University of Southern California
SUMMER
TROJAN
Vol. XVII
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, FRIDAY, JULY 8, 1966
NO. 5
USC Dean of Medical School To Act as Watts Clinic Chief
USC has long made a great effort to establish a friendly and lasting relationship with the citizens of the community in which it is located. A notable and very successful example of this effort is the Tutorial Program created by a group of USC students who wanted to donate some of their time to aiding the education of children in the area.
The university has now launched into even an more elaborate enterprise in response to the growing needs of its neighbors. One of the most discussed areas of improvement brought out by the McCone Committee Report on the Watts riots were medical facilities.
As of now, residents of Watts and outlying communities must travel miles before they can reach emergency medical aid. Since many do not have any transportation other tha-n busses, their recovery can be hampered by the long length of time it takes to reach the nearest hospital
What USC has proposed, and is now contracted to build, is an emergency medical facility in Watts to partially meet this pressing need.
4 pioneering project to bring comprehensive family health services to the Watts area of Los Angeles has been approved by Sargent Shriver. Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity.
Shriver said that a $2.4 million grant, awarded to the School of Medicine, was "crucial in view of the lack of health facilities immediately available to the residents of Watts.” He also made it clear that the neighborhood health center funded by OEO does not in any way take the place of a much needed hospital for the Watts area.
The Watts neighborhood health center will be one of a series of pilot programs being supported by the anti poverty agency around the country to create personalized, comprehensive and coordinated health programs within poverty target areas. All non-hospital medical and health services will be offered from one central facility and poverty area residents will be trained to serve as health aides and to acquaint residents with the services offered.
All-Encompassing
The all-encompassing approach to the health of all members of the family will include such services as preventive medicine, diagnosis and medica treatment, physical therapy, drugs, dental care, family planning services, pre-natal and child care, mental health and personal health counseling.
To t h e extent possible, both professional and non-professional health team members will be recruited from the Watts area.
Organizations and unaffiliated individuals from Watts will oversee the operation of the center through a community health council. Other health programs financed from federal, state or local agencies will be integrated into the services offered by the neighborhood health
center. Dr. Julius B. Richmond, Assistant Director of OEO for Health Affairs, expressed optimism that the Watts health project “will pave the way for reducing the health gap between the poor and the rest of the population.”
Infant Death Rate
He cited as an example of the need for health services in depressed communities the infant death rate, which is 50 per cent higher in the Watts area than in the rest of Los Angeles, according to the report of the McCone Commission.
Roger O. Egeberg, M.D., Dean and Professor of Medicine at the School of Medicine, will direct the project. He formerly served for six years as Medical Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Charities.
Associate Professor of Medicine Robe rt Tranquada. M.D.. will be Associate Project Director. and Elsie Giorgi, M.D.. who has had extensive clinical experience, will serve as Medical Director Coordinator.
The community health council, composed of residents of Watts and representatives from agencies in that community, will undertake policy making in all phases, and will eventually assume the operation of the center.
Advisory Board
This council will be assisted by a professional advisory board. Identified at this time to serve on the board are representatives from the Charles R. Drew Medical Society, the Angel City Dentai Society, and the medical, dental, and pharmaceutical professions in the Watts area. Further representatives will be added during the planning phase of the project.
A small administrative staff is now associated with the preliminary planning.
Special acknowledgement is made of the assistance that has been obtained thus far from the professionals in the area, represented by the Charles R. Drewr Medical Society; the Angel City Dental Society; Dr. Lester Breslow, State Director of Public Health, who has been involved in an advisory capacity since the inception of the drafting of the proposal by USC prior to last August; and Congressman Augustus Hawkins, who participated in the implementation of the grant award
September Construction
Mayor Sam Yorty requested the Los Angeles City Housing Authority to release an area of land owned by the Housing Authority consisting of 86.000 square feet at 103rd and Grape Streets to be made available for the use of the USC Health Services Center.
Construction of the 55.000 square-foot building is expected to begin in September, and the facility is scheduled to be operation by January. 1967.
All personnel will be chosen with the aid of the community health council. Priority will be given to community residents in hiring all professional and non-professional personnel.
The center will offer comprehensive outpatient services in all specialties of medicine, as well as coordinated home care and dental care.
and will supplement existing health resources.
Practicing physicians and dentists will staff the clinic, rendering personalized services. The same doctors will be responsible for home and hospital visits as needed. Each patient will have a physician and dentist of his own choice.
Patients with private physicians in the area will be accepted only on referral from their own doctors, except in those instances where emergency treatment is required.
Medical service will be rendered on a 24-hour basis and will include emergency service.
(Geographic Boundaries
To insure that the population being served will receive full benefits without overcrowding, the following tentative and approximate geographic boundaries have been suggested: 82r.-i Street on the north: 120th Street on the south: Alameda on the east; and Central on the west.
The center will be equipped to serve approximately 30.000 people residing within this area.
Financial eligibility, to eliminate competition with private practice, will be delineated by the community health council.
Dr. Norman Topping. USC president, and Dr. Egeberg have said that specific planning of the project will be carried out in close collaboration with Watts community representatives and professiontals. as well as with all relevant exists ing and proposed public and private agencies.
DEAN ROGER O. EGEBERG Will Direct Watts Project