L.A. Care Health Plan’s Post

After an incredible journey of service and leadership, John Baackes will retire as CEO of L.A. Care at the end of 2024. Baackes, who brought decades of health care experience, joined L.A. Care in 2015. Since then, L.A. Care has emerged as a national leader in equitable health care for low-income patients and community transformation. From launching a direct network of dedicated physicians to establishing a quality rating system for providers and growing our L.A. Care/Blue Shield Promise Community Resource Centers throughout L.A. County, Baackes has been at the forefront of change.👏 During his time at L.A. Care, Baackes addressed the physician shortage in L.A. County by working with the Board of Governors to launch the $205 million "Elevating the Safety Net" initiative. This groundbreaking program offers full medical school scholarships, medical school loan repayments, recruitment grants and more to ensure we have highly-qualified primary care physicians serving our community. 🏥💡 We are immensely grateful for Baackes’ visionary leadership and commitment to our mission. As L.A. Care’s Board of Governors embarks on the search for his successor, the board is committed to finding a dynamic leader who will continue his impactful legacy and who will carry on Baackes’ tradition of responding to the community’s most urgent health care needs. Read more: http://spr.ly/6048wQNMC #LACare #JohnBaackes #Leadership #LACounty

Our free summer back-to-school events continued this morning at our East L.A. Community Resource Center (CRC)! L.A. Care’s CRC Manager, Iris C. Gomez, spoke with Lauren Coronado NBCLA about the importance of providing students with the necessary school supplies to start the year with confidence and foster a positive community. Attendees can receive a free backpack with supplies, enjoy activities, and learn about community resources.🎒✏️ Watch here: http://spr.ly/6041iEqtR #LACare #School #LACounty

Addressing homelessness and housing is an important part of health care. Sameer Amin MD, Chief Medical Officer at L.A. Care, spoke with Marisa Kendall at CalMatters about how L.A. Care is working to provide 1,700 homes for homeless residents by 2027. Dr. Amin says that as of the end of last year, 600 units of housing had been available for homeless residents. 🏠 ⚕️ Read more here: http://spr.ly/604797rIP #LACare #Housing #LACounty

L.A. Care is proud to lead the Student Behavioral Health Incentive Program (SBHIP) across Los Angeles County in partnership with Health Net and Hazel Health to provide behavioral health services to students in K-12 schools.🏫 Dr. Michael Brodsky, Senior Medical Director for Community Health at L.A. Care Health Plan, spoke with Anastassia Gliadkovskaya and Fierce Healthcare about the program details and the importance of reaching as many kids as possible, regardless of their insurance status.🧠⚕️ Read more here: http://spr.ly/60439OWw1 #LACare #SBHIP #LACounty

Yesterday, L.A. Care’s first back-to-school backpack and school supply giveaway took place at our Community Resource Center (CRC) location in Wilmington! 🎒✏️ Candace Nafissi from L.A. Care’s CRC spoke with ABC7 Los Angeles about our summer-long events happening throughout L.A. County in partnership with Blue Shield of California. Other available services attendees can receive include free children's vaccines, dental screenings, and health enrollment assistance. 👩👧👧 Watch here: http://spr.ly/60499OiRJ #LACare #BackToSchool #LACounty

Post-pandemic Medi-Cal redeterminations left some without coverage. L.A. Care’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sameer Amin, spoke with Sherry Karabin at the Los Angeles Business Journal to share insights on our ongoing efforts to reconnect Medi-Cal members with primary care, expand virtual mental health services for K-12 students, and support the unhoused population with healthcare and housing initiatives. 📋👨⚕️ Read more here: http://spr.ly/60409yUVq #LACare #MediCal #LACounty

We’re excited to share that L.A. Care CEO John Baackes was recently featured in the Los Angeles Business Journal, sharing his decade-long career leading L.A. Care Health Plan toward equitable health care for all in Los Angeles County. Baackes spoke with Howard Fine about health care policy changes, challenges, and his role in helping L.A. Care implement new practices and initiatives. 👏🩺 Read more: http://spr.ly/60479yTkU

L.A. Care is excited to announce the continuation of its annual Back-to-School events in partnership with Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan at their jointly operated Community Resource Centers! This summer, from July 2 through August 17, we're giving away up to 18,000 backpacks filled with essential school supplies across 16 events in Los Angeles County. 🎒✏️📚 Since 2019, we've distributed nearly 81,000 free backpacks, making a huge impact on our community. "As a health plan that understands the link between social needs and overall health and well-being, we are thrilled to provide backpacks and essential school supplies to countless families," said L.A. Care CEO John Baackes. Learn more here: http://spr.ly/604998hi9 #BackToSchool #CommunitySupport #LACare #BlueShieldPromise #SchoolSupplies #HealthyCommunities #EducationMatters #GivingBack #FamilySupport #LosAngelesEvents #KidsEducation #HealthAndWellBeing

Our recent gun violence safety event at #CRCLynwood on June 20th exemplified our commitment to this cause. The event featured a survivors panel, a free gun lock giveaway, and the distribution of safety resources.🎤🔒📚 At L.A. Care, we recognize gun violence as a critical public health issue, echoing U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's call for action. http://spr.ly/6043gmOKV📢 L.A. Care has been at the forefront of promoting gun safety, partnering with the Los Angeles County Medical Association and Los Angeles County to provide free gun locks and educational resources to the community. We also support California Senate Bill 1253, which mandates that all firearm owners receive training on safe storage and handling. These initiatives are crucial in preventing gun-related injuries and deaths, particularly among children and vulnerable populations. By addressing gun safety through community engagement, education, and legislative support, we aim to foster safer environments for all. Learn more about the broader public health implications in this insightful article by KFF Health News here: http://spr.ly/6043gmOKV. Together, we can make a difference. 💪 #GunSafety #PublicHealth #LACare For more information about our efforts, visit: 📰 Gun Safety Billboard Campaign: http://spr.ly/6044gmOKn 📰 L.A. Care's Support for Senate Bill 1253: http://spr.ly/6045gmOKX