Annenberg Foundation Awards $35,000 Grant to St. Francis Medical Center Supporting Right to Health Medical-Legal Partnership

LYNWOOD, CA – The Annenberg Foundation recently awarded St. Francis Medical Center a $35,000 grant to support the “Right to Health Project” (RHP), a hospital-based medical-legal partnership providing legal services to low-income community members that positively impact overall health. Grant funding will help subsidize an on-site, bilingual attorney, employed by Bet Tzedek Legal Services, who will train St. Francis health care associates to recognize situations where legal interventions or assistance would benefit a community member. Last fiscal year, 244 low income families received legal advice and counsel through the Right to Health Project.

A free service to the community, the Right to Health Project model brings legal assistance into the medical setting, addressing factors impacting a person’s health falling outside the scope of medical intervention. For example, the Project addresses substandard housing conditions, health care decision-making, and guardianship issues on behalf of those in need. Additionally, the Right to Health Project advocates on behalf of those with mental illness who require social support services, such as CalFresh and Social Security Income.

Operating in collaboration with the Health Benefits Resource Center (HBRC) at St. Francis Medical Center, associates work closely together to identify cases where legal resources might make a difference to a person or family. “With so many variables impacting a person’s health, the benefit of legal guidance related to health care is often overlooked,” said Lydia Ramirez, director of the Health Benefits Resource Center, who provides management oversight for the Right to Health Project. “We are grateful to the Annenberg Foundation for their support because together, we can transform health care with trusted and caring solutions.”

ABOUT ST. FRANCIS MEDICAL CENTER
St. Francis Medical Center is the only comprehensive, non-profit health care institution serving Southeast Los Angeles. A member of the Daughters of Charity Health System, St. Francis Medical Center is dedicated to serving those who are sick and living in poverty. The Medical Center provides a full range of diagnostic and treatment services, as well as many community outreach programs, for the 700,000 adults and 300,000 children who count on St. Francis for high quality and compassionate medical care. For more information visit www.stfrancismedicalcenter.org

ABOUT ANNENBERG FOUNDATION
The Annenberg Foundation is a family foundation that provides funding and support to nonprofit organizations in the United States and globally. In addition, the Foundation and its Board of Directors are directly involved in the community with several projects that expand and complement its grant support to nonprofits. Among them are innovative nonprofit capacity building initiatives, AnnenbergLearner.org, the Annenberg Space for Photography, Explore, GRoW and the Metabolic Studio. The year 2014 marks the 25th anniversary of the Annenberg Foundation.

# # #