Improving community health

Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park has partnered with East Valley Community Health Center (EVCHC), a Federally Qualified Health Center with clinics in West Covina and Pomona, on various programs that support improving access to health care for uninsured and underinsured individuals throughout the San Gabriel Valley.

The partnership includes programs such as KP Care Night, Community Surgery Day, and Colonoscopy Days. Additional support includes donations of surplus medical and office equipment, and ongoing community benefit funding.

“Our partnership with East Valley Community Health Center through our various programs enables us to provide services to patients that they may not receive elsewhere,” says Maggie Pierce, Senior Vice President & Area Manager, Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park. “Thanks to these programs, we’re able to help improve their patients’ care and overall health and well-being.”

KP Care Night

In 1997, Kaiser Permanente physicians and nurses began volunteering monthly at EVCHC’s West Covina evening clinic where they provided primary care services through a partnership known as KP Care Night. That partnership has continued and, due to increasing patient demand, physicians and nurse practitioners now volunteer at the Pomona clinic where they provide general family practice services for both children and adults. More than 2,000 individuals have been served through this partnership since the program’s inception.

Colonoscopy Days

In 2010, the Baldwin Park Medical Center’s Gastroenterology Department volunteered to offer free colonoscopies for EVCHC’s high-risk, uninsured patients who would otherwise be placed on a waiting list at county health facilities. Since wait lists can take months, many life-threatening conditions would remain undiagnosed if such screenings weren’t available. The Colonoscopy Days Program is held quarterly and has served more than 142 individuals. In some cases, cancerous polyps were detected early and EVCHC was able to expedite treatment for these patients through the LA County health system.

Community Surgery Day

Community Surgery Day, a program that provides free surgical procedures, began in 2010 through the volunteer efforts of the Baldwin Park Medical Center’s General Surgery and Anesthesiology departments. A variety of surgical procedures are offered annually through several departments including, but not limited to, Orthopedics, Vascular Surgery, Gastroenterology, and Ophthalmology. To date, 254 EVCHC patients have been served through this partnership.

In addition to these programs, Kaiser Permanente’s National Facilities Services provided construction management services and financial oversight when the West Covina site was being rebuilt. The Facilities team also provided consultation and technical assistance in the selection of a general contractor and architectural firm for the planning, interior design, engineering, and signage services for the clinic’s Pomona site.

“Kaiser Permanente helps clinics such as ours provide access to care through robust collaboration and partnerships that allow us to expand patient care and enhance patients’ overall well-being,” says Lelenia Navarro, Chief Operating Officer, East Valley Community Health Center. “Partnership is the core of this relationship. It’s what provides services that our patients might not get any other place. It can be lifesaving for our patients – and that’s invaluable.”

Our partnership with EVCHC is also featured on KP’s Community Health website.

Photos include Community Surgery Day, KP Care Night, and Colonoscopy Days.