SAC in the new century
The Social Action Community (SAC) Health System expands its services and facilities
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| Kristina Leslie, a speech-language pathology master's student (left), asks one of her patients to describe the toy school bus he is playing with. |
Since the 1960s, Social Action Community (SAC) clinics operated by LLU have been providing low-cost or no-cost health care to thousands of patients from neighboring communities.
Not only have the medically underserved of the Inland Empire area benefited, but resident physicians and students from several Loma Linda programs have benefited as well, gaining valuable experience in treating real patients in a clinical setting.
From two original clinic sites, five clinics are now part of SAC Health System and include SAC-Norton, located on the former Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, which opened in 1995; SAC-Frazee in San Bernardino, which is temporarily closed but will soon reopen; SAC-Arrowhead, also situated in San Bernardino; SAC-Redlands, located in north Redlands; and SAC-West End/Montclair, the westernmost clinic which operates in the city of Montclair.
The clinics now serve more than 40,000 patients each year, providing vital services to medically underserved residents who have historically "fallen through the cracks" of national and state health-care systems.
Areas of service include primary health care, dental, rehabilitation, mental health, and counseling. SACNorton serves as the main clinic and as administrative headquarters for the entire health system.
Funding and expansion
A number of recent grants have had a major impact on the growth of SAC Health System. In December, 1999, word was received that the Alliance Healthcare Foundation, headquartered in San Diego, had agreed to provide a grant of $99,000 to help fund the salaries of two nurse practitioners. These individuals will enable the SAC-Arrowhead and SAC-Redlands clinics to become more self-sufficient.
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| SACNorton clinic neurotherapy treatment staff and parents work with children who suffer from a variety of neuromuscular diseases and conditions. |
In January, 2000, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation announced it would fund a project to increase breast cancer detection rates and treatment option awareness among low-income women. These funds will be shared by SAC Health System and the School of Public Health.
More recently, the city of San Bernardino commissioned a $230,000 Community Development Block Grant, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, to purchase a new modular clinic for SACFrazee, which has been closed for some time. In addition, Community Hospital of San Bernardino has pledged $25,000 to help cover operating costs for SACFrazee during its first year.
In February of this year, SAC Health System opened its newest satellite--a dental clinic--housed within the Regional Occupational Program facility located in Riverside, which offers a training program for dental assistants.
LLU&MC have agreed to subsidize SAC to help cover unreimbursed costs for the next 10 years. Simultaneously, a campaign known as "10 by 10"--$10 million by the year 2010--will take place in an effort to provide a permanent endowment to cover these unreimbursed costs. SAC Health System will look to area businesses, members of the local communities, and friends to help raise the funds necessary for this endowment.
A new treatment program which has received international attention is now centered at SAC-Norton. Headed by Jerold Petrofsky, PhD, professor of physical therapy in the School of Allied Health Professions, the neurotherapy treatment program focuses on helping patients with neuromuscular diseases and conditions--cerebral palsy or polio, for instance--in an effort to increase muscle function and allow them to lead more normal lives.
An interdisciplinary approach
The SAC clinics provide an ideal environment for students and resident physicians training in a variety of professional programs to learn and practice an interdisciplinary approach to patient treatment.
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| The Homeless Care Faire, a community-based effort, was once again hosted by SAC Health System and held at the SACNorton clinic on April 5. |
Several years ago, the health system received a major foundation grant to fund the development of an interdisciplinary services learning program. Though the funding period has ended, SAC Health System continues to follow an interdisciplinary, wholistic approach to patient care.
For instance, on each Tuesday from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m., students and faculty from various disciplines represented at the clinics meet at SAC-Norton to discuss patients currently receiving care. Cooperative treatment plans are evaluated and formulated in an effort to efficiently and effectively meet the needs of each patient.
Homeless Care Faire
On April 5, SAC-Norton hosted the annual Homeless Care Faire, a community-based effort to serve the needs of San Bernardino County's homeless and indigent populations. This is the second time SAC Health System has hosted the event.
Loma Linda University students and faculty worked side by side with a number of community agencies and organizations to provide a variety of services for the area's homeless, who were brought in from various locations throughout the day by van.
Services offered included clothing distribution, bathing, dental and primary health-care screenings, haircuts, driver's license sign-ups, job applications, health insurance information, and more.
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