ChapCare Events Highlight Vital Role of Local Community Health Centers – Pasadena Now

Board Member Tyron Hampton presented a City of Pasadena Commendation to ChapCare CEO Margaret Martinez. [Eddie Rivera/Pasadena Now]

A week-long series of events August 8-12 highlighted the multi-faceted services and important community role played by Pasadena-based ChapCare, which provides health care to all Pasadeans, including underinsured and uninsured people.

“Having health centers in our local community is important,” council member Tyron Hampton said at an event, a mixer, held on Thursday.

“At ChapCare, I feel like family here. It’s important to see people you recognize who look like your neighbors. ChapCare did that. They put in doctors who look like me, look like you and everyone else in our community,” Hampton said.

President Joe Biden said earlier this month “given that [community health center] clinics operate under a board of directors made up mostly of patients, health centers ensure that decisions are directly informed and made by those served.

Nonprofit healthcare centers like ChapCare provide comprehensive care to 30 million patients at 11,000 service delivery sites in every state and territory in the United States and save the healthcare system more than $24 billion a year by reducing emergency room, hospital and specialty care costs.

Locally, ChapCare has been serving Pasadeans since 1995.

Hampton recognized the work done by ChapChare in the Pasadena community during Thursday’s Community Partners Day.

It reinforced the crucial role that ChapCare plays in improving access to quality health care at the local level.

Even those without a health insurance plan can access ChapCare’s comprehensive health care, including women’s health, pediatrics, family medicine, dental, behavioral health, specialty care and pharmacy services.

National Health Center Week has been a week of action and appreciation, where different members of the community are celebrated Monday through Friday, said Mauricio Ramos, director of marketing and outreach for ChapCare.

“We have done more. We’ve done that a lot more this year, in that we actually have more activities, similar to a health fair setup,” Ramos said. “We have a team that speaks to residents, patients, as well as community partner involvement.”

The center honored a host of local community partners, including Pasadena Libraries, Pasadena Federal Credit Union, Day One, Anthem Blue Cross, HealthNet and LA Care, community partners as part of a week-long celebration. in order to raise awareness of the mission. and the accomplishments of American health centers over the past five decades.

To kick off National Health Center Week, Monday was Caring for the Underserved Day, where low-income families and homeless neighbors received gifts and essential care kits.

Tuesday, August 9 was dedicated to essential workers, including agricultural workers, domestic workers, laborers and groups in the essential group category.

Back-to-school kits were also distributed during the first two days ChapCare concluded its back-to-school campaign. Each year, ChapCare distributes 150 backpacks to children in preparation for the reopening of school.

The most important day was Wednesday, August 10, Patient Appreciation Day, during which patients receive various gift items, such as museum tickets, and many more.

Thursday, Community Partners Day recognized the efforts of community partners to improve the quality of primary health care in Pasadena. A Coffee Mixer was held at ChapCare Lincoln. ChapCare CEO Margaret B. Martinez recognized the efforts of community organizations in their efforts to provide needed support over the years.

Martinez highlighted the range of services provided by ChapCare through their twenty years of service in the San Gabriel Valley, including health education and insurance information, vaccinations, testing, OB- Gyn, prenatal and pediatric care, behavioral health, family medicine, and dental care.

“This is real health care in our community delivered by professionals,” Hampton said of awarding the band a commendation from the city of Pasadena, adding, “It makes us feel good to bring our kids here.

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Maria J. Book