Good Hope Takes a Stand Against Diabetes

People living with diabetes in South Los Angeles are soon going to have more help and support for managing their illness thanks to the generosity and leadership of the Good Hope Medical Foundation. In November 2017, Good Hope presented a $500,000 gift in support of the MLK Community Medical Group's efforts to fill the gap in diabetes care.

In our hospital's service area, diabetes is the third leading cause of death and the fifth leading cause of premature death. Limited access to diabetes care is a key driver of patient visits to our Hope Emergency Center and admissions for inpatient care.

Latino doctor reaching out to hold hands with young Latina patient in Emergency Room waiting room

Successful diabetes management is too much for a patient to navigate alone. With the right supports in place, we can help people control their diabetes and reduce the diabetic complications that lead to emergency room visits.

Dr. John Fisher
President, MLK Community Medical Group & Chief Medical Officer at MLKCH

With funding from the Good Hope Medical Foundation, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital (MLKCH) and the affiliated MLK Community Medical Group will offer the kind of comprehensive, integrated medical and support services for people with diabetes that have been missing from South Los Angeles.

These services include:

  • Diabetic education
  • Diet coaching and supervision
  • Diabetic wound care
  • Chronic disease self-management classes and peer support groups

Future services will also include diabetes specialists—including an endocrinologist, nephrologist, endocrinology nurse practitioners, and ophthalmologist. Grant funds will help the MLK Community Medical Group recruit these experts to South LA. They will also support community health outreach efforts such as diabetes care offered through mobile services and community education using community health workers.

"Our community members have been living without necessary diabetic healthcare resources for too long," said Dr. Jorge Reyno, Vice President of Population Health at MLKCH. "We're grateful to the Good Hope Medical Foundation for its support of our work to reduce this disease's impact on South LA."

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