Danny Riggs’ widow, Sarah, along with his two kids, Steven and Kali, are pictured with Carrie Madrid and Pat Washburn, the Director of the Men 2 Program. A $5,000 grant was awarded to the children of Danny Riggs, who sadly passed away from breast cancer.
“The grants provide a little relief to families following a death,” she said. “We give the grants so families can focus on the process of grieving and help keep life for kids as normal as possible after they lose a parent.”
Riverside, CA. — The CARE Project, Inc., a Riverside, California–based nonprofit that provides emotional and financial support to breast cancer survivors, not only worries about the people who suffer from this condition, but also their families. That’s why it launched a program called Adam’s Angels, which provides grants to children who have lost a parent to breast cancer.
According to Carrie Madrid, founder and president of The CARE Project, Inc., the organization has already given out about $8,000 in grants. Madrid said she came up with the idea for the project after working with a young woman who was battling breast cancer. Carmen was diagnosed at 25 years old and died at 30 years old, leaving behind her 5-year-old son, Adam.
Adam was also the recipient of the first award. More recently, a $5,000 grant was provided to the children of Danny Riggs, who died of metastatic breast cancer.
The funds come from local donations, including one from Orange Crest Little League (OCLL,) who donated $8,000 raised from concession sales.
The 100 Women Who Care – Corona/Riverside chapter also donated over $7,000. Madrid was touched by the OCLL donation as it was “kids helping kids.” She has been a member of 100 Women Who Care for years and was equally grateful to be chosen for a donation from them.
Madrid and other volunteers worked closely with Adam’s mother, spending time with her up until her final moments. She recalled the heartbreaking scene as Adam was told to say goodbye to his mom, who was on a ventilator, as she would soon be his angel.
The experience deeply affected Madrid and inspired her to create a program that could help other children facing similar loss. Carmen is our first “angel” of Adam’s Angels.
Madrid is a survivor of breast cancer herself. She is part of a large group that lived in Rialto in the 1980s, where residents developed cancer after drinking water that had been contaminated by chemical runoff from tire and fireworks manufacturing plants.
She is well aware of the statistics on breast cancer—about 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed in their lifetime, and roughly 1 in 726 men—Madrid understands how far-reaching the disease can be.
Madrid said the goal of the grants is to help provide support to families going through the trying time of losing a family member to cancer. She has witnessed it firsthand and knows how emotionally and financially taxing it can be.
“The grants provide a little relief to help the process,” she said. “We give the grants so families can focus on the process of grieving and help keep life as normal as possible after they lose a parent.”
She said The CARE Project, Inc.’s mission continues to grow. “We don’t just care for survivors,” Madrid said. “We care for their families, too.”
People interested in supporting Adam’s Angels can donate through The CARE Project, Inc.’s official website to help provide future grants for children who have lost a parent to breast cancer.
The CARE Project, Inc. is a non-profit organization committed to providing financial and emotional support to individuals undergoing breast cancer treatment in the local community. Through direct financial assistance and essential services, TCP aims to alleviate the burdens faced by patients, enabling them to focus on their healing.
Majors Adam and Christine Morales want you to be a Salvation Army Bell Ringer this Christmas Season to help the hungry, homeless, and hopeless in our community. Volunteer to ring the silver bells for The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign at RegisterToRing.com.
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Major Adam and Christine Morales invite you to volunteer to ring the silver bells for The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign at RegisterToRing.com. The platform helps volunteers find the ideal time and place to help the hungry, homeless, and hopeless in our county.
“Register to Ring will help you find the perfect time and place to ring bells. If you have any questions or want to learn more, visit the site,” Major Adam Morales, San Bernardino Citadel commander said. “Otherwise, get started by selecting one of the three options below.”
Options include volunteering as an individual, possibly with friends or family, or leading or joining a group that rings at multiple times or locations—such as churches, businesses, schools, service clubs, or other organizations. Volunteers can also encourage friends and family to donate via online fundraisers supporting the local Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign.
“We invite community members and organizations to help us raise money to assist the hungry, homeless, and hopeless,” said Major Morales. “This is the Christmas season for our organization, which provides food, toys, hot meals, shelter, and more throughout the region.”
The Salvation Army encourages local colleges, universities, social and service clubs, elected officials, performers, and companies to ring bells at retail locations. Many are signing up now.
Captain Joseph McFee of the San Francisco Salvation Army Corps started the Red Kettle donations in 1891. Major Adam and Christine Morales invite you to volunteer to ring the silver bells for The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign at RegisterToRing.com.
