The San Fernando Community Health Center is one of three organizations to partner with Providence Health and Services Southern California for its Community Health Worker Training Academy. The training program is funded by a two-year $649,996 grant from the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. In addition to state funding, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center contributed funding to the project, expanding curriculum options which were not disclosed. The San Fernando Community Health Center has two locations: 732 Mott St. in San Fernando and 11134 Sepulveda Blvd. in Mission Hills. The grant will fund the creation of a facility at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Willowbrook. Programs are expected to begin in 2022. Trainees will enroll in a formal educational program with academic credit and paid internships at hospitals and other clinical sites, Providence said in a statement. Those that complete the program will help patients navigate state aid services such as CalFresh, Covered California and Medi-Cal. “One goal is to improve access to preventive and medical care services rather than the use of costly hospital emergency care in nonemergency situations,” Providence added. Providence and its partnering organizations plan to add more clinics and hospitals to its training network, as well as extend the program beyond its two-year grant period, the health care system said. Providence operates six hospitals in Southern California, including Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank and Tarzana Medical Center.
