LOS ANGELES -- (Oct. 8, 2015)- Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed) recently received a $10,000 grant from Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, South Bay to support the Catalina Island Clinic managed by the Women's Health Care Clinic Outreach & Education Program.
The Catalina Island Clinic provides preventive and reproductive healthcare and family planning services for uninsured, low-income women, men and teens living on Catalina Island.
"We thank Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, South Bay for its support of this important program to provide confidential, free and no-cost family planning and reproductive health care services to uninsured women and adolescent girls on Catalina Island," said Jennifer Haddad, director of programs for the Women's Health Care Clinic Outreach & Education Program.
The clinic provides services in English and Spanish to Catalina Island residents two to three times per month at the Catalina Island Medical Center, 100 Falls Canyon Road. It is open every other Wednesday. Clinic hours depend on the ferry schedule.
Clinic services are provided at no cost to qualifying patients, based on the eligibility guidelines of the state-run family planning program, Family PACT. Patients must be of reproductive ability to qualify for the free services, although women not of reproductive age are currently able to receive free services through support from other private-funding. The clinic doesn't accept insurance or Medi-Cal, but it does accept donations.
The clinic features a teen-friendly environment and provides counseling, education and referrals for all patients who qualify for its services. Services include well-woman visits, Pap testing (cervical cancer screening), pelvic exams, abnormal pap test follow-up and treatment, breast exams, referrals for mammograms, all contraception (including IUDs and implants) and emergency contraception, pregnancy tests, and screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and HIV.
Medical services for men include limited health exams, testicular and prostate cancer screening, as well as condom distribution, and screening and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and HIV.
The clinic also offers free community health education workshops and outreach in English and Spanish. Topics include family planning, teen pregnancy prevention, sexually transmitted infections and HIV, breast cancer awareness, women's health, healthy relationships, domestic violence & health, and nutrition.
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For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 310.222.3715 or email info@womenshealthcareclinic.com. The clinic schedule can also be found on http://www.womenshealthcareclinic.com. While appointments are preferred, walk-in patients are welcome, depending on availability.
About LA BioMed
Founded in 1952, LA BioMed is one of the country's leading nonprofit independent biomedical research institutes. It has approximately 100 principal researchers conducting studies into improved diagnostics and treatments for cancer, inherited diseases, infectious diseases, illnesses caused by environmental factors and more. It also educates young scientists and provides community services, including prenatal counseling and childhood nutrition programs. LA BioMed is academically affiliated with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and located on the campus of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. For more information, please visit http://www.LABioMed.org