Adventist Health’s mission—to share God’s love by providing physical, mental and spiritual healing—has always been at the heart of its health care. And it extends far beyond the walls of the facilities and into the communities where they serve. Whether it is a program designed to help assess the risk of heart disease or a group of employees lending a hand to Habitat for Humanity, Adventist Health is always looking for new and innovative ways to share its mission.
Here are just a few examples of the many ways Adventist Health hospitals and employees are making a difference in the lives they touch.
Gifts from the Heart
The faces of the children at White Memorial Medical Center’s (WMMC) Rainbow Children’s Center were filled with joy and innocent adoration as the First Lady of Los Angeles, Corina Villaraigosa, handed each one a colorfully wrapped Christmas gift. As part of a community project spearheaded by the hospital, Villaraigosa made an appearance at the Rainbow Children’s Center to kick off the facility’s 2005 holiday outreach project.
Serving a community that is nearly 90 percent Latino with an average household income of less than $25,000 per year, the hospital wanted to ensure that children in its community had presents to open on Christmas day. To that end, employees, physicians and volunteers banded together to donate and distribute toys, food and clothing to homeless and needy families.
More than 1,500 East Los Angeles youngsters received toys through WMMC’s holiday project, reminding them that the magic of Christmas still exists.
Racing for a Cure
Every year, numerous Adventist Health facilities participate in local races and events that raise money for medical research and health education. One example is Howard Memorial Hospital (HMH) and Ukiah Valley Medical Center’s (UVMC) participation in Mendocino County’s annual Relay For Life. Sponsored by the American Cancer Society, the event raises money for cancer research, education and patient support programs. In 2005 alone, the two small rural hospitals helped raise more than $100,000 to fight cancer.
“Events like the Relay For Life are important to our community and a natural outgrowth of our mission,” said Mark LaRose, president and CEO of UVMC. “Not only are we aiding in the fight against cancer, but our employees are leaving the hospital and becoming active members in our community doing something that ultimately will benefit millions of people worldwide.”
“We participate in this event because we believe in and support all those in our community who have survived cancer,” said Patsy Broeske, HMH employee and a past Relay For Life chairperson. “We also want to honor all those who have lost their battle with the disease and raise money so that, hopefully, a cure will be found.”
Building a Future
Each year, the Auditing Department at Adventist Health’s corporate office selects a community outreach program to sponsor. This past holiday season the team decided to physically make a difference and partnered with Habitat for Humanity to put the finishing touches on a Sacramento-area home.
“Working with Habitat for Humanity was an extremely rewarding experience,” stated Don Dyer, assistant vice president of Audit Services. “It was great to work together as a team and realize that our efforts would help provide housing for a local family in need.”
The Auditing team spent a busy day blowing insulation into the home’s attic, caulking doorways, as well as installing and painting baseboards and doors.
“For some of us, this was our first experience doing any type of construction project so there was a bit of a learning curve,” said Melanie Ratzlaff, staff auditor at Adventist Health. “However, the whole experience was so rewarding. One of the most important things is to give of ourselves and make a difference in someone else’s life.”
Preventing Heart Disease
What if there were an easy and effective way to identify if someone were at risk for heart disease? Thanks to Glendale Adventist Medical Center’s (GAMC) Cardiovascular Population Health Screening Project, residents in the Southern California community can now easily determine if they are at risk for heart attack or other serious cardiovascular problems.
Over a two-year period, GAMC is offering free screening to 10,000 individuals in its community for C-Reactive Protein (CRP), a specific precursor to heart disease. Participants initially answer a questionnaire to identify if they have any risk factors for heart disease, such as excessive weight, high blood pressure or cholesterol levels, or chronic stress. Those considered at moderate or high risk are clinically tested for elevated CRP levels in their blood. CRP appears in individuals whose hearts are undergoing an inflammatory response. The presence of CRP—which can be produced by stress, inflammation or infection—is considered a more reliable indicator of the risk of an impending heart attack than more traditional tests.
“In addition to testing, we provide referral case management to individuals who show elevated CRP levels and connect them with physicians to help manage their heart disease so it doesn’t turn into a cardiac event,” said Bruce Nelson, director of community services at GAMC.
According to Nelson, the project is an extremely cost effective way for the hospital to identify those at risk for cardiac problems. In turn, this impacts community wellness by reducing serious cardiac events for at-risk individuals.
“This program is a win-win situation for everyone involved,” said Nelson, “It gets our hospital out into its community, reduces cardiac risks for our population and drives business to our cardiac service lines.”
GAMC’s cutting-edge program was recently given a NOVA award from the American Hospital Association, which recognizes effective, collaborative programs that improve community health. In addition, the program has been featured at numerous scientific conferences across the nation.
