White Memorial Medical Center

LIVING GODS LOVE BY INSPIRING HEALTH, WHOLENESS AND HOPE.

WHITE MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER, DBA ADVENTIST HEALTH WHITE MEMORIAL (AHWM), PROVIDES QUALITY MEDICAL HEALTHCARE REGARDLESS OF RACE, CREED, SEX, NATIONAL ORIGIN, HANDICAP, AGE, OR ABILITY TO PAY.ALTHOUGH, REIMBURSEMENT FOR SERVICES RENDERED IS CRITICAL TO THE OPERATION AND STABILITY OF WHITE MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER, THE ORGANIZATION RECOGNIZES THAT NOT ALL INDIVIDUALS POSSESS THE ABILITY TO PAY FOR ESSENTIAL MEDICAL SERVICES.ADVENTIST HEALTHS VISION IS TO ENHANCE THE HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITIES WHERE WE LIVE AND SERVE BY ENGAGING OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR PATIENTS IN A NEW DEFINITION OF AND PARTNERSHIP FOR PERSONAL COMMUNITY HEALTH. IN KEEPING WITH THIS COMMITMENT TO SERVE ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, THE FOLLOWING COVERAGE WILL BE CONSIDERED WHEN INDIVIDUALS WHO NEED HEALTH CARE CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY: FREE CARE AND/OR SUBSIDIZED CARE CARE TO PERSONS COVERED BY GOVERNMENTAL PROGRAMS AT/OR BELOW COST HEALTH/WELLNESS ACTIVITIES AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAMSNOT ONLY DOES WHITE MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER PROVIDE LOW-COST CARE TO INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS, AND THOSE UNABLE TO AFFORD HEALTHCARE, IT ALSO HELPS PATIENTS FIND AND ACCESS PRIVATE AND GOVERNMENTAL RESOURCES FOR HEALTHCARE BENEFITS.AHWM RECOGNIZES BELOW-COST REIMBURSEMENT AS CHARITY AND UNCOMPENSATED CARE IN MEETING ITS MISSION TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. THE UNREIMBURSED COST OF PROVIDING CARE TO THESE PATIENTS IN 2022 WAS $2,253,916.THE FOLLOWING INPATIENT SERVICES WERE PROVIDED TO ALL OUR PATIENTS:3,937 BABIES DELIVERED2,597 SURGERIES PERFORMED80,667 PATIENT DAYS THE FOLLOWING OUTPATIENT SERVICES WERE PROVIDED TO ALL OUR PATIENTS:61,970 EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS4,798 OUTPATIENT SURGERIES PERFORMED70,267 OUTPATIENT VISITS 28,195 CLINIC VISITSAHWM RECOGNIZES IT HAS AN OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE HUMAN SERVICES ABOVE AND BEYOND ITS ROLE AS A HEALING FACILITY. SCHEDULE H PROVIDES MORE DETAILS ON THE TANGIBLE WAYS IN WHICH THE ORGANIZATION IS FULFILLING ITS MISSION. THE TOTAL UNREIMBURSED COST OF THESE COMMUNITY BENEFITS IN 2022 WAS $26,909,985.ADVENTIST HEALTHS MISSION STATEMENT OF LIVING GODS LOVE BY INSPIRING HEALTH, WHOLENESS AND HOPE IS COUPLED WITH A VISION TO TRANSFORM THE HEALTH EXPERIENCE OF OUR COMMUNITIES THROUGH COLLABORATIVE PROGRAMS, COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH. WE ARE INSPIRED BY THE HEALING MINISTRY, AS REPRESENTED BY THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST, AND BELIEVE WE ARE CALLED TO LIVE OUT OUR MISSION INTENTIONALLY IN THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE. IN THE SMALL TOWNS, SUBURBS, AND INNER CITIES WE SERVE, WE CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY TO PROVIDE QUALITY HEALTHCARE UNTIL EVERY PERSON MADE IN GODS