St. John’s Well Child and Family Center Changes Name to St. John’s Community Health to Reflect Expansive Services Their 20 Clinics Provide to South, Central and East Los Angeles Residents
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 2, 2022
CONTACT: Cabot Petoia, clpetoia@gmail.com, 828-899-9239
Specialized Support Services Extend Beyond Traditional Health Care to Further Empower Underserved Communities
LOS ANGELES – St. John’s Well Child and Family Center, the largest healthcare provider serving South, Central and East Los Angeles, is changing its name to St. John’s Community Health. With a rich history of service spanning more than 50 years, St. John’s is renaming the organization to better reflect the wide-ranging services provided at their 20 clinics, and highlight their dedication to communities often facing the greatest barriers in accessing health care. St. John’s response to the COVID pandemic, which resulted in significant advances in testing, contact tracing, treatment and vaccinations for historically underserved communities, exemplifies the significant impact St. John’s has on the community health of large sections of Los Angeles.
“Our new name, St. John’s Community Health, reflects who we are and what we have become — the largest health care provider for the communities of South, Central and East Los Angeles, and a trusted health equity advocate,” said Jim Mangia, president and CEO of St. John’s Community Health. “The wide-ranging support services we provide underscore our commitment to empowering and advancing the health of the residents we serve.”
In addition to providing comprehensive health care at 20 clinics, opening 26 vaccination sites and administering over 430,000 vaccines so far on the frontlines of Covid-19 response, St. John’s provides specialized services that go beyond traditional health care. Tailored to patients’ socio-economic needs, these services (detailed below) support those transitioning back into society after being incarcerated, unhoused people and the transgender community.
RE-ENTRY INTEGRATED SERVICES, ENGAGEMENT AND EMPOWERMENT (RISE): RISE is a transformative re-entry program that has provided support services for over 1,800 people impacted by the legal system as they try to rebuild their lives post-incarceration and transition back into their community. It’s staffed by people who understand the challenges they face better than anyone because they have also been impacted by the legal system, making them uniquely qualified to help those navigating life after incarceration.
DROP-IN SERVICE CENTER FOR THE HOMELESS: Recently opened in South Los Angeles, this center helps address basic needs that can be challenging for the unhoused to access. It provides bathrooms, showers, laundry machines, a food pantry, hygiene kits, storage, mail service, computer stations and even a kennel where people can safely feed and leave their pets while accessing the center’s services. Case managers there assess patients’ health and social service needs, and connect them to shelter/housing and comprehensive medical, dental and behavioral health care services.
TRANSGENDER HEALTH CARE SERVICES: Through their pioneering transgender health program, staffed by transgender individuals, St. John’s has provided personalized health care and gender-affirming support services to over 1,400 members of the transgender community in a safe, supportive and welcoming environment.
For more information, please visit sjch.org.