L.A. Care Health Plan and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan Hold Grand Opening of New Community Resource Center in Inglewood

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Event highlighted new resources and services for members and all Inglewood residents

INGLEWOOD, Calif., Sept. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, L.A. Care Health Plan and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan celebrated the grand opening of their Community Resource Center in Inglewood at 2864 W. Imperial Highway, in the shopping center on Imperial Highway and Crenshaw Boulevard.

An array of free, health-focused services and classes are available to members and the general public at this new Center such as line dancing, yoga therapy, kickboxing, anger management workshops, healthy juicing and cooking classes. One class teaches participants about healthy meals they can cook for under $10. Other resources address social drivers of health such as housing, food security, income security, academic support for students and more.

The Center's monthly food pantry takes place every third Monday of the month from 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Anyone from the community can pick up free groceries and occasionally diapers and baby wipes will be available on a first come, first served basis. Visitors can also find assistance connecting to local services such as educational tutoring for local students and more.

"The new Community Resource Center in Inglewood is just the latest example of how Blue Shield Promise is providing deep investments in communities to provide its residents traditional health and wellness offerings as well as personalized services to our members including on-site connection to social services," said Kristen Cerf, president and CEO of Blue Shield Promise Health Plan. "As a nonprofit health plan, our commitment is to help improve the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities, and we are making that a reality with the newest Center in Inglewood."

The 9,000-square-foot Center, which is equipped with a full-size kitchen, activity and training rooms, and office space provides L.A. Care and Blue Shield Promise members with personalized services, including help with care management, free Wi-Fi and private rooms to support virtual medical visits, member services, and benefit navigation. 

"L.A. Care is committed to advancing health equity, helping to ensure that everyone can be as healthy as possible, which makes the new Resource Center – with all its wellness and social needs offerings – a timely and much-needed oasis in the community," said John Baackes, L.A. Care CEO. "We know good health outcomes don't rely merely on doctor visits, so we're thrilled that Inglewood and the surrounding communities will now have access to a wide range of resources that people don't generally expect from a health plan."  

While the Center has been available to local residents since April 2022 – and has served approximately 3,000 visitors to date – the grand opening celebration took place today due to previous COVID-19 restrictions. Local leaders and representatives who attended the grand opening included Inglewood councilmembers Dionne Faulk, Alex Padilla, Eloy Morales, Jr. and representatives from the offices of California State Senator Steven Bradford and Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell. The festivities included a ribbon-cutting, tours of the Center and a Wazobia dance performance by Nneoma Duruhesie Ogudoro. Wazobia dance is considered to provide healing through fitness and dance movements to afrobeats.

The new location is the latest addition in the $146 million commitment the two health plans made to open 14 jointly operated Community Resource Centers. The goal is to help improve the lives of members and the communities where they live across Los Angeles County, by giving them a fun, safe and inclusive place to gather.

The L.A. Care and Blue Shield Promise Community Resource Center in Inglewood is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. To learn more about the Community Resource Centers, please visit activehealthyinformed.org or for specific information about the Inglewood location, including a calendar of programing available at this center, click here.

About Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan
Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan is a managed care organization, wholly owned by Blue Shield of California, offering Medi-Cal and Cal MediConnect. It is led by healthcare professionals with a "members-first" philosophy and committed to building a quality network of providers and partnering with community organizations for more than 450,000 members. For more information about Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan, please visit www.blueshieldca.com/promise. For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit www.news.blueshieldca.com. Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

About L.A. Care Health Plan
L.A. Care Health Plan serves more than 2.3 million members in Los Angeles County, making it the largest publicly operated health plan in the country. L.A. Care offers four health coverage plans including Medi-Cal, L.A. Care Covered™, L.A. Care Cal MediConnect and the PASC-SEIU Homecare Workers Plan, all dedicated to being accountable and responsive to members. As a public entity, L.A. Care's mission is to provide access to quality health care for L.A. County's vulnerable and low-income communities, and to support the safety net required to achieve that purpose. L.A. Care prioritizes quality, access and inclusion, elevating health care for all of L.A. County. For more information, visit lacare.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Media Contacts:
Blue Shield Promise Health Plan
Olga Gallardo - (323) 537-6364
[email protected]

L.A. Care Health Plan
Penny Griego - (310) 613-8309
[email protected]

SOURCE Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan