| We're delighted to share our first edition of a new E-
Newsletter and to give you a glimpse of some of what
has been happening this Spring with AIN.
Please take the opportunity to click on the links to the
stories you see and browse through our website.
You'll find a variety of ways you can support AIN,
including volunteer opportunities, the "Sustaining
Angel" program and the Ralph's Club Community
Contributions program. Mark your calendar now for
the annual Fall Luncheon coming on October 20th.
Ann, Raquel and the entire AIN board join me in
sending you warm greetings and appreciation for your
support.
Rev. Donald L. Smith, Executive Director
New L.A. County + USC Medical Center
On March 20th, Presbyterians donned hard-hats and safety glasses to join AIN in touring the modern, well-equipped structure scheduled to replace the landmark 74 year-old L.A. County + USC Medical Center. Pictured (l to r) are Rev. Ann Mills, AIN Care Coordinator and Co-Founder, with Rev. Linda Culbertson, Rev. Virginia Brown and Carmen Rosales on the bridge from the parking structure to the new building.
More than a dozen church leaders gazed in admiration at glistening new floors and countertops equipped with shiny new fixtures in the midst of well-lit and welcoming open space. Tall windows looked out upon landscaping being graded and prepared for planting.
It all stood in sharp contrast to the long-suffering humanity of all descriptions jammed into narrow cubicles in the existing emergency room or those enduring long waits on hard benches in the waiting rooms that we saw a bit later. A current journal article reports that L.A. County + USC Medical Center handles 800,000 emergency and outpatient visits and admits 46,000 patients each year. Out of that number about 75% are below the poverty line. In 2006 AIN made 676 deliveries of goods valued at nearly $149,000 in service to some 2,486 individuals. We serve the most needy families and individuals who lack other resources for assistance.
Moving day is coming in mid-November for the staff of the hospital. As the hospital downsizes from 800 to 600 beds, AIN stands ready to meet the challenge of a changed landscape for healthcare in Los Angeles County. Will you help us?
The Story of H
We first met H six years ago. Then it was 16 months after the 18 year-old had been hit in a drive-by shooting which took the life of his brother. He lay in his bed, unable to speak, swallow or urinate by himself. His mother worked on a lunch truck, and she struggled to care for both H and her own mother who was slipping further into dementia. The three of them lived in a cold, dark apartment, and on that day rain blew in a broken window. A surgeon who had repaired H's head told his mother that he would never be able to eat or take care of himself again. The strain of that reality drove H's father to live apart from the family, offering irregular financial support whenever he could. Every day H's mother cleaned and dressed her son, talked to him, moved his arms and legs and comforted him when he became angry or agitated.
Over the years AIN has stepped in with needed supplies when things were most difficult. When a fire in the bedroom destroyed their supply of diapers and bed pads, AIN was able to replace them. When the washing machine broke, a Network church donated and installed a new one. We put the family in touch with Convalescent Aid Society for more equipment needs for H's care. A helping hand at the right time makes all the difference in the world for this family.
oday, H's grandmother is no longer living, and his mother leaves him alone for two days a week to serve as a caretaker to another patient. Without additional help from the grandmother's SSI check, her salary must cover $48 in weekly nutritional supplies, $67 in urostomy pouches, a $7 catheter bag and $56 in adult diapers. Recently we stopped by the apartment with cartons of nutritional supplies and diapers. At the door, H greeted us with a big smile and was eager to show us his muscle. H's mother tells us she is confident that God is with them always, making H's remarkable progress possible. Another door will open for them soon, she assures us with confidence that inspires hope in us.
AIN Receives Outstanding Service Award from CARES
Angel Interfaith Network was especially proud to receive the “Outstanding Service Award” presented by CARES, the L.A. County + USC Medical Center Auxiliary, at a luncheon on April 26th at Pasadena 's Valley Hunt Club. Presenting the award to Rev. Ann Mills, Care Coordinator and Co-Founder and Rev. Donald Smith, Executive Director was CARES Executive Director Margie Dolinski.
“CARES takes this opportunity every year to honor an individual or organization that has provided exemplary service and shown extreme dedication to improve the welfare of patients served at the L.A. County + USC Medical Center ,” noted Dolinski. “AIN is a ‘friend in the struggle' to cope with the crisis of hospitalization. As one would do with a friend experiencing crises in his/her life, AIN supports patients and their families both emotionally and with practical applications. AIN works toward stabilizing the families' environment and improving the morale of the patient and their family, allowing the patient to focus on a healthy recovery.” she explained.
AIN shared the spotlight with Dr. Stephanie Hall, recipient of the CARES “Woman of the Year in Medicine” award. Addressing the luncheon gathering was Robert E. Tranquada, M.D., Emeritus USC Professor of Medicine speaking on “The State of Health Care in Los Angeles County .” Also present for the event were AIN Board President Karen Bading and board members Nancy Hogan-Baur and Jim Piazzola. |
