Adventist Health White Memorial – Community Childcare and Senior Wellness Program

Los Angeles, CA
January 2018

Overview
Adventist Health White Memorial partnered with the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation in 2001, opening the Rainbow Children’s Center to bring quality affordable childcare for children of local families. In 2009, a Senior Wellness Program was launched to provide local Latino older adults access to community resources to keep them healthy and independent. Working with many community partners, both programs are located on the hospital campus.

The childcare program prepares children to be successful in our multicultural society by fostering respect for diversity, and exposing them to lessons in English and Spanish. We create a safe and nurturing environment, foster language/literacy development, create engaging classroom activities, enhance multicultural awareness, inspire independent and logical thinking, create responsible and confident leaders, foster socio-emotional development, teach new knowledge and skills, promote healthy habits, and involve parents in their children’s education. We are licensed to enroll up to 82 children from the ages of six weeks to five years. Tuition is based on an eight-hour day and includes three nutritional meals. Children are enrolled full-time or part-time. Because of our sliding-scale fee for low-income families – who make up 55 percent of the participants – 25 percent pay no cost and 30 percent pay low cost. The center is also funded by the California Department of Education and provides free or low-cost services to qualifying families.

The Senior Wellness Program iVive Bien! engages older adults and community members by providing free health workshops, fitness classes, information and tips on preventing and managing disease, senior walking club outings, nutrition classes and healthy cooking demonstrations, free health checks and other wellness programs providing accessible and culturally relevant preventive health information and resources. A centerpiece is information and assistance concerning health care coverage and enrollment with the goal of increasing connections to local health care services while elevating senior health and quality of life. Membership is open to anyone regardless of immigration status or medical insurance. The monthly events calendar and senior wellness newsletter informs members, their families and caregivers about more than 50 weekly educational programs, senior social events and trips, fitness classes, walking club, knitting club and health screenings. Transportation assistance at no cost to the seniors provides access and social interaction senior support groups in their primary language, interacting with bilingual health care team members.

Impact
The childcare center is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and all teachers – most of whom are from the community – have been certified by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. More than 1,000 children have attended the center since 2001. Participation for seniors begins with anyone age 60 or older who registers for free membership; currently 2,874 seniors have joined, and are busy and active.

Lessons Learned
To encourage reading every day, a Children’s Library was established for parents and children to check out books. In addition, a parents’ bulletin was developed, and monthly parent meetings and special events are held. By engaging seniors in fitness classes, health workshops and positive social activities, we are observing improved basic health outcomes for participants’ metrics (blood pressure, glucose, weight, body mass index, and body fat).

Future Goals
We have expanded the Senior Wellness Program to community sites in partnership with local YMCA programs.

Contact: Mary Anne Chern
Senior Vice President
Telephone: 323-260-5739
Email: chernma@ah.org