LIVEAHWM Vive Bien Expansion Project
At Adventist Health White Memorial, we know that healthcare goes beyond hospital walls. The AHWM Community Resource Center is designed to address the needs of our patients, their families, and the whole community as a whole. The CRC provides enrollment support for health insurance, linkages to various assistance programs, and a wide range of bilingual health education and exercise classes. We are seeking funding to support the ongoing health of our East Los Angeles community by expanding the offerings of our Vive Bien Senior Wellness Program.
What is the primary issue area that your application will impact?
Health Care Access
In which areas of Los Angeles will you be directly working?
County of Los Angeles
In what stage of innovation is this project, program, or initiative?
Expand existing project, program, or initiative
What is your understanding of the issue that you are seeking to address?
Those we serve in East Los Angeles face a number of health disparities that are further exacerbated by ongoing socioeconomic challenges such as transportation challenges. Our goal is to expand the services provided to participants in our Vive Bien program and improve health behaviors that will promote a healthier lifestyle. Testimonial to demonstrate program impact: "I had various health issues including fatty liver, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and a 6.1 sugar level. I was unable to walk for extended periods of time and I received a diagnosis of needing knee surgery. (After participating in Vive Bien), the doctor noticed a significant change in my health results because everything had returned to normal levels and my fatty liver had cleared. I lost weight, can now walk for up to 30 minutes, (and) no longer need knee surgery. I enjoy the social interactions that are provided by the program and friendly staff that is always so welcoming." - Viva Bien Member 74 years old
Describe the project, program, or initiative this grant will support to address the issue.
As longstanding member of the Boyle Heights community, Adventist Health White Memorial (AHWM) is the only acute care, private nonprofit safety-net hospital, serving more than 1.1 million residents throughout East Los Angeles. This service area represents a federally recognized Medically Underserved Area, where about half of all residents are living at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, and approximately 52% of residents are either covered by Medi-Cal or medically uninsured. A linguistic profile of the area shows that half of all residents report that they do not speak English very well, posing a significant barrier to culturally appropriate healthcare. AHWM promotes health and wellness via the Community Resource Center (CRC). The CRC is open to all individuals and offers a range of no-cost social services to all community members, including resource referrals, insurance enrollment services, and a food pantry. The Vive Bien! Senior Wellness Program was launched in 2014 to help individuals navigate challenges to reaching optimal health. Vive Bien offers a variety of bilingual exercise classes, health education workshops, health system literacy sessions, and social activities. Grant funding would allow us to meet the growing demand for services by achieving the following goals: - Provide additional classes to address mental health and other issues - Renovate space to make it welcoming and accessible for exercise classes
Describe how Los Angeles County will be different if your work is successful.
LA County will see its older adult population double by 2030. As more Angelenos love longer lives, more people will seek community care to address their health care needs. Through the Vive Bien Senior Wellness Program, the AHWM Community Resource Center will provide Los Angeles residents a place to connect, improve their health, and access much-needed services. Through these funds, we will be able to identify strategies to best address community priorities. By increasing participation in our health and wellness classes, we can successfully improve healthcare outcomes for engaged individuals. We plan to also utilize this time to identify methods to foster long-term engagement and ensure these improvements are sustained even after the grant period.
What evidence do you have that this project, program, or initiative is or will be successful, and how will you define and measure success?
In order to understand overall program impact, it is vital to find ways to measure contributions we make to our community. Metrics are tracked through sign-in sheets, needs assessment questionnaires, and the Referral Pad system. The Referral Pad system is a streamlined process of connecting patients and community members to the CRC based on an identified need of social services, healthcare access, or wellness programming. Data collected includes reasons for visit and any additional need for services that are identified through the questionnaire, as well as rate of success for accessing resources.
Approximately how many people will be impacted by this project, program, or initiative?
Direct Impact: 840
Indirect Impact: 3,000