IMAGE HAS EXPERIENCED THE BEST HEALTH TODAY, HOPE FOR TOMORROW, AND GODS LOVE THAT ENDURES FOREVER.TO ILLUSTRATE HOW ADVENTIST HEALTH WHITE MEMORIAL WORKS TO CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY, WE SHARE THE FOLLOWING STORY:DR. ROSIE AVILA JOINED THE OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY FACULTY AT ADVENTIST HEALTH WHITE MEMORIAL AFTER COMPLETING HER RESIDENCY IN 2022. HER EXPERTISE SPANS OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY, PRENATAL CARE, LABOR AND DELIVERY, PRIMARY CARE AND SURGICAL INTERVENTIONS, AS NEEDED. HOWEVER, THE SEEDS OF HER PASSION FOR WOMENS HEALTH AND MEDICINE WERE SOWN MUCH EARLIER IN HER LIFE AS A YOUNG GIRL LIVING IN HIGHLAND PARK.AT THE TENDER AGE OF TWO, AVILA AND HER FAMILY IMMIGRATED FROM MEXICO TO THE UNITED STATES. AS HER MOTHER GRAPPLED WITH HEALTH ISSUES, YOUNG AVILA WAS EXPOSED TO THE AMERICAN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. AND WITHOUT THE SAFETY NET OF HEALTH INSURANCE, SHE WITNESSED FIRSTHAND HOW CHALLENGING IT CAN BE FOR IMMIGRANTS TO NAVIGATE THE COMPLEX AMERICAN INSURANCE SYSTEM.DURING DOCTOR VISITS WITH HER MOTHER, THE ABSENCE OF SPANISH-SPEAKING STAFF COMPELLED AVILA TO STEP IN AND BRIDGE THE LANGUAGE DIVIDE FOR HER MOTHER. THIS FORMATIVE EXPERIENCE IGNITED HER PASSION FOR MEDICINE AND INFORMED HER DECISION TO SPECIALIZE IN WOMEN'S HEALTH. THE INVALUABLE LESSONS SHE LEARNED ALSO UNDERSCORED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CULTURALLY COMPETENT HEALTHCARE. "ALL MY INTERACTIONS SINCE I WAS VERY LITTLE DEFINITELY GUIDED ME TO WANT TO DO SOMETHING IN HEALTHCARE," AVILA REMINISCED. "AS I GOT OLDER, I WANTED TO BE A DOCTOR. AND THEN, I WANTED TO BE A WOMEN'S HEALTH DOCTOR."LATINA WOMEN FREQUENTLY GRAPPLE WITH THE CHALLENGE OF SECURING CULTURALLY COMPETENT CARE WHEN ADDRESSING PREGNANCY AND OTHER REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CONCERNS. THIS DISPARITY OFTEN LEADS TO THE UNDERUTILIZATION OF PREVENTATIVE HEALTH SERVICES AND EXACERBATES LONG-TERM HEALTH ISSUES. MOREOVER, WITHOUT A FUNDAMENTAL COMPREHENSION OF THE CULTURAL NUANCES INTRINSIC TO LATINA PATIENT POPULATIONS ENCOMPASSING LANGUAGE, RELIGION AND CUSTOMARY HEALTHCARE PRACTICES, CLINICIANS MAY OVERLOOK OR DISMISS CRITICAL INFORMATION VITAL TO ADMINISTERING APPROPRIATE CARE.UNDERSTANDING ALL THESE REALITIES, ADVENTIST HEALTH WHITE MEMORIAL HAS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING CULTURALLY COMPETENT CARE BY HIRING PERSONNEL PROFICIENT IN SPANISH AND FAMILIAR WITH LATINO CULTURAL NORMS. AS A RESULT, WE CAN ENGAGE MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH OUR PATIENTS AND CREATE TRUSTED PARTNERSHIPS BY ENSURING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF PERCEPTIONS AROUND WOMENS HEALTH IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES.AVILA IS DEEPLY AWARE OF THESE CULTURAL INTRICACIES. SHE SHARED HER INSIGHTS ON CULTURALLY COMPETENT CARE, SAYING, "MY PATIENTS ARE VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE A NATIVE SPANISH SPEAKER AND SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM AND ALL THE OLD CULTURAL WIVES TALES TO TREAT CERTAIN