The Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) Collaborative is a network of organizations working together to strengthen the capacity of the nonprofit sector and increase civic engagement in Southeast LA. Founded in 2011 by eleven core organizations, the Collaborative seeks to revitalize the communities of Bell, Bell Gardens, Cudahy, Florence-Firestone, Huntington Park, Lynwood, Maywood, South Gate, Vernon, and Walnut Park.

Our “Collaborative Spotlight” series highlights the work and impact of our individual Collaborative members, each of whom have a long history of providing service to the Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) region and advocating for its community members. In today’s post, we highlight the work and impact of AltaMed Health Services.

Promoting Healthy Communities Across Southern California

AltaMed Health Services was founded in 1969 as the East LA Barrio Free Clinic, a free, community-focused health organization founded by the Brown Berets. In its early days, the organization’s vision was to provide accessible and compassionate care to residents in a community where doctors and health organizations were scarce. Even during its humble beginnings, the organization kept its focus on promoting wellness; advocating for strong, healthy communities; and maintaining integrity, honesty, and respect in its endeavors.

Since then, the organization has grown and evolved in both name and scope, becoming the nation’s largest Federally Qualified Health Center. Today, AltaMed is home to over 3,000 employees and provides care to more than 300,000 Southern California residents in areas including East Los Angeles, Southeast Los Angeles, Santa Ana, and Orange County.  For the past 50 years, AltaMed has been dedicated to serving medically underserved, uninsured, and under-insured families and individuals in Southern California by providing superior quality health and human services through an integrated world-class delivery system. Their services include the full continuum of care including pediatrics, complete primary care, obstetrics and gynecology, senior services with PACE programs, dental care, youth services, and HIV services. AltaMed remains committed to its vision of being the leading community-based provider of quality health care and human services.

Advocating for a Brighter Future in SELA

In addition to its suite of health services, AltaMed has long been an advocate to improve the economic, political, and social landscape for Latinos and other communities of color in California. Among its formal initiatives are protecting the Affordable Care Act, increasing health care funding, promoting workforce development, non-partisan Get Out the Vote programs, and Census 2020 awareness programs. AltaMed’s advocacy work complements its services by proactively ensuring that our communities will be healthy, active and safe in the future in addition to receiving the health care services they need now to grow healthy.

AltaMed’s longstanding passion for community empowerment and advocacy has made them a strong advocate for the Southeast Los Angeles community and a natural partner to the SELA Collaborative. Recognizing the scarcity of affordable and accessible health organizations in SELA, AltaMed has established two sites in the region, including a recently opened Program of All Inclusive Health for the Elderly (PACE) center in Huntington Park that serves SELA’s elderly population.

“Having worked with the communities of Southeast Los Angeles for some time, I know all too well the significant health challenges facing the region and the acute need for community-focused health organizations,” says Berenice Nuñez Constant, Vice President of Government Relations for AltaMed. “In joining the Collaborative, we saw the opportunity to share resources and align our efforts with longstanding community organizations who are equally committed to addressing the challenges and uplifting the assets in SELA.”

As AltaMed’s primary delegate in the Collaborative, Mrs. Constant contributes nearly 20 years of experience working in the health care sector and invaluable knowledge gained as a SELA advocate herself. Her invaluable contributions in the areas of civic engagement and advocacy have helped ground the Collaborative’s work in proven and effective strategies. Furthermore, as a member of the steering committee, her skills and knowledge have contributed to all of the Collaborative’s programming.

AltaMed’s community-focused perspective and passion for health advocacy have made it one of the premier health care organizations in Southeast Los Angeles and Southern California as a whole. Thanks to AltaMed’s varied range of programs and passionate advocacy for legislation and projects that increase access to social services, education, and awareness of the rights and responsibilities we all share in this country, SELA’s communities have a powerful ally on their side who can help ensure the region has bright, healthy, and engagement future ahead of it. Our Collaborative looks forward to working alongside AltaMed in our journey towards an informed, engaged, and empowered SELA community!–

AltaMed Delegates in the SELA Collaborative

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