Expand Health
Programs and services that will more than double the number of residents accessing health care
Access to healthcare for residents will be achieved in many ways in the new facility. First, by locating the new facility in the heart of the City Heights community on the corner of University and Fairmount Avenues. With more than 85% of the patients and their families walking to the Center or dependent on public transportation, it is vitally important to offer “one-stop” medical services.
Second, based on the Circle of Care model, services are designed to help the entire family, and all ages including children, adults and seniors. The Center will offer the full spectrum of care from regular medical check-ups, to dental and vision care, pre and post natal care, behavioral health counseling and the monitoring of chronic illnesses and diseases such as diabetes and asthma. Patients will no longer have to travel distances to get results for laboratory tests or to fill their prescriptions. In the new facility, the pharmacy and laboratory will also be available to provide easy access. It is estimated that the new facility will dramatically increase the number of patients who are currently receiving care – from 33,000 to 48,000 annually. This is not only due to the expanded size of the facility but also based on a new senior center located adjacent to the new health center that will provide a steady flow of patients needing care. These statistics become event more significant considering that La Maestra’s Community Health Center in City Heights receives more than 84,000 visits per year.
At La Maestra, patients soon learn that access to care also translates in using the regional network of resources for additional services such as specialized medical treatments or counseling programs for substance abuse domestic violence or educational programs for better nutrition. Staff work closely with residents to help them establish their “medical home” with La Maestra. They understand their role in serving as a liaison between the residents and the network of services to ensure that patient’s needs are met and that a positive relationship is established between the patient and the physician. They will be treated by physicians and medical staff they know and trust. They will learn the value of following treatments, getting regular check-ups, eating nutritionally and exercising.
Finally, the highest emphasis is placed on providing culturally competent care. La Maestra’s employees, many of who are hired from the community, speak 19 languages and are trained and knowledgeable about customs and strongly held beliefs that can be a barrier to receiving care. The practice of using children, for example, to translate for their adult relatives during exams is not practiced at La Maestra. Physicians are selected to work at La Maestra based on their cultural expertise as well as their medical training. More physician residents will be recruited from partnerships with Children’s Hospital and Health Center, University of California San Diego,
ScrippsHealth and Sharp HealthCare as well as from hospitals throughout the country. La Maestra will become a center for professional training so that other healthcare providers can gain new skills that will be applied to other communities.
La Maestra has seen a 34% increase in patient volume annually since 2000. With the new facility and the ability to treat many more patients, thousands more patients will experience what compassionate care really means and will bring with them family and friends.