Community Support
Updated 11/12/25
We believe that supporting other community programs and organizations is a vital component in serving the healthcare needs of the San Fernando Valley. For many years, Valley Presbyterian Hospital has worked with these organizations to identify specific needs and vulnerabilities in our service area, and partnered with them to address these gaps. It is through our combined efforts that we are able to reach more people who otherwise may not have access to healthcare or are vulnerable in other ways. In our last evaluation period, access to healthcare (including specialty care), chronic diseases, mental health, housing and homelessness, and economic insecurity were ranked as the top priority needs in our service area. The following are some of the community benefit activities and programs that we supported in our last evaluation period, serving 67,084 community residents. More than 37% of the population in our service area is categorized as low-income and nearly 16% are living in poverty. About 53% of these residents are not being served by a Community Health Center.
Click here to learn about our current priorities and how to become a Community Partner.
Access to Healthcare
Access to primary care provides community members with preventive measures and disease management, reducing the likelihood of hospitalizations and emergency room admissions. Yet, in the Valley Presbyterian Hospital service area, about 15% of adults (ages 19-64) and 5% of children are uninsured, while another 22% receive Medi-Cal coverage. More than 15% of residents delayed or did not get medical care when needed. Of those more than 32% cited cost or insurance issues as the primary reasons. Access to care was one of the needs that had worsened over time.
Response to need and community impact:
To remove barriers and increase access to health care, we offered transportation to 3,210 community residents free of charge to and from their homes and the hospital or a community clinic. In addition, we actively assisted more than 14,229 people to enroll in Medi-Cal programs and other low-cost programs through Covered California, and partnered with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) by providing grants.
We supported organizations focused on improving access to care in acute need populations such as foster youth, domestic violence victims, and children with developmental disabilities. Our annual Community Health and Wellness Fair reached over 500 residents with free health screenings, healthy food, and other resources offered by more than 40 community vendors. Other community events that we have supported have reached over 18,000 people.
In addition, more than 1,000 new parents were enrolled in our free Welcome Baby Program (in partnership with First 5 LA) and on-site and virtual maternity and infant care classes, many of which are offered in English and Spanish.
Chronic Diseases with an Emphasis on Diabetes
Weight, lack of proper nutrition, and lack of exercise are associated with chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke, which are major causes of disability and death. In our service area, about 62% of adults are either overweight or obese, while more than 36% of children ages 0-17 are overweight, and 17.5% of children ages 12-17 are obese. Contributing factors are poor diet (lack of adequate fruit and vegetable consumption), lack of physical activity during leisure time, and communities in our service area with low or average walkability. Most are car dependent. Food and exercise choices are often tied to economic insecurity and working long hours to make ends meet. Fast food makes it easier to purchase high-caloric and fatty foods, and for those who are unable to afford even fast food, they are lacking healthy options at many of the food banks.
Response to need and community impact:
In our last evaluation period, 128 participants were enrolled in our free Live Well with Diabetes class aimed at community members living with Diabetes. Along with general Diabetes education, the bilingual class offers interaction with a registered dietition, pharmacist and fitness instructor to help better manage diabetes with healthier lifestyle choices. We also provided a community partner with grant support resulting in behavioral health screenings for more than 1,500 participants who are living with diabetes.
In addition, we have supported numerous events that provide healthy snack options, exercise demonstrations, and American Diabetes Association activity assessments. Additionally, Valley Presbyterian Hospital has provided monthly community Heartsaver CPR classes, and facilitated Women's Heart Health and virtual Love Your Heart events during Heart Health month.
We have also supported many food programs, including a fresh produce distribution and in-home meal delivery for seniors. Our annual hospital-wide food drive has collected and distributed over 4,000 pounds of food.
Mental Health Services
Strong social networks and support systems contribute to positive mental health, while poverty and low education levels play a role in poor mental health. In some cases individuals use drugs and alcohol to cope with mental health issues instead of seeking help. In a recent survey, more than 13% of adults and 36% of teens in our service area have needed help for emotional, mental health and/or alcohol-drug related problems. Although mental health care should be a priority, there are too few providers serving low-income individuals who are uninsured or on Medi-Cal. There are also too few Spanish/English bilingual professionals, which is the dominant language in our service area. This inadequate access affects their ability to receive one-time and ongoing services.
Response to need and community impact:
In our last evaluation period, Valley Presbyterian Hospital increased access to mental health services through its tele-psych services, providing 900 consultations for 760 patients. This service decreased the amount of time needed to evaluate a patient with possible mental health symptoms. Additionally, to increase access to mental health services, we employ a psychiatric nurse practitioner that assists with patient placement post-acute stabilization.
Although our hospital does not have dedicated inpatient mental health care beds, we financially support inpatient mental health care for vulnerable patients who need mental health hospitalization. Those needing psychiatric care are treated in the Emergency Department and then transported to a medically necessary, inpatient mental healthcare bed at a trusted community partner center.
We also have provided grants to several community organizations focused on mental health services that foster confidence, improve self-esteem, promote social interaction, and encourage coping mechanisms.
Housing and Homelessness
Data from Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) indicated that from February 2022 to January 2023, homelessness increased in our service area by nearly 9%. Of those, more than 72% were unsheltered, 27% had a serious substance abuse disorder, and 23% had a serious mental illness. Community stakeholders cite barriers and issues including the lack of affordable housing, programs that don't get to the root cause with preventative models, a lack of support for those at risk before they become homeless such as seniors with health conditions, an increase in mental health and substance abuse issues, and government red tape and funding without transparency. Without resources, the unsheltered often end up cycling in and out of hospital Emergency Departments.
Response to need and community impact:
In our last evaluation period, Valley Presbyterian Hospital participated in the San Fernando Valley and Santa Clarita Valley Homeless Coalition (for our SPA2 area), which focuses on homelessness resources and community planning.
We also provided sponsorships and support to several organizations that provide homeless services. Volunteers from our hospital participated in the Hope of the Valley campaign where they assisted in preparing meals for hundreds of homeless individuals. We awarded a grant to another community organization in support of their homeless outreach and mobile clinic, with the goal of improving access to care for unsheltered people.
