The St. John’s Program in Social Medicine and Health Equity ("St.John's Social Medicine Program") was founded in the fall of 2008 to advance the clinic as a catalyst for community health.
We believe that health:
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is shaped by the health care we receive and provide
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begins where and how we live, work, eat, learn, and play
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depends on having opportunities and abilities to influence the conditions that affect our lives
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reflects and gives life to social values like opportunity, social justice, equity, and democracy
The St. John's Social Medicine Program demonstrates how clinical practice can improve each of these dimensions of health by working collaboratively within the clinic and with partners in South LA and beyond. Conventional biomedical approaches that fail to account for the health impact of social and environmental conditions tend to be limited in their effectiveness. In order to achieve the best standard of care, the Social Medicine Program draws on direct experience, the latest public health and social science research, and a health and human rights approach to demonstrate how to address social determinants of health in clinical practice. We call this a biosocial approach to medicine.
Featured Events:
St. John's Social Medicine Program Highlights:
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BP/AQMD Asthma Program – St. John’s partners with the Long Beach Alliance for Children with Asthma (LBACA) and The Children’s Clinic (TCC) to increase services, provide high quality, cost-effective medical care and treatment and health education for patients with asthma in the area of Wilmington, San Pedro, West Long Beach, Carson and Compton.
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Healthy Homes, Healthy Kids – An environmental health project that uses a holistic medical care, education and home-based approach to help children who suffer from illnesses such as asthma and lead poisoning as a result of slum housing conditions. The purpose of the project is twofold: to provide clinical treatment to affected children and to address the conditions in the home environment that cause their illnesses. The program’s strategy integrates comprehensive pediatric medical care with education, case management services and tenant rights assistance to reduce children’s exposure to health hazards present in their homes, including lead-based paint, mold, vermin, cockroaches and dust mites. Over 5400 children and their families have been served to date. Click here to view video.
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Networking for Community Health - This collaborative project focused on health and slum housing in South LA builds capacity to better coordinate data and advocacy and manage referrals with community partners, including Esperanza Community Housing Corporation and Strategic Actions for a Just Economy.
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Voter Engagement Program - Along with other health providers in a national network called Rx Democracy, St. John's believes civic participation can be good for health. Nonpartisan voter registration forms are available to all eligible patients.
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T aming the Perfect Storm: A collaborative report on Public Health, Housing, and Law Enforcement Policies and their impact on Homelessness and Health in South Los Angeles. Report online at Harvard Health and Human Rights Journal.
St. John's Social Medicine Program activities include participatory research, clinical and outreach programs with community partners, health promotion, civic engagement, policy advocacy, and the development of integrated care delivery systems to address critical social determinants of health. To demonstrate and disseminate the benefits and methods of a biosocial approach to medicine, we aspire to serve as a "Center for Excellence" - helping to train and educate clinicians, staff, students, and the community.
Partners include affordable housing developers, community health promoters/promotoras, community and tenant organizers, public interest lawyers, and other social service providers and advocates in south Los Angeles and beyond. We also partner with local, national, and international organizations to advance the mission of health equity and the right to health in south Los Angeles.
Interested individuals (including volunteers, interns, clinicians, students, researchers and community partners) are welcome to contact us. Include "Social Medicine" in your email subject line. Email Ingrid Hernandez, HR Department
Director of Social Medicine and Health Equity: Rishi Manchanda MD MPH
Director of Environmental Health Projects: Anne Farrell-Sheffer MPH
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