Free Health Clinics Find They Need Aid

My children are so precious to me, as I’m sure yours are to you, I doubt I could sleep at night if my wife and I did not have adequate health insurance for them. But what about those who just don’t have the money for their children’s medical needs? Those folks’ youngsters areprecious to them too.

Nurse practitioner Cheryl Villasenor figured out for me that it would cost someone without insurance about $40 for a visit to a doctor’s office, another $45 for any lab work, and $10 or more for medications--close to $100 just for basic care.

That’s why it’s always a little sad to me when I see free community health clinics short of money. Or worse, about to go under. Two such clinics in Santa Ana face closure at the end of this year if they don’t find financial help.

They are run by a private, nonprofit group called HRAP (Health Reform Project). They were the brainchild of former FHP International Chairman (and founder) Robert Gumbiner, who launched them to improve health care for low-income people in Orange County. Gumbiner also headed FHP’s foundation, which started the project.

But things don’t always go as planned. Gumbiner was ousted at FHP in a board of directors’ dispute at the end of 1995. PacifiCare and FHP merged in February, and the successor to Gumbiner’s foundation, the Archstone Foundation in Long Beach, has declined to provide further funding.

HRAP board members tell me that the original foundation promised $4.5 million to fund four clinics over a three-year period. The idea was that once the clinics were off and running, HRAP could then attract additional funding. But after the first two clinics were established with the initial $1.5-million grant, Archstone pulled out. Now those two clinics have had to cut back to part-time operations just to survive.

HRAP Executive Director Mary Watson says the explanation she has been given is that the clinics did not take off fast enough to convince Archstone they had a future. Archstone, facing a lawsuit from HRAP, has declined comment to me, but has told other reporters it’s merely shifting its focus to programs for the aged.

HRAP operates clinics at 2209 S. Main St. and 1515 S. Broadway, geared to a Latino and Cambodian clientele. When I showed up at the Broadway clinic just as it opened at 11 a.m. Wednesday, there were people waiting to get in. When I left half an hour later, the waiting room was full.

And where do these people go if this clinic closes? Who can say for sure? Villasenor, who runs the Broadway clinic, said many would wind up in hospital emergency rooms, or simply skip needed medical treatment.

A medical director oversees both clinics. But they are run on a day-to-day basis by nurse practitioners, who dispense basic medicines kept on hand. For the children, there is a volunteer pediatrician. The clinics also employ a community worker to help educate patients in their homes about proper diet and other health-care issues.

The clinics do bring in a few extra dollars. There are some Medi-Cal patients, and HRAP has received small grants from some of the area hospitals. But it’s not enough.

I first heard about the plight of these clinics from Pearl Jemison-Smith, who is on the board of the Orange County chapter of the American Lung Assn. and is active in the AIDS Services Foundation. But she also volunteers as a board member for HRAP.

“If we lose these clinics, it’s going to be a shame for those neighborhoods,” Jemison-Smith told me. “They bring ‘caring’ back into health care.”

More War Vets: Tuesday’s column about the new women’s military memorial in Washington’s Arlington National Cemetery has brought a flurry of response from women who were either going or want to go.

Natalie Hoffman of Mission Viejo told me she will be meeting a good friend there whom she hasn’t seen since they were World War II WACS together 53 years ago. One caller told me not to forget the Coast Guard Spars; a group of 20 Spar vets from Orange County will be going to the memorial’s dedication in October.

Most touching of all was a letter from Bonnie Barton of Garden Grove. Her mother, Helen Ross Fisher, a World War II Marine, and her mother’s best friend in the service (whom Barton called “Aunt Opal”) both died within the past two years.

Writes Barton of her mother: “Last year, I read about the memorial and became quite enthused. I was missing this wonderful woman terribly and the chance to have her information and picture placed at the memorial was just what I needed. My sister, a friend and I will attend the dedication as well as walk in the candlelight march in honor of my mother and her friend.”

Clever Idea: If you planned to attend the Southern California Home & Garden Show at the Anaheim Convention Center this weekend to see opera star Eduardo Villa, he had to cancel.

He’s being replaced by the Clever Cleaver Brothers of San Diego. No, not Wally and the Beaver. They are Lee Gerovitz and Steve Cassarino, not really brothers at all. The two are chefs with a syndicated TV cooking show they also take on the road. They will be in the Home Celebration Theater for three shows Saturday and two more on Sunday.

Wrap-Up: The HRAP clinics are free, but 15% to 20% of their patients do pay something anyway, says Lucy Sanchez. She’s a medical assistant (and Spanish translator) at the HRAP Broadway clinic.

“Mostly it’s only a few dollars,” she said. “But they want to do something to let us know they appreciate what we’re doing.”

They especially appreciate the clinics’ help for their children, she says. “We give them shots, treat them for ear infections, diarrhea, colds, dehydration. And when they need more serious help, we know where to send them. These people are so grateful they just sit here and cry and thank us.”

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Jerry Hicks’ column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Readers may reach Hicks by calling The Times Orange County Edition at (714) 966-7823 or by fax to (714) 966-7711, or e-mail to [email protected]