THINGS. FIRST, I ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR CULTURAL BELIEFS, LIKE BANANA PEELS ON THE FEET TO BRING DOWN A FEVER. THEN I TRY TO FIND WAYS TO INCORPORATE THEIR BELIEFS AND THEIR ALTERNATIVE MEDICINES WITH WESTERN MEDICINE. I GREW UP WITH THESE THINGS, SO I UNDERSTAND THEM AND HEAR THEM."ADVENTIST HEALTH WHITE MEMORIAL STRATEGIES ARE BEARING FRUIT. BY OFFERING CULTURALLY COMPETENT CARE SPECIFIC TO THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY, WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN OVERALL VISITS AND IMPROVED PATIENT OUTCOMES AMONG THESE POPULATIONS.ANOTHER CHALLENGE MANY LATINA WOMEN IN UNDER-RESOURCED COMMUNITIES ANOTHER CHALLENGE MANY LATINA WOMEN IN UNDER-RESOURCED COMMUNITIES FACE IS A LACK OF HEALTHCARE INSURANCE SYSTEM LITERACY. HOWEVER, DRAWING ON HER CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES, AVILA OFTEN GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND TO HELP HER PATIENTS. ONE SUCH PATIENT, ANA, SOUGHT AVILA'S EXPERTISE FOR PRENATAL CARE. (THE PATIENTS NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED).ANA YEARNED FOR A BABY BUT HAD ALREADY SUFFERED THE HEARTBREAK OF MORE THAN FIVE MISCARRIAGES. SHE SOUGHT HELP FROM VARIOUS DOCTORS, LEAVING HER MEDICAL RECORDS SCATTERED ACROSS NUMEROUS LOCATIONS. WHEN AVILA LEARNED OF ANAS PLIGHT, SHE RESOLVED TO PROVIDE THE BEST CARE FOR ANA BUT NEEDED HER COMPLETE MEDICAL RECORDS FIRST. AVILA PAINSTAKINGLY COLLECTED AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE, PERSISTENTLY ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS AND CALLING AROUND UNTIL SHE MANAGED TO TRACK ANA'S RECORDS. UPON REVIEWING THEM, AVILA DETERMINED THAT ANA REQUIRED A CERCLAGE, A PROCEDURE DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN THE CERVIX AND HELP MAINTAIN A PREGNANCY WITHIN THE UTERUS, ALLOWING A MOTHER TO CARRY HER UNBORN BABY TO FULL TERM. WITH AVILAS HELP, ANAS CERCLAGE WAS SUCCESSFULLY PERFORMED AND SHE FINALLY REALIZED HER DREAM OF HAVING A BABY.IN A WORLD WHERE CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING AND EMPATHY ARE MORE CRUCIAL THAN EVER, AVILA AND ADVENTIST HEALTH WHITE MEMORIAL ARE BLAZING A TRAIL BY PRIORITIZING CULTURALLY COMPETENT CARE FOR WOMEN. BY ACKNOWLEDGING AND ADDRESSING LATINA WOMEN'S UNIQUE CHALLENGES, THEY FOSTER TRUST, UNDERSTANDING AND ULTIMATELY CREATE BETTER PATIENT HEALTH OUTCOMES.REFLECTING ON HER LONG-TERM MEDICAL CAREER ASPIRATIONS, AVILA SHARES, "I SEE MYSELF BEING HERE FOR A REALLY LONG TIME. I HOPE TO BECOME A WELL-KNOWN DOCTOR WHO CARES ABOUT HER PATIENTS IN THE COMMUNITY. I WANT THEM TO SAY, 'I'M GOING TO SEE DR. AVILA BECAUSE I KNOW SHE'LL TAKE CARE OF ME, SHE SPEAKS SPANISH, AND SHE'S MEXICAN.'"WE THANK AVILA FOR HER DEDICATION TO BRIDGING CULTURAL DIVIDES AND FOSTERING PATIENT TRUST. HER STORY IS A VIVID REMINDER THAT WHEN WE INVEST IN THE WELL-BEING AND UNDERSTANDING OF ALL MEMBERS OF OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, WE PAVE THE WAY FOR A HEALTHIER, MORE INCLUSIVE AND COMPASSIONATE FUTURE FOR EVERYONE.WEBSITES FOR OUR COMMUNITY BENEFIT INFORMATION: HTTPS://WWW.ADVENTISTHEALTH.ORG/ABOUT-US/COMMUNITY-BENEFIT/