Press Releases: Southern California
December 10, 2009
Kaiser Permanente’s Los Angeles Medical Center Celebrates Healthy Partnerships with Local Community Organizations
$500,000 in Grants Will Fund Services for Underserved and Uninsured in 2010
LOS ANGELES — Kaiser Permanente’s Los Angeles Medical Center will recognize its’ community stars, Hollywood-style, through a “Celebration of Healthy Partnerships” reminiscent of an awards show after-party.
In 2009, LAMC’s Community Benefit Program distributed close to $500,000 to 57 local nonprofit organizations and community health clinics that provide free and/or low cost programs and services to the underserved and uninsured.
“Through its various regional and local community benefit programs and physician involvement, Kaiser Permanente and its Los Angeles Medical Center have greatly contributed to improving the health of our City's residents and environments. During these very dynamic and challenging times, there is no healthier relationship than the partnership between Angelenos and Kaiser Permanente,” said Antonio Villaraigosa, mayor, City of Los Angeles.
Through their work, each of the 57 community clinics and nonprofit organizations being honored today help maintain and strengthen the safety net needed by local communities. Whether it is Covenant House assisting homeless youth in Hollywood, St. Anne’s supporting teenage mothers, or Glendale Community Free Health Clinic’s care for the uninsured, each of the 2009 grantees deserves the recognition being given for their commitment to serve our most vulnerable populations.
“In these economically difficult times, our social commitment remains strong and determined. The grant recipient organizations work closely with us to fill the gaps in health care, and I am proud that the LAMC is doing its part so our community partners can serve those most in need,” noted Mark A. Costa, executive director, LAMC.
The premiere event at the iconic Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park (4800 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.), is an ideal setting for LAMC’s grant recipients to meet other agencies that are dedicated to improving access to care, and also provide mental health support, health promotion, and direct medical care to at-risk youth, persons living with HIV/AIDS, and the homeless. Guests will be interviewed by TV Reporter, Claudia Botero, about the passion and dedication seen everyday in their local community clinics and nonprofit agencies.
Also in attendance to meet the community organizations who are making a difference for the underserved and uninsured in the Los Angeles and Hollywood area will be: Los Angeles City Councilmember Tom LaBonge, Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz, Board of Public Works Commission President Cynthia Ruiz, LAUSD Board Member Steve Zimmer, State Board of Equalization Member Jerome E. Horton, and Inglewood City Clerk Yvonne Horton.
“At Kaiser Permanente, we see health care as more than a medical issue. We see it as a community issue, and that’s why we work to build healthier communities,” said Diana Bontá, regional vice president, Public Affairs, Kaiser Permanente Southern California. “LAMC’s community health partners are filling critical gaps by providing physical, mental, and dental care as well as new programs and services vitally needed by the community.”
“We have the potential to improve the lives of thousands of families and individuals who are working to preserve their health,” said Angela Coron, managing director of Community Benefit, Kaiser Permanente Southern California. “Together we are building a brighter future.”
About Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center
The Los Angeles Medical Center (LAMC) is Kaiser Permanente’s tertiary center of excellence in Southern California. LAMC offers a wide range of specialty care services, featuring 24 Centers of Excellence, including complex neurosurgery, pediatrics, comprehensive cancer care, and is the largest cardiac surgery program in the western United States. LAMC is also a medical learning institution where highly trained doctors mentor and teach new generations of physicians and caregivers. LAMC currently hosts approximately 300 active medical research projects across a range of disciplines. More than 750,000 patients visit LAMC a year. For more information, visit www.kp.org/losangeles.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 3.3 million members in Southern California. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: www.kp.org/newscenter.