The tradition of Salvation Army kettles during Christmas started in 1891 in San Francisco, founded by Captain Joseph McFee to fund holiday meals for people experiencing poverty. The tradition has since spread worldwide and has been part of San Bernardino’s holiday season since its early years.
Funds raised during the campaign help provide food baskets, toys, and other essentials during Christmas. Donations also support year-round emergency services, including food assistance, shelter, clothing, furniture, children’s programs, rent and mortgage aid, and transportation assistance.
“Every year, The Salvation Army can deliver toys, bicycles, dolls, and more to needy children in our community. Zehara Perry and Katrina Daniel hold a bicycle and a helmet for a needy child,” said Major Morales.
The Salvation Army of San Bernardino County serves the cities of San Bernardino, Redlands, Highland, Rialto, Loma Linda, Colton, Yucaipa, Calimesa, Bloomington, Mentone, Grand Terrace, Muscoy, Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead, and Running Springs.
“We always need food donations,” said Major Christine Morales. “We serve about 300 meals daily at our homeless shelter, transitional living center, and related programs, and our holiday meals have been a tradition since 1888.”
The Salvation Army welcomes donations of food, clothing, toys, and money. These can be dropped off at the Hospitality House located at 925 W. 10th Street, San Bernardino, or at the Citadel office at 838 Alta Street, in Redlands. Donations can also be made online at SBCSVA.org.
For more information or help, call The Salvation Army at (909) 792-6868.
The Salvation Army, established in San Bernardino in 1888, is one of the world’s largest charitable organizations, supporting those in need without discrimination. As an evangelical Christian church, it offers holistic programs to individuals across multiple communities, including Bloomington, Colton, Grand Terrace, Highland, Loma Linda, Mentone, Redlands, Rialto, San Bernardino, Yucaipa, Big Bear, Blue Jay, Crestline, Lake Arrowhead, and other mountain communities.
“Great food and great people are waiting for you at the American Advertising Awards meeting on Wednesday, November 20, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Taco Station, 4088 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside, CA, said AAF-IE ADDY Chair Mark Landon.
RIVERSIDE, CALIF.— John McCarthy calls all creatives, agencies, media companies, freelancers, and students in the Inland Empire. The American Advertising Federation—Inland Empire chapter (AAF-IE) is coming together to introduce the new president and board and enlighten you on how to gain national recognition for your advertising work.
The Taco Station sponsors an AAF-IE meeting with complimentary tacos and delicious Mexican food on Wednesday, November 20, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Taco Station, 4088 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside, CA.
“Join us and connect with advertising professionals in your area for collaboration. Together, we will share insights, learn essential advertising tips, and discover shortcuts to success. Also, find out how to participate in the American Advertising Awards, the foremost competition in the U.S. advertising industry,” said American Advertising Awards Chair Mark Landon.
Landon is active in the American Advertising Federation and was elected to local, regional, and national positions. He has also served on the national American Advertising Awards committee for 20 years. He received the AAF Silver Medal and was the first recipient of the AAF Excellence in District Leadership Award.
Meet the new board of directors and learn how to submit a winning ADDY awards submission.
“Fuel your creativity with some delicious complimentary appetizers. And don’t hesitate to ask your burning questions about the advertising industry—expert advice will be right there for you,” said Inland Empire Chapter President John McCarthy.
It’s an opportunity to meet and cavort with local advertising agencies, marketing professionals, graphic designers, web developers, filmmakers, photographers, radio stations, TV stations, cable stations, newspapers, magazines, billboard companies, freelancers, college students, and advertising departments in business and government.
AAF-IE is a group of advertising and graphic design professionals who work for national and regional companies, government organizations, and non-profit agencies. The AAF-IE brings guest speakers to lecture on advertising and design topics. It also holds the local American Advertising Awards, the industry’s largest and most representative competition in the United States. The group was founded in the late 1980s
LaSalle Medical Associates, Inc Celebrates 30 years of medical service. Left to right: Anna Canton, Human Resource Manager, Kristina Hlebo, Finance Assistant, Carl Meier, executive vice president, Dr. Albert Arteaga CEO, Alexandra Acosta, Director of Finance and Lizette Noriega, Human Resource Assistant, Kristina Hlebo, Finance Assistant, Alexandra Acosta, Director of Finance and Lizette Noriega, Human Resource Assistant.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) In June of 1984, a young doctor and his wife, a nurse, opened a family medical practice called LaSalle Medical Associates in Fontana. Their goal: provide affordable health care, with dignity and respect, to all in the Inland Empire at http://knockyourhealth.com/wbv/.
