For Appointments Call 619-779-7900
Circle of Care: A Solution Model
The Circle of Care is a
holistic, solution-based approach to providing programs
and services that was created because complete family
wellness requires more than just medical services. Every
staff member at La Maestra from receptionist to
physician is trained in the Circle of Care approach - to
identify the patient's needs, to work as a team to
assess the patient's needs and to guide the patient
towards treatment, education, training and ultimately,
self-sufficiency. The Circle involves a network of
integrated services provided at La Maestra and linked to
partner organizations.
The Circle of Care begins with the "health of the
individual" at its core and extends out into the
"well-being of the individual," which captures all
non-medical needs. On a daily basis, individuals come to
La Maestra for one type of service and end up
identifying several other services available to meet
their greater, and perhaps unrecognized needs.
Sometimes these "other needs"
represent co-morbidities - undiagnosed health problems.
Our physicians, dentists, counselors and staff recognize
these other problems and refer the patient to the
appropriate department at La Maestra or to our partner
organizations for timely diagnosis and treatment. We
provide assistance with insurance eligibility and
applications so patients can understand their options
for accessing healthcare. In addition, La Maestra has
had a dispensary since 2000 stocked with medicines from
programs for uninsured low-income patients, and we
opened a culturally‑competent, comprehensive pharmacy
onsite in 2008 to ensure that insured patients obtain
the prescriptions they need and understand how to take
the medication.
In addition to providing medical, dental and mental
healthcare and education, La Maestra provides many
social services to enable our low-income and immigrant
community members become self-reliant. Our enabling
services include translation, transportation, and
assistance finding self-supporting jobs, continuing
education and training opportunities, financial literacy
education and affordable safe housing in a healthy
community in which to live and raise a family along with our daily
healthcare and social services, La Maestra helps out the
families in our community through special programs like
our weekly food pantry (where we distribute nutrition
information and healthy recipes with food) and our
annual holiday food and toy drive. Every holiday season,
La Maestra distributes thousands of toys for the
children and gifts for low‑income families in our
communities, donated by community members and local and
national companies. Any toys and gifts left after the
holidays are given throughout the year to families in
need and as incentives in our health education programs..
La Maestra's Circle of Care
approach makes it unique among the healthcare
organizations in the region. Its total commitment to the
health and well-being of the individual and his or her
family extends far beyond what normal healthcare
organizations are prepared to provide. This unique model
has been tested by La Maestra Community Health Centers
for twenty one years and serves as a framework of the
design our new facility and its programs. The Circle
of Care is embedded in core values, such as
compassionate care and self-sufficiency,
to ensure that the needs of the entire individual are
met. At La Maestra, residents find not only a "medical
home" but also a supportive family that cares about
their total well-being.
