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Giving the Gift of Health Riverside Community Health Foundation; Innovative and Accessible Health Care

Posted on: Saturday, 18 December 2004, 03:00 CST

Identifying the basic need of those whose circumstances render them unable to receive adequate heath care services, the Riverside Community Health Foundation offers accessible and affordable health care to those individuals and their families throughout Riverside and its neighbouring communities.

Formed in 1973, the Riverside Community Health Foundation is a non-profit public benefit corporation providing health education and services to the people of Riverside for more than 30 years. Originally initiated by Riverside philanthropist Ruell Johnson, along with other community and medical leaders, its primary purpose was to provide philanthropic support to Riverside Community Hospital. The Health Foundation then became an independent body when the hospital joined the for-profit Health Corporation of America (HCA). As a direct result and over a period of several years, the assets from the hospital's transfer to HCA ownership created a $60 million dollar endowment fund that provides the financial opportunity for the development of Riverside's community health needs and objectives.

The mission of the foundation is to provide a caring and adaptable approach to community health. This is greatly reflected through the diversity and innovativeness of the service it provides. The underprovided families of Riverside are the primary concern for the foundation. Many children and elderly do not receive adequate basic health care. They have limited choices available to them in relation to essential medical and dental care. Most of these families have little or no access to the health care benefits normally provided by employers and hence cannot afford individual health care insurance or services. As a result, the foundation has initiated two main strategies to focus on the problem: The first is a series of family health centers concentrating on providing primary care medical services. The Eastside Family Health Center is already established and the Arlanza Family Health Centre will open soon in 2005. As well as medical services, each month the centers provide essential health education such as seminars on smoking cessation, weight management and fitness strategies. The centers also offer preventive and restorative dental care services.

The second program that addresses this issue is the aptly named Health in Motion program.

This is the product of a partnership between Riverside Community Health Foundation and Community Health Systems, Inc. This 38-foot mobile clinic provides basic health care services to low income, uninsured individuals and families in convenient, accessible locations. The mobile clinic travels to nine regular sites each month as well as health fairs, community centers and schools. The clinic treats minor medical ailments and performs immunizations, physicals and wellchild exams.

In addition to offering treatment and health educational services to the local community, the foundations also provides the Executive 2000 Council "E2C." This is a business-based, philanthropic organization, committed to meeting the health care needs of Riverside's business community. E2C membership fees help sponsor both primary care and preventive care programs throughout the Riverside area. Yearly dues range from $250 to $2,000. Non-profit organization rates begin at $200. E2C is attractive to large and small businesses, offering professional and personal educational and networking opportunities to its business leadership members.

The foundation has a significant impact on local health care needs and its efforts are fundamental to health care development and social wellbeing of Riverside and its surrounding community. There are continuous obstacles facing those families deficient in resources or transportation, or for those to whom the English language is not the native tongue.

The foundation continues to undertake other unsolved concerns relating to community health care and the contributions from individuals, businesses and organizations, make this progression achievable. For more information and advice on donations, please call the foundation at (951) 788-3471 where a foundation officer will be happy to discuss your gifting queries. To request Health in Motion for a health fair or a special event, contact Ninfa E. Delgado, director of community outreach, at (909) 788-3471. Recorded schedule information is available at (909) 328-9859.

Copyright Daily Planet Publishing Inc. Nov 01, 2004

Source: Inland Empire Business Journal

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