Community Benefit

California Hospital Medical Center’s Community Benefit programs allow us to extend our reach into the neighborhoods surrounding our hospital and across Los Angeles County.  Funded primarily through philanthropic support, our comprehensive array of outreach services empower children and families to take charge of their health and the health of their communities.  Our programs include the following: 

The Hope Street Margolis Family Center (http://www.hopestreetfamilycenter.org/) at CHMC promotes the health and welfare of our community's children and families through a variety of co-located federal, state, private and locally funded initiatives.  These initiatives include early childhood education, childcare, school readiness, family literacy, behavioral health, primary health care, after school and academic enrichment, and other family support programs.

The Los Angeles Best Babies Network (www.labestbabies.org) at CHMC is dedicated to achieving healthy pregnancies and births throughout Los Angeles County by providing training and technical assistance, advocacy and support to increase the capacity of community partners to succeed in these efforts.  Currently  LABBN is helping First 5 LA spread their successful universal perinatal and early childhood home visitation program, Welcome Baby, to 14 additional hospitals throughout LA County as well as implementing more intensive, evidence-based home visitation programs, Parents as Teachers, Healthy Families America, or Triple P, at these same hospitals.  LABBN is also partnering with LA County Dept of Public Health’s Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Programs in the development of the LA County Perinatal & Early Childhood Home Visitation Consortium.  LABBN’s Care Quality Collaborative assists prenatal/postpartum clinics implement evidence-based guidelines to assist women gain the appropriate amount of weight during pregnancy and lose excess weight postpartum in order to decrease the epidemic of obesity and diabetes that is ravaging young women and their offspring.

The Health Ministry Program provides free screenings for common chronic conditions and referrals to medical homes at over 50 sites in our service area.

We also provide the following free healthy lifestyle educational programs focused on common chronic conditions:

Heart H.E.L.P. – involves 5 weekly 2-hr workshops for adults at risk of or suffering from cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, myocardial infarction, stroke, or congestive heart failure. Participants will learn about reducing risk factors for heart disease, nutrition, exercise, and weight management.  

Living a Health Life with Chronic Conditions - involves 6 weekly 2-hr workshops for adults suffering from any chronic condition such as asthma, COPD, arthritis, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, etc.  Participants will learn about improving their quality of life, lifestyles changes, medications, communication skills and overcoming emotions such as depression, anger, frustration and tiredness. 

Diabetes Empowerment Education Program (DEEP) - involves 6 weekly 2-hr workshops for people with pre-diabetes, diabetes, and relatives and caregivers.  Participants will gain a better understanding of diabetes self-care.  Topics covered during class include improving and maintaining quality of live, preventing complications and disabilities, increasing physical activity, and improving relationships. 

For more information or to register, please contact Barbara Gonzalez, Community Health Manager at 213.742.5553 or Barbara.Gonzalez@DignityHealth.org.