AltaMed's 2020 Accomplishments

AltaMed has taken care of our communities since 1969. When COVID-19 hit, our team responded quickly. We’re still actively improving our communities’ health through and beyond this pandemic so we can continue to grow healthy.

Year-End Contribution

2020 has tested all of us as a community. It’s not too late to be there for your neighbors. There is still time to make a tax-deductible gift before the end of the year. Tax-deductible gifts can made until 12/31.

If you have any questions, contact Fanny Oliveira at [email protected] or 213-448-8254.

RESPONSE

In March, the pandemic and a mandatory “stay-at-home” order hit California. Many of AltaMed’s community members are in the most at-risk groups – the elderly and essential workers. We responded quickly and adapted care, even though our patients are among the hardest hit.

Thanks to the support of our donors, we packaged and distributed food kits to our seniors and hygiene kits to our homeless patients, as well as set up outdoor COVID-19 testing and assessment sites.

Getting tested is proven to be one of the most effective ways to reduce the spread of the COVID-19. However, the communities we serve struggled to access testing sites during the spring. AltaMed rapidly set up outdoor assessment areas to administer these life-saving tests.

With our quick pivoting, we’ve already provided nearly 60,000 COVID-19 tests to our patients and communities. We’ll continue testing to keep everyone safe.

“Since the pandemic started, my parents have been working non-stop as essential workers. When schools were open, my brother, sister and I relied on school meals. Currently, with schools shut down, it's been a struggle keeping up with school online and making sure there is food on the table for my siblings. I felt relief when AltaMed delivered food kits to my family. My family and I will always be thankful for AltaMed support during this time.”

Alyssa Medina

AtlaMed Youth Champion
and Escalera STEM Student

RECOVERY

As our communities slowly emerged from the crisis and we scaled up our telehealth model to include behavioral health and dental care, we knew some people would struggle to catch up. We assisted our frail seniors in getting set up and adapting to receiving preventive and ongoing care through their computers and phones.

AltaMed had been preparing to make care more accessible for all our patients. Because of the pandemic, we had to act quickly and implement this new infrastructure in record time.

Since the start of the pandemic, children in California haven’t been receiving their immunizations; the rates have plummeted by 40%. Our communities must continue to improve our overall health; we need to get back to the basics – starting with vaccinations.

With telehealth here to stay, we expanded our scope of care to include preventive dental care and behavior health. Our communities need the right tools to keep making informed decisions about their health.

“Self-isolating during a pandemic has been extremely stressful for me in many ways. Not being able to see my family – especially my grandchildren – has been extremely burdensome. I also became worried about how I would make my medical appointments. Thankfully, my AltaMed doctor called in April, shortly after the stay-at-home order, to let me know my check-ups would be telehealth appointments for the foreseeable future. I immediately felt safe and comfortable. I’m so grateful to the AltaMed staff who came to my house – in full personal protective equipment – to guide me through my first telehealth appointments. Now, I am focused on staying healthy.”

George Garcia

AltaMed Patient

ROAD AHEAD

The lasting effects of this pandemic are more far-reaching than we could have imagined. However, AltaMed is reimagining how we can move the needle on chronic diseases that substantially affect our community, such as diabetes and hypertension.

AltaMed is launching initiatives that better the overall health of the community, so our community won’t be considered high-risk for COVID or other diseases in the future.

The deterioration of chronic disease management is a direct result of the pandemic. Yet, taking care of chronic conditions is even more critical right now as COVID-19 raises the risk for people with underlying medical problems.

Cervical and breast cancer screenings have plunged dramatically since March. We need to ensure that every single person is still receiving life-saving services through and past the pandemic.

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Help support the reopening of California’s economy

AltaMed Foundation

2040 Camfield Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90040

[email protected] | (323) 889-7845