Medical and Eye Care Clinics
MEDICAL AND EYE CARE SERVICES
Through MEND’s Medical and Eye Care Clinics, volunteer health professionals serve low-income patients who have no health insurance and are not entitled to Medicare or Medical benefits. In 2012, the two clinics accommodated more than 6,200 patient visits.
MEND’s Medical Clinic is the only free clinic in the northeast San Fernando Valley.
It provides basic ambulatory, hypertension, diabetic, vision, women’s, acupuncture and chiropractic care to adults. Vision services are also provided to children. When more specialized services are needed, the patients are given referrals to appropriate nearby facilities.
The Eye Care Clinic is a collaboration between MEND, the Lions Club and the San Fernando Valley Optometric Society. It provides eye exams, glaucoma testing and prescription glasses free of charge to all patients.
Holistic Approach
The Medical Clinic provides health education and exercise classes, including specialty clinics for diabetes, hypertension, women’s health and healthy aging; and recently launched Project LIFE, a combination of one-on-one peer health education services, workshops, a universal health education library and other outreach activities for clients and volunteers. In addition, our volunteer health professionals can refer their medical patients for priority treatment in MEND’s eye care and dental clinics, and to mental health counselors who have office hours at MEND several days each week.
Pathways to Self-Reliance
In the year 2013, the Medical Clinic plans to celebrate three graduations of classes of patients that will complete a five week course on diabetic health education. The classes teach healthy eating and diabetic health management through diet and exercise, and emphasize the importance of living a healthy lifestyle to prevent diabetic health complications in the future.
Powered By Volunteers
Volunteers in the Medical Clinic contributed over 12,400 hours during 2012. Internal Medicine residents from Kaiser Permanente and Northridge Medical Center do monthly rotations at the clinic; numerous other doctors, optometrists, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists donate several hours of their time and skills each month.
Medical Clinic Partners
The Medical Clinic is grateful for the assistance of its lead partners Access to Care Collaborative, Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills Residency Program, Northridge Hospital Residency Program, Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, and Providence St. Joseph Medical Center, as well as that of the following organizations:
| Access to Care Collaborative | Kaiser Permanente | Pals for Health |
| Alzheimer's Association | Kaiser Permanente Panorama City: Health Education Dept. | Partners in Care Foundation |
| American Diabetes Association | Kaplan College | Platt College |
| Anderson Career College | KMARS Optical Lab | Providence Holy Cross Medical Center |
| Cal State L.A. School of Nursing | LA County Health Department | Providence St. Joseph Medical Center |
| Center for the Partially Blind | Latino Diabetes Association | San Fernando Valley Optometric Society |
| Cesar Chavez Committee-Cesar Chavez March/Fair | Lions Clubs | SHP-PEP -Student Health Professional Pre-Entry Program |
| College of the Canyons RN Program | Menora Pharmacy | Southside Coalition of Community Health Centers |
| Community Clinic Association of LA County | Mission Community Hospital- Project Alto | UCLA Dept of Internal Medicine: Community Health Program |
| Community Clinic Voice | Mt. St. Mary's School of Nursing | UCLA School for Nephrology-SPRINT Study |
| CSNAP | National Kidney Foundation | UCLA School of Nursing “Heart Stitches" |
| CSUN | Network for a Healthy California-Champions for Change Latino Campaign | USC School of Pharmacy Fraternity |
| CSUN BSN Program | NEVHC | Valley Care/ Olive View Hospital |
| Direct Relief | Northridge Hospital -Navigator Program | Valley Community Clinic |
| El Nido | Occidental College | VCCC |
| Everest College | Olive View-UCLA MED CTR-Chagas Disease | Western Univertity-School of Optometry |
| Homeless Health Care L.A. | Pacoima Beautiful | Youth Policy Institute |
