MATTHEW HALL
Daily Press Editor
If you have questions, concerns of just basic curiosity about Providence St. John’s Health Center, your opportunity for some answers will be tonight from 6 – 7 p.m.
The meeting is a requirement of the Center’s existing agreements with the city and is expected to cover perennial topics of interest on the site plus provide additional information on new programs and services developed in the past year.
“Will provide an update on some of the new programs implemented over the past year at the hospital like the new partnership with some of the faith communities and some of our enhanced outreach working with our homeless patients to better place them in services,” said Ron Sorensen, Director Of Community Partnership. “It’s an opportunity to also update our local residents with the hospital over the past year.”
The hospital has partnered with other local agencies to help homeless patients find services.
Providence St. John’s formed the Westside Respite Center in partnership with the Venice Family Clinic (VFC) and Ocean Park Community Center (OPCC). The three groups have been working together for several years and expanded their cooperation to include a full-time Community Care Coordinator. The position meets with homeless patients who are using the Emergency Department for their primary care and connects them to shelters or other resources. This year Providence received a grant for another full-time position to be in the Emergency Department.
The second position will make sure that once paatients leave the hospital they have a place to rest, heal and follow up on their medical needs.
Sorensen said the required updates will cover topics like parking, community benefit expenditures and information about the onsite child care center.
“It does give people, especially the local residents right around the hospital community, if they have a concern, they can come and raise it with us,” he said.
Members of the hospital’s Executive Team will be on hand on Wednesday, Sept. 20 from 6 – 7 p.m. at Providence Saint John’s Health Center, 2121 Santa Monica Blvd., Conference Room CSS1.
There is complimentary valet parking available (enter through the main driveway on Santa Monica Blvd.)
The Wednesday meeting is mandated by existing development agreements and isn’t scheduled to cover information pertaining to the proposed expansion of the facility.
