The Glendale Healthier Community Coalition Celebrates 20 Years of Service

The Glendale Healthier Community Coalition Celebrates 20 Years of
Service

GLENDALE, CA – October 31, 2013 – The Glendale Healthier Community Coalition (GHCC) will celebrate
20 years of service at a special luncheon on Thursday, November 7, from Noon to
1:30 PM at Glendale Adventist Medical Center (Auditorium) 1509 Wilson Terrace,
Glendale, CA 91206. 

The annual meeting and luncheon will focus
on the strides the Coalition has made over the past 20 years and the
significant challenges facing GHCC today and in the future.  The event will also include the Tom Miller
Awards presentation.

The Coalition, started in 1993 addresses
and implements projects that promote disease prevention, health education,
clean and safe environments, adequate housing, affordable and quality
education, as well as community revitalization.

GHCC’s mission embraces a broad
definition of health which includes the wider spectrum of environmental
influences impacting the community’s well-being.

GHCC is comprised of 52 organizations and
individual community members including 14 from health care, nine from city government,
two from education, seven from business/media, 11 from non-profit agencies,
several clergy, and other community stakeholders. GHCC originally began as a collaboration
between three Glendale hospitals (Glendale Adventist Medical Center, Glendale
Memorial Hospital & Health Center, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital) and the city
of Glendale. The Glendale Unified School District joined GHCC a year later.

In 2007, The Tom Miller Awards were established
to honor Tom Miller (1955-2006), one of GHCC’s founders. The awards are
presented at the annual luncheon to an adult community member, a youth, and a
community organization that exemplify creativity, passion, inclusiveness,
egalitarianism, energy, and altruism. Nominees are selected by community
members and/or groups.

GHCC projects include:  

·       
Glendale Healthy Kids provides in-kind acute, dental, and
mental health care to 700 uninsured children each year.

·       
Consortium of Safety Net Providers
addresses access to healthcare for low-income populations.

·       
Community Care Transitions Project is the latest major effort undertaken by GHCC. Created to reduce
30-day readmissions by providing transitional care for discharged patients
among the three hospitals.

·       
Quality of Life Indicators Project
assesses wellness and needs among Glendale residents. Established in 1998 with
a grant from the Western Consortium for Public Health.

·       
Comprehensive Community Needs Assessment assesses Glendale’s changing community needs to help prioritize
health and wellness initiatives. With input from a broad array of community
stakeholders, CCNA serves as the basis of multiple population health
initiatives and community collaborations.

·       
Access to Primary Care Services,
worked to have a portion of South Glendale identified as a medically
underserved area which opened the way for federally qualified health centers
(FQHC) to become established in Glendale that serve low-income residents with
barriers in access to care.

·       
First California Healthy City,
through GHCC efforts, the city of Glendale has participated in the California
Healthy Cities and Communities program continuously since 1996.

·       
Homeless Medical Clinic provides medical services to homeless.
Incorporated with the Family Practice Residency Program and other community
providers.

·       
City of Glendale Tobacco initiatives,
includes the development of city ordinances that restrict access of tobacco to
minors, limit exposure to secondhand smoke in public places, and promote
smoking cessation resources.

·       
GHCC conducted an “HIV/AIDS Awareness for All" community
education program for businesses, churches, schools and other community
organizations, aimed to counter widespread misinformation about HIV/AIDS
through classes scheduled for individual organizations.

·       
Glendale Safe & Healthy Streets
Plan, provides the blueprint for safe streets for pedestrians and cyclists,
with the establishment of bike lanes, city-organized bicycle rides and walks,
bicycle and pedestrian maps in Glendale, as well as a bicycle helmet and light
distribution program.

·       
SafePlace provides a safe place for kids in crisis (e.g. abuse or
neglect, lost or in a dangerous situation). 

GHCC challenges and opportunities:

·       
GHCC is currently working to address
diabetes and obesity as well as other chronic diseases. Future projects include
building a local health information exchange that enables Glendale’s three
hospitals, other providers, and community agencies to share patient information
in a HIPAA-compliant environment to better serve the health needs of community
residents.  This will help reduce duplication of patient care
services and improve quality and safety of patient care in the community.

·       
Develop
population health initiatives that specifically address risk factors of chronic
diseases affecting the Glendale community’s population.  Prioritize prevention by integrating
recommendations and actions across multiple settings to improve health and save
lives.  The priorities must provide
evidence-based recommendations that are most likely to reduce the burden of the
leading causes of preventable death and major illness in the community.

For
additional information, go to www.healthyglendale.org or call 818.241.8040.

http://www.glendalenewspress.com/news/tn-gnp-obesity-a-leading-health-issue-in-glendale-20130916,0,473595.story