As Gov. Jerry Brown struck a budget deal Tuesday that would offer healthcare to children in the country illegally, Sacramento County supervisors — sitting less than a mile away — also agreed to provide medical care for county residents who lack papers.
Some non-profit hospitals in the San Francisco Bay Area receive millions of dollars in tax breaks each year to care for the poor and uninsured, yet they provide only a fraction of local charity care. Sandy Kleffman reports.
Catholic Charities of the East Bay is a diverse, multi-service nonprofit agency. Since 1935, it has provided social services and advocacy to people in need in Alameda and Contra Costa counties regardless of their religious affiliation. The organization seeks to expand health and social services, especially for Southeast Asians and Vietnamese seniors.
Jane C. Garcia is CEO of La Clínica de la Raza, a network of 22 health clinics serving multilingual and multicultural populations in three East Bay counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, and Solano counties. La Clínica's comprehensive services include pediatrics, family medicine, women's health care, mental health services, dental and vision care and health education. Services are offered regardless of a person's ability to pay or insurance coverage. La Clínica hires health practitioners who fluently speak Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Arabic, and Amharic.
Planned Parenthood: Shasta-Diablo is a nonprofit organization spanning 13 counties in Northern California, including Butte, Contra Costa, Napa, and Solano counties. In 2004, PPSD provided direct health and counseling services through its 11 health centers to 56,956 women, men, and teens, as well as education programs to an additional 42,534 individuals. PPSD provides services to all individuals, regardless of ability to pay.
