The emergence of a habitat for health.

Public health care leaders across the country are constantly on the look-out for better ways to meet the needs of the growing number of low-income and uninsured who arrive at clinics and hospitals when they are very sick and in need of costly medical treatment. Most health professionals will tell you that the old adage, "prevention is the best form of medicine," is the real key to success.

To promote this "best form of medicine," two local Los Angeles agencies have teamed up in a unique partnership to open a new venue that provides medical care to uninsured inner-city children and teens. Working together, the Bresee Foundation and QueensCare Family Clinics will provide approximately 13,000 patient visits over the next three years--and that is just the beginning.

For this new venture, both agencies bring their decades of experience in the core city neighborhoods. Since 1982, Bresee has operated as a multi-faceted neighborhood center in the Westlake area adjacent to downtown Los Angeles. Over the past 86 years, QueensCare Family Clinics has provided primary medical care to the low-income and uninsured, and currently operates a network of five clinics that are located in Hollywood, Echo Park, Mid-Wilshire, Eagle Rock and East LA. The clinics also provide extensive outreach programs to local public schools, which provide dental and vision care to thousands of low-income, uninsured school children.

"Trying to transform a neighborhood, I became transformed," said Rev. Jeff Carr, the Executive Director of Bresee. He continued, "I live and work in this community and the key to change is not blind charity but empowering people to take care of themselves."

Five years ago when Rev. Carr was drafting plans for Bresee's newly built community center, the local residents requested that a health clinic be a part of the new facility. Up to this point, Bresee's focus was on after-school programs, education, career development, family support services, leadership development, and youth oriented sports programs and social activities. Operating a clinic would require a link to a health care agency that shared Bresee's values.

"QueensCare Family Clinics fit the bill," said Terry Bonecutter, President of the clinics. "We share a common vision with Bresee," he went on to say, "and that is to educate, enable, and connect the community to the most productive resources. With the right tools, the local residents can become more self-sufficient and live healthier lives."

This new 1,600 square feet clinic is housed in the three-year old Bresee Community Center, which is located in one of the poorest and most densely populated areas in the city of Los Angeles. It will be operated by QueensCare Family Clinics, who will provide medical staff and a critical link to their health network with its wide array of lab, pharmacy, specialty care, hospital, and other related services. At this time, the clinic will be open twenty-hours per week, but over the next year, it will gradually expand services and hours to become a full-time health center that operates forty-hours per week.

"What's old again is new again," reported Bonecutter, "and the wonderful advances in medicine are most productive when you join high-tech with high-touch." Rev. Carr agreed, stating, "Both of our agencies are really trusted by the low-income working immigrants we help; we are pad of the local landscape. Building upon that presence and trust, this new clinic will be a real medical home for thousands of children and families in the area."

In addition to the thousands of families currently served by Bresee, the clinic will also link up with four local schools that are within a three-block radius. With a total student population of over 5,500 children, the clinic is centrally located to provide a crucial gateway for those who would probably not visit a health clinic until they are very sick.

As an extra touch to the general services offered, this new program will also have a full-time community case manager who will be available to help kids and families with difficult personal and family problems that negatively affect their overall well-being. By supporting the medical staff with as-needed assistance for families in crisis, this case manager will further reinforce the high-ouch aspect at the clinic.

Like the old nineteenth-century, immigrant, settlement houses and the more recent Habitat for Humanity, Bresee's new clinic will offer a positive and cooperative environment to help people help themselves to good health. As such, it is a truly special community-based habitat for health.

Information for this article was provided by the Bresee Foundation and Queenscare family Clinics.