Health Center Receives Proclamation for National Health Center Week from Congresswoman Susan Davis
LEMON GROVE, CA (PRWEB) August 08, 2016 -- La Maestra Community Health Centers, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) federally qualified health center, is proud to participate in this year’s National Health Center Week. In celebration of America’s health centers, Congresswoman Susan Davis will be presenting a proclamation to La Maestra on Tuesday, Aug. 9 from 1:00 to 1:30 p.m. at the organization’s Lemon Grove clinic located at 7967 Broadway in Lemon Grove, California.
The congresswoman will proclaim Aug. 7 to 13 as National Health Center Week and will encourage all residents of the 53rd District to visit their local health center and celebrate the important partnership between health centers and the communities they serve. For more than 50 years, health centers across the nation have become health homes to the most vulnerable underserved populations, which include low-income, uninsured and underinsured.
Health centers like La Maestra provide high quality, cost-effective primary and specialty health care, as well as numerous social services to all people, regardless of their ability to pay. In 2015, 1,375 health center grantees across the United States provided health care services to more than 24 million patients through more than 9,000 delivery sites.
La Maestra was founded by teachers and volunteers in 1990 to offer care to diverse, under and uninsured residents of San Diego. La Maestra became an FQHC in 1998, the first grantee in San Diego under the Health Resources and Services Administration Federal Section 330(i) for low-income housing residents and special populations.
The organization now provides culturally competent healthcare and support services to more than 46,000 low-income people annually in central, south, and east San Diego County through five primary care clinics, nine dental sites, four school-based health centers, a mobile medical/dental unit, and San Diego County’s first mobile mammography coach. La Maestra has received many local awards and national recognition for its grassroots, innovative Circle of Care™ model, which is a holistic, solutions-based approach to addressing the health and wellbeing needs of these emerging communities.
La Maestra established its location at 7967 Broadway in Lemon Grove in 2009, providing a health home for thousands of diverse, low-income residents in this area of southeast San Diego County. To reduce patient wait-time and to meet the demand for additional oral health care services for new patients, the site’s dental clinic was expanded with equipment funded by a grant from Grossmont Health Care District. The site now provides preventive and specialty dental services to more than 4,200 residents annually. La Maestra will soon open a new location in Lemon Grove that will offer expanded medical and dental care to meet the increasing need for services in this region.
In honor of NHCW, the organization will also conduct a community health fair on Friday, Aug. 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at La Maestra’s main clinic site located at 4060 Fairmount Avenue San Diego, California. Activities will include health screenings for diabetes, hypertension, and anxiety, as well as public program enrollment assistance, breast cancer education, healthy eating and active living demonstrations and raffles.
Zara Marselian, La Maestra CEO said, “La Maestra is proud to be participating in NHCW and to stand with other health centers across the nation to serve individuals and families in Lemon Grove and other underserved communities. La Maestra looks forward to continuing to provide high-quality, cost-effective care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay for many years in the future.”
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La Maestra Family Clinic, Inc., doing business as (d.b.a) La Maestra Community Health Centers (http://www.lamaestra.org) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) federally qualified health center. Through its award-winning Circle of Care™ model, La Maestra serves more than 46,000 people annually with medical, dental, optometry, mental health and imaging services, as well as legal advocacy, economic empowerment, and social services.
The mission of La Maestra Family Clinic, Inc. is to provide quality health care and education; to improve the overall well-being of the family; bringing the underserved, ethnically diverse communities into the mainstream of society through a caring, effective, culturally and linguistically competent manner, respecting the dignity of all patients.
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Corinne Knutson, La Maestra Family Clinic, Inc., http://www.lamaestra.org, +1 619-269-1267, [email protected]
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