CLINIC ON WHEELS `RAY OF HOPE' TO HOMELESS BIGGER, HIGHER-TECH MOBILE MEDICAL UNIT COMING SOON.Byline: JASON Jason, in Greek mythology Jason, in Greek mythology, son of Aeson. When Pelias usurped the throne of Iolcus and killed (or imprisoned) Aeson and most of his descendants, Jason was smuggled off to the centaur Chiron, who reared him secretly on Mt. Pelion. KANDEL Valley News Writer Living outside the door of a pastor at Sepulveda Methodist Church in North Hills, Lynn Hopkins used to wait eagerly every other Friday for the health care center-on-wheels to arrive. Like a beacon of life, nurses and caseworkers from the Northeast Valley Health Corp. would file out of an old RV with medicine to treat her ailing liver -- damaged by years of alcohol abuse. ``I thought it was wonderful, like a ray of hope,'' said Hopkins, 52. ``When you're down and out, you don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. where else to get medical attention. They came right out to the streets and made it easier.'' Over the years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time Mobile Medical Unit has put on a lot of miles shuttling to parks, churches and rehabilitation rehabilitation: see physical therapy. centers across the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. . And clinic officials had been sharing the RV with caseworkers at L.A. Family Housing in North Hollywood. But the RV didn't have all the medical equipment health care workers needed. As soon as November, however, officials hope to roll out a bigger, higher-tech Mobile Medical Unit, purchased using $180,000 in donated funds, to help cure the sick and get those down on their luck back on their feet. ``We're very excited,'' said Ruth Trinidad, the business office manager at the NEVHC. ``There is a lot of need for services. It's hard for patients to come to our clinic because of transportation. So we go to them.'' It couldn't come at a better time. The 2005 Greater Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Homeless Count study, completed in January by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, found that at any given point, about 82,291 people are homeless in Los Angeles County, including more than 11,000 in the San Fernando Valley. About 32 percent of the nearly 3,200 people who responded to the LAHSA LAHSA Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (California) survey said their primary source of medical care is the local hospital emergency room. More than 54 percent of those who responded indicated they had been seen an E.R. at least once in a 12-month period, and 22 percent said they normally received health care at either a free clinic or a community clinic. Another 18 percent said they go to a public health clinic for medical attention, and about 25 percent said that since becoming homeless, they have needed medical attention but have been unable to receive it. Hopkins is one of the lucky ones. She's getting her medications and is off the streets now, living with a friend in Reseda. She is happy to put her years living on the streets ``exposed to the drugs and alcoholics'' behind her. But she still has obstacles. Her medical problems keep her from working. She has seizures In counterdrug operations, includes drugs and conveyances seized by law enforcement authorities and drug-related assets (monetary instruments, etc.) confiscated based on evidence that they have been derived from or used in illegal narcotics activities. , back problems and the bad liver. But she also has hope. ``I think I'm one of the few that actually made it,'' she said. ``I couldn't have done it without the help of those people. A lot of people don't make it out of that situation. I've seen lot of friends die out there.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Officials at the Northeast Valley Health Corp. plan to roll out a new RV, dubbed dub 1 tr.v. dubbed, dub·bing, dubs 1. To tap lightly on the shoulder by way of conferring knighthood. 2. To honor with a new title or description. 3. the Mobile Medical Unit, to help provide medical services to the homeless across the San Fernando Valley. Photo provided by Northeast Valley Health Corp. |
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