How Do We Love Our Patients?  Let Us Count the Ways

National Health Center Week (August 8^th through 14^th) is an annual event spreading awareness about the mission and achievements of health centers across the country.  San Fernando Community Health Center participates every year, this August with a Patient Appreciation Day on Wednesday the 11^th.  Patients with appointments on this day will walk away with a free gift!  But this is just the first of many ways that SFCHC shows our dedication to our patients.

SFCHC began its life in 1924 as the first community hospital in the San Fernando Valley.  Nearly a century later, our mission to bring state-of-the-art medical care and health and wellness education to everyone, including the underserved individuals in our community, continues.  But we recognize that we wouldn’t still be here without you, our patients, coming to us for primary care and treatment for chronic medical conditions all this time.  Thank you for choosing SFCHC and making it possible for us to keep taking care of the patients we love.

Did you know that Community Health Center boards are required by federal law to include at least 51% community members and patients?  August marks our sixth anniversary as a Federally Qualified Health Center, so we quite literally owe our existence to our patients!  Thank you for your involvement in ensuring we see and meet the needs of our community.

Another way we show our gratitude to our patients is by including expert, passionate care providers on our team:

• David Solarte, our Associate Director of Pediatrics, has over 25 years’ experience in pediatric care.
• SFCHC welcomes all the members of our community: in addition to both speaking English, obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. Michael Eshaghian speaks Spanish and Farsi, and family nurse practitioner Jenifer Sullivan speaks Spanish and Portuguese.
• Our comprehensive dental services are overseen by Dr. William Chiueh, a member of the National Network of Oral Health Access and the American Dental Association, who in dental school participated in student-run dental health clinics and Give Kids a Smile.
• Nurse practitioner Aura Veliz has over 22 years of experience in women’s health, reproductive health, cancer prevention screenings, and family planning.

SFCHC doesn’t wait until Patient Appreciation Day to show our commitment to our community: we host events year-round to provide access to medical care and wellness education regardless of income.  This year we arranged a free dental clinic for homeless patients in the area, and started streaming bilingual cooking demonstrations and healthy eating presentations online.  We’ve presented free health and wellness fairs, featuring blood pressure and glucose screenings and exercise classes.  One of our largest undertakings this year is Care Circle, a patient monitoring program to fight the rising tide of type 2 diabetes.  Participants were given free technology, including glucose meters and Bluetooth scales, to track their condition, and assigned care providers, nutrition experts, and counselors to support them on their journey to improved health.

Our dedication to a healthy community is unwavering, but we get extra motivation when we hear from patients that the love goes both ways.  Karina R. says “I love coming to this clinic, everyone is so kind and compassionate.”  Armando M. and Giovanni M. both say we’re “very friendly,” and Sivan H. says they’re “so grateful to be under the care of a doctor who truly cares about my health.”  Thank you for praise like this, which doesn’t just give us the satisfaction of a job well done.  You inspire us to keep giving the best care to you and patients throughout our community.

Author

Heather Hillstrom For several years, Heather Hillstrom has proudly provided copywriting and videography services to support SFCHC's mission of compassionate care for all who need it. She gained much of her experience and education at prominent advertising and marketing firms, with clients in healthcare, real estate, medical technology, and environmental products and activism, among others. Her writing portfolio includes DVD/Blu-ray bonus features for Paramount’s RANGO and Disney’s LOST, nearly all the content for the latter’s companion website Lost University, and a radio and television campaign that aired during the Olympics. She wrote on the multi-award-winning web series NONE IN THE OVEN and her feature script HIT OR STAND was a Second Rounder at Austin Film Festival and a PAGE Awards quarterfinalist. Many of her projects and awards can be viewed at www.hungrypictures.com.