Construct a Green La Maestra Community Health Center
CONSTRUCT A “GREEN” LA MAESTRA COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER – a 32,000 square foot facility that will be the “hub” for a new standard of healthcare and well-being for the residents of City Heights
La Maestra staff and board members, residents and architects have designed a new health care facility that will begin construction in 2007. This new facility will replace the current home of La Maestra Community Health Center made up of 13 buildings on Fairmount Avenue. The result is a state-of-the-art La Maestra Community Health Center that dramatically increases the number of patients being served, the number of treatments suites and adds new programs and services vitally need by the community.
This extraordinary new facility is designed to ensure that the values of comprehensive and compassionate care and self-sufficiency embedded in the “Circle of Care” solution model will be reflected into every treatment suite, patient waiting room, hallway and meeting room in the facility. Families, speaking more than 30 languages, will feel at “home” when they arrive. A special children’s stroller zone and interactive play area will engage young people as they wait with their parents for treatment. Visitors of all ages will learn about the City Heights community through interactive signage, community art displays and educational programs, forums and learning exchanges.
The first floor of the La Maestra Health Center is designed as the main entry with a welcoming lobby that uses art and signage to welcome residents. A central station staffed by volunteers and staff will answer questions and provide directions for all patients and visitors as they enter.
Surrounding the lobby are retail spaces for community entrepreneurs - a florist, a coffee vendor, a boutique featuring local crafts from residents will contribute to an inviting and vibrant lobby hub where residents will want to enjoy time together drinking coffee. Storefront health services and specialty clinics will draw visitors and patients throughout the day. These services will provide treatment, micro-enterprise training and employment assistance. Revenues from these businesses will be used to support the growth of the Center to continue to meet the needs of the community.
On the second and third floors, 20 new treatment suites will expand medical services and provide more specialized treatment for children, women and seniors. A new laboratory and pharmacy will provide one-stop services for medicines and medical tests. A new “telemedicine” program will provide medical support for patients in rural clinics who can receive treatment using La Maestra physicians and special technology.
Counseling, educational programs, networking and training in areas such as employment, financial literacy, and micro-enterprise and housing assistance require the need for both large and smaller meeting spaces. Multi-purpose suites will provide spaces for forums and even community celebrations. The Food Pantry Center will be expanded to serve many more residents needing assistance.
Hospitals and healthcare centers are known for their high consumption of environmental waste and toxicity. The La Maestra Community Health Center will take its own first step towards constructing a “green” health center that demonstrates its commitment to environmental health as well as personal well-being. The entire facility will comply with the 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 environmental friendly standards. Factors such as air quality ventilation, lighting, energy use sources, waste management and natural materials will be selected based on this standard.
The result will be a spectacular model for the region and the nation as the first community healthcare center in an underserved community to be built “green”. With its natural lighting and quality materials, it will be a living example of a health center that respects the environment and teaches residents what first-hand what well-being means. In the long run, the cost savings and environmental benefits may serve as an impetus for other builders in the community to follow.
The new La Maestra Community Health Center will be a place where residents and visitors will want to come not only when they are sick but when they are well to enjoy, learn and experience together the true meaning of health and well-being – in the “heart” of the community.