment has always been central to our mission," said Raymond J. Baxter, Ph.D., senior vice president, Community Benefit, Research and Health Policy for Kaiser Permanente. "With La Maestra, we have the opportunity to support environmental sustainability and social equity – both of which have a direct, positive effect on individual and community health."
About La Maestra Community Health Centers
Since 1990, La Maestra has been providing quality health care and community services to thousands of ethnically diverse clients in San Diego. La Maestra, the largest employer in City Heights, San Diego's most culturally diverse neighborhood, sees more than 65,000 patient visits per year with a staff of 162 doctors, nurses, counselors and social workers who speak 19 different languages and dialects. Clients of La Maestra can receive a full range of primary medical services for all ages. Additionally clients can receive dental, behavioral health, vision and geriatric care. Social services including job placement, eligibility, outreach, transportation, translation, housing assistance and a food pantry are also available. La Maestra currently provides services through a complex of 14 converted residential buildings on a single city block in City Heights. La Maestra also has clinics in National City, El Cajon and Hoover High School. For more information, please visit www.lamaestra.org.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is one of the nation’s leading integrated health plans. Founded in 1945, it is a nonprofit, group practice prepayment program with Southern California headquarters in Pasadena, California. Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of 3.3 million members in Southern California. Today it encompasses the nonprofit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Southern California Permanente Medical Group. Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California Region includes more than 55,800 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and more than 6,400 physicians representing all specialties. More information about Kaiser Permanente can be found at kaiserpermanente.org.
