Thanks to a generous three-year, $300,000 grant from the OneWest
Foundation — matched by funds from the UCLA Health System — qualified
Venice Family Clinic patients who need hospitalization or specialized
medical care may now be helped by a pilot project launched by the
foundation, the clinic and the UCLA Health System.
“It gives me great satisfaction to know that OneWest is playing a vital
role in advancing the UCLA Health Sciences' mission of research,
education, patient care and public service, as well as the Venice Family
Clinic's commitment to patient care”
"Currently, there is a fragmented system in place to ensure access to
specialty and inpatient care for low-income patients seen at Venice
Family Clinic," said Dr. David Feinberg, CEO of the UCLA Hospital System
and associate vice chancellor. "As a result, complex medical conditions
are often only partially diagnosed, and interventional care is
frequently delayed until it becomes critical or life-threatening.
Patients end up in the Los Angeles County health system, where medical
resources and the expertise to deal with the underlying causes are in
very limited supply, or they are treated in the emergency room, which is
the most expensive form of health care.
"This pilot project's goal is to provide integrated primary care,
specialty care and tertiary care at the right time and in the right
medical setting — and to make a true difference in people’s lives."
The Pasadena, Calif.–based OneWest Foundation is committed to investing
in organizations that help build stronger communities. This grant will
support low- to moderate-income patients who lack private insurance and
do not qualify for Medi-Cal or Medicare coverage through the pilot
project by making a gift pledge through The UCLA Foundation.
"It gives me great satisfaction to know that OneWest is playing a vital
role in advancing the UCLA Health Sciences' mission of research,
education, patient care and public service, as well as the Venice Family
Clinic's commitment to patient care,” said Steven T. Mnuchin, chairman
of the OneWest Foundation. "We are proud to help make a difference in
the lives of those in our community."
The pilot project will help those patients seen at Venice Family
Clinic’s new Colen Family Health Center in Mar Vista who do not have
private insurance or qualify for Medi-Cal or Medicare coverage, and who
require specialty care and hospitalization, to secure ongoing treatment
at the UCLA Health System. The Colen Family Health Center will open in
March 2010 and will serve 4,000 people annually. Roughly 74 percent of
the Colen Family Health Center's patients are expected to meet the
criteria for this initiative.
"The health systems that work best are those that are integrated and
located in the community where patients live," said Liz Forer, CEO of
Venice Family Clinic. "This collaboration between Venice Family Clinic
and the UCLA Health System will expand the options available to our
patients, reduce health care treatment costs and improve health
outcomes."
The joint venture is intended to establish the value and efficacy of
providing coordinated inpatient and outpatient care to low-income
patients. UCLA and Venice Family Clinic will assess the impact of the
program annually. At the conclusion of the initial three-year period,
UCLA and the clinic will explore the viability of pursuing a more
permanent solution.
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