LOS ANGELES – It’s estimated that nearly half of all Americans are living with chronic health conditions or advanced illnesses, with higher rates for those in low-income communities of color. Social care support can benefit those with chronic conditions, but it isn’t always easy to find. Today, L.A. Care Health Plan is announcing a $375,000 total commitment to Project Angel Food and the AC Care Alliance, two organizations that provide essential social care services for those with chronic health conditions and advanced illnesses. Both organizations are in a critical growth phase and in need of support to expand services for low-income, racially diverse, and marginalized individuals in Los Angeles County.
“This funding is part of L.A. Care’s ongoing partnership with the two organizations, which provide critical social care support for the health plan’s members – specifically for those members who are critically ill and in need of life sustaining meals and for those receiving end-of-life care,” said John Baackes, L.A. Care CEO. “This support is critical for reducing health disparities among the vulnerable communities L.A. Care serves.”
L.A. Care is awarding $250,000 to Project Angel Food, which provides medically tailored meals for people struggling with illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, kidney disease, uncontrolled diabetes, pulmonary disease, and cancer. The funding will allow the organization to deliver up to 1.5 million meals for about 5,500 critically ill Angelenos while the organization undergoes a 12-month capital project. This will ultimately allow it to triple its service capacity. The majority of those who will be served over the one-year period are vulnerable, low-income people of color.
The AC Care Alliance Advanced Illness Care Program (ACCA AICP), which provides holistic support to people needing advanced illness care and their caregivers, is being awarded $125,000. The program addresses disparities in end-of-life care, such as the rate of advanced directives in Black and Latino communities. The organization serves South Los Angeles County and five other California counties, through partnerships with trusted faith- and community-based organizations.
In operation since 2013, ACCA serves predominately Black and Brown communities providing wraparound advanced illness care support aligned with five program cornerstones: spiritual, health, social, advance care planning, and caregiving. The funding will help ACCA ACIP pursue opportunities to expand its wraparound approach to individuals with complex care needs, including those enrolled in Medi-Cal’s Enhanced Care Management (ECM). It will support staff and infrastructure enhancements, including a closed loop referral tracking tool, partial salaries, software licenses, and IT technical support.
Both projects align with L.A. Care’s commitment to invest in safety net providers and programs serving members and to the health plan’s commitment to advancing health equity, which means everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible.