The gift, the largest in the foundation’s history, aims to close the healthcare disparities gap
Feb. 7, 2022
Willowbrook, CA – South Los Angeles’s epidemic rate of chronic illness – illustrated most shockingly by the largely African American and Latino community’s disproportionate rate of diabetic amputation – is the impetus for a record-setting $2 million gift from the Good Hope Medical Foundation to MLK Community Healthcare.
The gift will help the award-winning health system to become a Diabetes Center of Excellence, a critical need in a community where diabetes-related illness is three times higher than the rest of California and diabetes mortality 72% higher.
“This gift represents a critical step forward in South LA’s battle against chronic disease,” said Dyan Sublett, president of the MLK Community Healthcare Foundation. “It will help us bring specialty care, education and state-of-the-art services to improve the health of one of our state’s most vulnerable communities.”
The gift, Good Hope’s largest ever in the Good Hope Medical Foundation’s history, will be used to expand upon MLKCH’s work in diabetes management. Resources will bring specialists, allied health professionals and educators to the community and support a plan to obtain certification as a Center of Excellence for diabetes care.
“There is simply no excuse for the persistent racial disparities in health that we see in South LA and the horrific consequences of those disparities,” said Howard Kahn. “The Good Hope Medical Foundation is determined to help MLK Community Healthcare provide the tools and support that this community needs to make diabetes and other chronic conditions not just survivable but preventable and manageable.”
The Good Hope Medical Foundation has been a staunch supporter of MLKCH’s efforts to improve health in South LA, with previous gifts in support of the MLK Community Hospital and for community health screenings and education. In total, the Foundation has provided more than $3.4 million in funding.
“The Good Hope Medical Foundation understood from the beginning how long-overdue it is for this community to have access to high-quality, comprehensive, community-based healthcare and health education,” said Dr. Jorge Reyno, MLKCH’s senior vice president of population health. “They have been loyal partners with us in the fight for healthy equity.”
The Good Hope Medical Foundation was founded in the 1920s with a mission to provide medical care to the underserved.
About MLK Community Healthcare
MLK Community Healthcare is an integrated healthcare delivery system that serves the medically underserved community of South Los Angeles. MLKCH offers emergency and inpatient care through its hospital, and primary and specialty care through the MLK Community Medical Group, with practice sites in three locations throughout South LA. MLKCH also offers community health education and outreach to improve the health of our community. Since its opening in 2015, the hospital has earned awards and headlines for its innovative approaches to quality, safety and patient satisfaction.
MLKCH Media Contact:
media@mlkch.org
424-296-3735