The California Wellness Foundation provides support for Diabetes Collaborative
October 10, 2011
Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc. (APHCV) is pleased to announce receipt of $100,000 grant award from The California Wellness Foundation (TCWF) for general operating support for the Diabetes Collaborative.
For over 6 years, APHCV’s Diabetes Collaborative has been providing diabetes care management services to low-income, primarily Asian/Pacific Islander immigrant seniors in Los Angeles County. Funding from The California Wellness Foundation will help sustain the Diabetes Collaborative and provide care management services to a minimum of 800 unduplicated seniors and older adults per year, through September 2013.
To date, the Diabetes Collaborative has been very successful. When compared to 22 other community health centers in Los Angeles County, APHCV had one of the three lowest Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) averages at 7.38% (low percentages are an indicator of an individual’s control of their diabetes). This percentage has decreased from 7.58% in 2007. Among these 22 community health centers, APHCV is also tied for the highest percentage of patients with HbA1c levels at or below 7.0% with 45% of APHCV’s diabetic patients at or below the national HbA1c level standard of 7.0%. The number of APHCV’s patients with a reported blood pressure of less than 130/80 has increased from 39.71% in 2007 to 43.7% currently, above the national standard of 40%. The number of APHCV’s patients who had a Body Mass Index of less than 25 at any time during the reporting period has increased from 75.07% in 2007 to 80.17% today. APHCV is also above the national standard of 60% for patients 40 years and older taking statins, as 71.77% of APHCV’s patients that are 40 years and older are taking statins. In addition, 82.61% of APHCV’s patients who are 55 years and older are taking an ACE inhibitor or an ARB medication, above the national standard of 75%.
APHCV wants to continue improving senior’s health by encouraging them to participate in senior physical activities. APHCV provides free senior physical activities at Los Feliz Health Center such as ballroom dancing, yoga, and strength training exercise activities to help seniors stay physically active and healthy. Transportation is provided for seniors without transportation; these services are especially helpful to low-income seniors who may not have the means to participate in such activities otherwise. Staying active is especially important for diabetic senior patients; APHCV providers have seen that regular diet and exercise are key to controlling diabetes, lowering BMI and blood pressure, and ensuring a healthier life overall. Funding support from The California Wellness Foundation will help APHCV’s Diabetes Collaborative continue to provide diabetes care management services to its patients with diabetes and improve overall health outcomes.
APHCV’s Diabetes Collaborative is funded in part by a grant from the California Wellness Foundation (TCWF). Created in 1992 as a private independent foundation, TCWF’s mission is to improve the health of the people of California by making grant for health promotion, wellness education and disease prevention.
Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc. (www.aphcv.org) is a nonprofit federally-qualified health center that provides culturally competent health education and primary care services to over 12,000 patients annually, more than 77% of whom are uninsured. APHCV provides over 46,400 medical and mental health visits each year in multiple Asian languages (Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Indonesian, Mandarin, Tagalog, Thai, Urdu, and Vietnamese), English and Spanish. APHCV operates three community health center sites: the Los Feliz Health Center, Belmont Health Services and John Marshall High School Health Center (for JMHS students). APHCV can be reached at (323) 644-3880. Medical appointments for the Los Feliz Health Center can be made by calling (323) 644-3888 and to the Belmont Health Services at (323) 644-3885.
