L.A. Health Collaborative Group 3: Geographic Focus

Health Planning Resources May 2004

Following are descriptions of broad-based, regional health planning activities in the communities identified by the L.A. Health Collaborative Group 3: Geographic Focus.

. Southeast L.A. The Southeast L.A. community is within SPA 6 (South). This SPA has struggled with sustaining an ongoing, broad-based health-planning infrastructure. Dr. Belinda Towns had some success at bringing groups together to plan around health issues when she was the SPA 6 Area Health Officer; however, these meetings have not continued. The most recent effort is a gathering of the community clinics in SPA 6 coming together on a monthly basis to plan and collaborate on potential joint activities.

In March 2004, the Los Angeles County Children’s Planning Council (CPC) voted to reconstitute the SPA 6 Council "...with the aim of helping to create a new council that is aligned to the vision and mission of the Children's Planning Council," and with the goal "...to create a new council that can engender strong, visionary leadership that is reflective of the SPA 6 communities and that has the capacity and will to boldly address the concerns and disparities impacting children and families in the region." (Quotes from a CPC web-site- posted letter from Yolie Flores Aguilar, Executive Director, CPC) It is estimated that a transition team will be engaged in the process of creating a new SPA 6 Council for the period April through September 2004.

. North Hollywood, Sun Valley, Van Nuys These communities are within the region addressed by the Valley Care Community Consortium (VCCC), the health and mental health-planning group for SPA 2 (San Fernando) that was established in 1995. Participating agencies include providers from the public and private sectors, schools, universities, elected officials, business leaders and community-based organizations. The group is currently conducting a regional needs assessment. Other priority areas identified by VCCC include:  Access, Coverage, and Enrollment  Hospital-Clinic Partnerships  Community Education and  Environmental Health Outreach  Chronic Disease Management  Dental Services  Transportation  Emergency and Trauma Care  Nursing Shortage System  Mental Health  System Coordination

The Steering Committee meets monthly and the full membership meets quarterly. Partners in Care Foundation provides VCCC with administrative and advisory services, program staffing and fiscal management. The contact for VCCC is Neelam Gupta at (818) 526-1780 x117 or L.A. Health Collaborative Group 3: Geographic Focus Health Planning Resources - May 2004 Page 2

[email protected]. VCCC also has a web site at www.valleyccc.org.

At one time, VCCC was the Health Committee of the SPA 2 Council of the CPC. However, in February 2004, the Council convened a new Health Workgroup. The contact for the Council is Alma Jimenez at (818) 780-2066 or [email protected]. The Council meets monthly.

. Long Beach (South of 405) There is no SPA-level, health-planning group in SPA 8 (South Bay). Such health planning efforts were briefly supported by Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (LAC DHS) funds (often referred to as "barrier reduction" funds), which ended in June 2000 with the expenditure of those County dollars.

However, the community of Long Beach is served by the Long Beach Community Health Council (LBCHC), which was formed in 1992. The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, The Children's Clinic, Westside Neighborhood Clinic, Cambodian Association of America and Families in Good Health were instrumental in creating the Council, which now includes representatives from the various community-based organizations, city departments, hospitals, and healthcare groups in Long Beach. The group's areas of focus include:  Outreach, education and enrollment of families into health coverage programs (i.e. Medi- Cal, Healthy Families, California Kids, etc.);  1115 Medicaid Waiver and Public Private Partnership (PPP) Initiative;  Proposition 10: mental healthcare in Long Beach -- the availability and quality of services; and,  Cultural and linguistic competency.

The LBCHC meets monthly. The contact for LBCHC is Nancy Watson at 323-295-9372 x40 or [email protected]. LBCHC has a web site at www.chc-inc.org/chcRegionalLB.cfm.

The SPA 8 Council of the CPC is active, but does not have a subgroup that specifically addresses health issues. Reports on health matters are provided to the Council via representatives from LAC DHS.

. Pomona, Claremont, San Dimas These communities are within the San Gabriel SPA and are covered by the SPA 3 Health Planning Group (HPG), which was formed in 2001. The group includes representatives from the Pasadena Public Health Department, LAC DHS (both personal and public health), community clinics, private hospitals, community-based organizations and advocates. The vision of the SPA 3 HPG is: A healthy community, with optimal quality of life and wellbeing for all; and the mission is: To improve the health and well-being of the SPA 3 community by increasing access to care and promoting healthy lifestyles. L.A. Health Collaborative Group 3: Geographic Focus Health Planning Resources - May 2004 Page 3

The group's 2004 priorities are: 1. Identify and address issues that impact the vision and mission through activities such as:  Increasing awareness of resources among the SPA 3 Health Planning Group and the SPA 3 community.  Advocacy on identified issues, including hosting forums and disseminating information.  Reviewing and considering models for service integration that also include systems change and a policy change component to position group for future funding.  Outreaching to other groups and partners as needed and appropriate. 2. Raise awareness of local, state and federal issues that will impact the current delivery of health services for the low income and uninsured populations. 3. Partner with LAC DHS and other groups to bring information and data relevant to the vision and mission to the Health Planning Group.

The SPA 3 HPG Steering Committee meets monthly and the full membership meets quarterly. The primary contact for the group is Deborah Silver at (626) 794-7978 or [email protected].

The SPA 3 Council of the CPC is active and holds monthly meetings. The SPA 3 Council and the SPA 3 HPG share a work group, the Health Access Planning Network, which is focused on increasing health care coverage for children. This joint work group is currently developing a new work plan. The contact for the SPA 3 Council is Debra Lamana at (626) 449-8221 x216 or [email protected].

. Lynwood, Paramount, Bellflower, Southgate These communities are in two SPAs: South - 6 (Lynwood and Paramount) and East - 7 (Bellflower and South Gate). Like SPAs 6 and 8, SPA 7 has struggled with sustaining an ongoing, broad health-planning infrastructure. Regional health planning efforts supported by LAC DHS barrier reduction funds ended in June 2000. To date, there is no broad health planning collaborative in SPA 7.

The SPA 7 Council of the CPC is active, with four sub-regional bodies: North, South, East, and West. The West Subregion includes South Gate; the South Subregion includes Bellflower. In addition, the SPA 7 Council has a Health Committee lead by Dr. Erica Watson, LAC DHS Area Health Officer for SPAs 7 and 8. The Council contact is Cynthia Robledo at (562) 406-2240; the West Subregion contact is Marcos Vega 323-564-5233; and the South Subregion contacts are Anna Soto 213-351-8065 and Carolyn Castillo 562-923- 4545. Dr. Watson can be contacted at 562-464-5408 or [email protected].