Coalition Seeks Top Health Care

Representatives say Glendale should do more to bring the highest-quality care to the entire city.

August 30, 2007

SOUTHEAST GLENDALE — Despite three major hospitals, a relatively low crime rate and one of the most comprehensive homeless care systems in the county, health-care problems persist in Glendale, according to a cross-section of health and safety representatives who met Thursday morning at the Central Library.

Seated around tables in the auditorium and armed with the real-world knowledge of their respective fields, more than a dozen health-care professionals, city representatives and community advocates let loose a barrage of issues. Glendale Adventist Medical Center, Verdugo Hills and Glendale Memorial hospitals will compile the information and submit it as part of the 2007 Community Benefit and Health Needs Assessment.

More children are obese. Low-income families don’t have enough help. Immigrant groups are either unaware or have misperceptions of health programs. Federal funds for programs are drying up. The emphasis on youth wellness must be revived. The Police Department is understaffed. Illiteracy persists. Second-hand smoke in public gathering areas has been left unchecked. Preventive care and education needs more of a push. And the list goes on, the representatives said.

“The awareness needs to happen, that we need help,” said Maria Rochart, founder and director of New Horizons Family Center, a nonprofit center that focuses on child and family development services.

The needs-assessment report is required from nonprofit hospitals as a way for state health officials to maintain a map of strengths and weaknesses throughout the state. Likewise, local health officials can use the compiled data when applying for grant funding. The meeting was arranged through the city’s Healthier Community Coalition.

Despite myriad service backgrounds, all agreed that Glendale’s overall health profile was inconsistent, with the southern portion of the city suffering from a disproportionate share of crime and health problems.

Speaking on the city’s crime rate — which has consistently put Glendale in the FBI’s “Top 10 Safest Cities” list among cities with more than 100,000 people — police Capt. Lief Nicolaisen said the crime profile of the city south of the Ventura (134) Freeway would rise dramatically if split from the rest.

Additionally, the city south of Broadway has a disproportionate number of underserved, low-income families that have inadequate access to health-care services, Rochart said.

Some of that inadequacy can be attributed to lack of funding, health advocates said. Glendale’s image of a region of mid- to high-income families often hurts chances of procuring grant funding, especially from the county, said Lynn Brandstater, chief executive of Verdugo Health Center.

And grant stipulations that contradict one another make it nearly impossible for the nonprofits to capture more state and federal funds, said Maggie Willis, executive director of PATH Achieve, a Glendale-based homeless outreach organization.

The issue of dwindling state and federal resources spurred calls for more city involvement in the form of real dollars among the group, who said any large-scale action to address health issues requires more money.

Some suggested forming a committee to lobby the city on behalf of the group for local funding. All of the groups except the Police Department are funded through state and federal grants.

Some coalition members will present specialized-needs assessments to the City Council in October.