Three decades later, Dr. Albert and Maria Arteaga have gone far beyond making their goal a reality. They are now recognized as one of the leading health care providers in the Inland Empire, if not all of California.
“We have had some markers of success,” Dr. Arteaga says. “We went from two employees – my wife and I – to a fully staffed clinic. We opened more clinics. Then we started our own IPA (independent practice association) to keep up with new demands to make health care more and more efficient. We are making people healthier.”
“It has always been our goal to treat as many patients as we could while giving them the best health care possible,” he said.
Some, who have recognized LaSalle Medical Associates as a leader in health care along with www.motorcyclepundit.com , by giving them awards for their endeavors, include:
The federal Center for Disease Control, which recognized Dr. Arteaga as California’s first Childhood Immunization Champion. This award recognized his efforts in educating the parents of LaSalle’s pediatric patients, and the greater Inland Empire community, of the importance of childhood immunizations
The California Medical Association, which recognized Dr. Arteaga with its Ethnic Physician’s Leadership Award, recognizing his contributions to improving health care in the Latino community
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Resolution Award for outstanding community efforts
The San Bernardino County Medical Society’s Merlin Hendrickson, M.D. Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Community. Dr. Arteaga was recognized for his efforts to provide health services to Inland Empire children.
Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP), as Riverside and San Bernardino counties’ best health care provider, and for being one of the top enrollers in all of California in the state’s former Healthy Families program
The African American Health Initiative as a model provider in a two-year study of Black health care in San Bernardino County.
Hispanic Lifestyle Magazine, which recognized LaSalle Medical Associates as one of the top 15 Latino-owned businesses in the Inland Empire
“As pediatricians, we strive for 100 percent immunizations of pediatric patients and, while that’s probably a utopian objective, our goal is to get as close as to that 100 percent as we can,’’ says Dr. Albert Arteaga, president and founder of LaSalle Medical Associates, Inc. . “This CDC recognition is the fruit of two to three years of intense labor on part of me and staff.”
Despite all this success, it hasn’t always been an easy path for the Arteagas.
“Life doesn’t always play out as you expect,” Dr. Arteaga said. “That is certainly true in my life as a health care provider. Good intentions require good management. Providing good management has been every bit as challenging as my years in medical school were more than three decades ago!”
One of the biggest changes in health care took place just this year. In 2014, Covered California part of the federal Affordable Health Care Act – which Dr. Arteaga has long been a champion of – came into being.
“Although Covered California does not yet mean everyone has insurance, it does mean that many patients who couldn’t afford health care before now can do so,” Dr. Arteaga said. “Health care is no longer an out-of-reach luxury for those who couldn’t afford insurance, but is a basic right for everyone
Dr. Arteaga has always thought that health care is a basic right, and has operated LaSalle Medical Associates as if that were the case.
Dr. Arteaga targeted his marketing to Latinos and low-income people who were underserved. Providing high quality medical services to underserved populations were crucial to the success of LaSalle Medical Associates. LaSalle Medical Associates later expanded from Fontana to San Bernardino and Hesperia. These communities have many low-income people in need of quality affordable medical services.
He also is Latino, so he easily related to his Latino patients in ways they appreciated. They told friends and family about La Salle Medical Associates, which caused his popularity in the Inland Empire’s Latino culture to swell.
Dr. Arteaga has always believed that his key to business success was finding a way to get paid for their services, instead of telling patients they had to figure that out on their own before seeing him. For most of LaSalle’s history, that business model meant LaSalle employees educated patients about their health care insurance options.
Most patients LaSalle saw over the years qualified for either Medi-Cal or Healthy Families. The latter, which like Medi-Cal was run by the state of California, offered low to moderate-income parents who didn’t qualify for Medi-Cal a subsidy for the health care of their children from birth to age 19.
Things have changed in the last two years. In 2013, California got a head start on the Affordable Care Act; they created Covered California and merged Healthy Families and Medi-Cal together.
In 2014, one of the key Covered California’s requirements is everyone must have health insurance or pay a penalty. This means, many patients applied and signed up for Covered California, Medi-Cal or other insurance first, and then choose or are assigned to LaSalle Medical Associates.
Consequently, rather than informing new patients of their insurance options, LaSalle Medical Associates employees now more likely are helping the patients understand how their health insurance system works.
Dr. Arteaga acknowledges the Covered California has brought changes some people will take a while to get accustomed to. One of these is a concept called managed care.
“The structure of the Covered California means many people, both those who had some other type of insurance and those who were uninsured, are now in managed care for the first time,” he said.
