The Weingart Center Association Begins Construction Of New State-of-the-art Community Health Center

March 9, 2009 - PRLog -- Contact: Tammy Metzger – Phone (213)-689-2223
                                                       Director, Marketing & Communications
  Weingart Center Association
E-Mail: tammym@weingart.org

THE WEINGART CENTER ASSOCIATION BEGINS CONSTRUCTION OF NEW, STATE-OF-THE-ART COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER IN SKID ROW
$5.7 Million Raised from Private Funders for Skid Row Health Center

   Los Angeles, CA, March 6, 2009 — The Weingart Center Association (WCA), the largest health and human services agency for homeless men and women in Los Angeles, has broken ground on a new state-of-the-art, 21,000 square foot community health center that will serve Skid Row, the 10-block area where more than 18,000 poor residents and homeless individuals reside at any given time in downtown Los Angeles.   The health center, located at 522 S. San Pedro Street, will open in late spring and is expected to meet the healthcare needs of almost 9,000 patients each year.
   “The Weingart Center is very excited about the unprecedented opportunity to create a health center that provides comprehensive services under one roof and the type of quality care that will be offered and is so needed in this community,” states Gregory C. Scott, President & CEO of WCA.
   In 2004 the Weingart Center Association, along with JWCH Institute, the County of Los Angeles and the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles, came together as part of the Skid Row Homeless Healthcare Initiative (SRHHI) in an innovative, collaborative partnership to create a full-service health care facility to address the currently fragmented delivery system of medical and mental health services on Skid Row.
   The community health center will consolidate medical services, utilizing an integrated service model that provides easy access to comprehensive, multidisciplinary healthcare services, including:  primary health care; dentistry; optometry; a pharmacy; a laboratory; radiology services; mental health, substance abuse, case management, TB control, HIV/AIDS services; and benefits counseling.
   WCA received a grant for $2,291,500 from the Weingart Foundation to support pre-construction and rehabilitation of an existing WCA facility for the new health center. The Weingart Foundation focuses part of its grant giving on the needs of the homeless, destitute, and under-served in our community.   “The Weingart Foundation is exceptionally proud to provide the lead gift for this community health center,” says Fred Ali, president & CEO of the Weingart Foundation, “We'd also like to acknowledge the other funders that joined this effort.  The Weingart Foundation has a long-standing commitment to the community and this health center fits squarely in our mandate to support initiatives for health care services to men, women and children.”
   Additional funding partners include, The Annenberg Foundation, The Ahmanson Foundation, California Community Foundation, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, The Carrie Estelle Doheny Foundation, and the Skirball Foundation.
   The new JWCH Weingart center is a unique public-private partnership that unites the Weingart Center, JWCH Institute and numerous departments of the County of Los Angeles, including the Chief Executive Office, Public Health, Health Services and Mental Health.  WCA will oversee both the construction and physical plant operations for the new health center, which replaces an existing 9,000 sq. ft. clinic   The center will be licensed and managed by the JWCH Institute, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).  The County of Los Angeles will provide both financial support for the center as well as medical, mental health and other personnel providing direct services to the patients.
   Kathy House, manager of the Service Integration Branch of the County’s CEO’s office, states, "The County of Los Angeles is proud to be a part of the unique partnership, launching a groundbreaking, integrated, medical service model for the County."  Al Ballesteros, the CEO of JWCH Institute added, "This new health center will be a giant step forward as we work to meet the nearly overwhelming need for quality health care services in downtown Los Angeles."
   Cushman & Wakefield is the Project Manager, EN Associates is the architect and Swinerton Builders is the General Contractor for this new JWCH Weingart community health center. Construction for the project is slated for completion in the spring of 2009.

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About the Weingart Center
The Weingart Center Association (WCA) is a multi-service agency that transforms the lives of homeless men and women, helping them break the cycle of homelessness by providing on-site services that include: transitional housing; case management; substance abuse recovery; medical and mental health treatment; education; workforce development; permanent supportive housing; and family services. WCA has tailored programs for veterans, people on parole, women and HIV+ individuals. WCA is celebrating its 25th anniversary as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. www.weingart.org