Maria Cruz expressed joy at the recent opening of a new St. John's Community Clinic at 58th and Hoover streets, an intersection in a hard-working, hardscrabble patch of South Los Angeles.
And why not? Cruz has diabetes but no healthcare insurance — and the clinic promises to focus on providing care for chronic illnesses such as diabetes, asthma, hypertension and heart problems.
The clinic is the most recent addition to St. John's Well Child & Family Center, which traces its roots to a local Episcopal church and "has grown to become a major nonprofit network of federally qualified health centers and school-based clinics" throughout the inner city.
The recent grand opening came on May 8, when St. John Well Child & Family Center chief executive officer Jim Mangia joined 9th District Los Angeles City Councilmember Jan Perry to inaugurate the facility and recognize Dr. Kenneth Williams for his valuable contribution to the community in serving at the clinic.
Cruz got a chance to express her joy to representatives of the various foundations that provided funding for the clinic, telling them that she first arrived at one of the 11 St. John's Community Clinic with a blood-sugar level of more than 600.
Cruz said that her blood-sugar level is currently at 95, thanks to the doctors and the medications. Now she says she hopes to see the clinic continue to operate at full strength despite the ongoing economic downturn.
Ernesto Barahona, development director of St. John Well Child & Family Center, said that Cruz is just one example of what has become a diabetes crisis in the local Latino population.
"We have seen a growing number of diabetes patients, and not only adult diabetics, but young people who are obese who acquire type 2 diabetes," Barahona said.
Indeed, a recent report by researchers at UCLA titled "Diabetes in California" determined that more than 339,000 Latinos in the state over the age of 18 are diabetic. The numbers grow worse with age, according to the study.
"The prevalence of diabetes varies with age, but among Latinos over 50 years old, the rate is very high with almost one in five Latinos having diabetes," according to the study. "The state average is 11% for adults between 50 and 64 years old."
The report also found that Latinos with diabetes face many problems due to the lack of health insurance and access to regular medical care, along with barriers created by language, legal status and low income. Among the Latino population with diabetes, 31.3% speak mainly Spanish, 39.7% are not citizens, and almost three of every four have incomes far below the federal poverty level, the study found.
Barahona said that the 11 community clinics operated by St. John's Community Clinics receive an estimated 760,000 visits by patients per year, with 25,000 or so of the cases related to diabetes.
"The population that it's affecting now is the population without medical insurance, and when they get to us they're already quite sick," Barahona said, adding that St. John's medical staffers often must refer patients to the foot specialists for treatment because many of them are close to losing limbs due to a lack of medical treatment.
Cruz said that she did not have diabetes when she first came to the U.S. from Mexico City nearly 20 years ago. She developed the disease two years later, she said,
and has since gone from one clinic to another without having a regular medical facility for treatment.
Cruz said she's hopeful that the newest St. John's Community Clinic will provide some consistency to her treatment.
"I'm excited and happy because of this place," she said. "I [go for treatment] once a week, but the doctors are always changing my insulin because I don't qualify for the one that I should use, since I don't have medical insurance nor do I have money to buy it. Now I hope that in this clinic they can help us."
Barahona said he expects 7,000 visits by patients per year at the new clinic.
St. John's Clinic for the care of chronic illnesses is located at 5801 South Hoover Street, Los Angeles, CA 90037. Tel. (323) 541-1600.
More info:
* St. John's Well Child and Family Center Clinics
Mireya Olivera is editor of Impulso.
Photos by Impulso
I am glad that they opend a new side for this clinic hopefully they help there pacients faster now. I love the doctors here special Rothman, lisa and machanga but other then that I hate the service there, front desk has such a rude personalities, one time well actually several times I spen more then 2 or 3 hours just for my daughter to get a check up, the front desk girl forgot about me when I was pregnant had me there since 9am till it was 3pm no lie about that 1 !! I keept asking her whats going on "ma'am you are almost next" there were 5 girls waiting for pre-natal only around 10 people on the waiting room nothing for me so I finally talk to this "manager" and he told her what happen with me where was my file?? this girl didn't even put my file out i was there like a ...... for hours ! grr ok i took my stress out but other then that those doctors are awesome!!!!