Managed care is called this because it requires a doctor, such as one of the physicians in LaSalle Medical Associates, to coordinate patients’ health care services. These primary care doctors have a general, family or pediatric practice, and will treat patients for many of their symptoms, but will refer the patients to specialists when more expertise is needed.
Managed care has been around since the 1990s, Dr. Arteaga said, but it has become more popular. It’s usually more cost-efficient to have managed care, he explained, people choose to buy managed care for its lower premiums.
Medi-Cal has used managed care for nearly two decades. Meanwhile, LaSalle Medical Associates, since the beginning, has accepted Medi-Cal when many doctors would not, and now has a reputation among those familiar with Medi-Cal for providing quality services, no matter how payment is provided.
Even though there wasn’t “managed care,” as it now known when Dr. Arteaga started his practice, even back then he was in favor of patients developing close relationships with one family doctor.
“Thirty years ago I wanted to see all the patients, and manage their health care. That has not changed, but I have learned that in order to do so, a physician must take a leadership role. Otherwise, many patients will seek or demand services that are redundant or not needed. Our goal is to make people healthier.”
Maria and Dr. Albert Arteaga. The California Medical Association awarded Abert Arteaga the “Ethnic Physician’s Leadership Award,” recognizing his contributions to medical care in the Latino community.
Dr. Arteaga sees the physician as an advocate for the patient, one who will make sure patients get the services they truly need. Sometimes, just as some patients will push for more health care than is necessary, some insurance companies will resist paying for what a doctor recommends, but that is not the intent of managed care.
“I want the patient, the doctor and the insurance company to develop a positive team, Dr. Arteaga said. “There may be opposition, but that should not stop any of us in trying to make quality health care succeed.”
Besides managed care and its great expansion through the Affordable Care Act, another large change in the health care industry over the last three decades has been more careful monitoring of expenses by insurance companies.
Now, it is better for a medical group like LaSalle Medical Associates to band with even more doctors, so they can take advantage of economies of scale, and provide health care more cost-efficiently.
This is why LaSalle Medical Associates formed an Independent Practice Association (IPA) in 1995, and has grown it to the point it now serves more than 600 medical clinics serving more than 170,000 patients each year in nine California counties.
LaSalle oversees administrative functions of all these medical clinics, although they are owned and manage their patients’ health care separately.
Another move to make health care more efficient, in many ways, is one that LaSalle Medical Associates only recently transitioned to. It now is keeping track of patients’ charts with electronic records, ridding itself of the wall full of patients’ medical records that once were a hallmark of many medical clinics.
“Electronic records make it easier to share patients’ records among a team of doctors who treat one patient, which results in better health care” Dr. Arteaga said. “It is also easier to keep patients’ records confidential this way.”
One other significant change over the last 30 years has been that most patients are more involved in their health care now than they were in 1984.
“They ask more questions now. Because of the Internet, and because people talk more about health care with their friends, patients now have more information. Not all of the information out there is correct, so this means a doctor helps the patient sort the good from the bad, and develop a treatment plan that works. This is another reason why the managed care approach is necessary.”
One thing Dr. Arteaga has learned during his three decades of medical practice is that change can be good. In fact, one thing he loves about being the CEO of LaSalle Medical Associates is that he gets to lead other health care professionals through the changes their industry faces.
“I love being collegial, and helping other doctors learn,” he said. “When they resist change, it is going to be more difficult for them. They should not expect to practice medicine as it was done 30 years ago, or even 10 years ago.”
LaSalle’s clinics are located at 17577 Arrow Blvd. in Fontana phone (909) 823-4454, 16455 Main St. in Hesperia phone (760) 947-2161, and 1505 West 17th St. phone (760) 947-2161 and 565 N. Mt. Vernon Ave. phone (909) 884-9091 in San Bernardino.
For more information about LaSalle Medical Associates, call (909) 890-0407 or go on line to LaSalleMedical.com.
About LaSalle Medical Associates
LaSalle Medical Associates, Inc., operates four clinics employing more than 120 dedicated healthcare professionals, treating children, adults, and seniors in San Bernardino County. LaSalle’s patients are primarily served by Medi-Cal and they also accept IEHP, Molina, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Care 1st, and Health Net and Medicare by Easy Choice Health Plan, Molina and Care1st Health Plans.
LaSalle’s clinics are located at 17577 Arrow Blvd. in Fontana phone (909) 823-4454, 16455 Main St. in Hesperia phone (760) 947-2161, and 1505 West 17th St. phone (760) 947-2161 and 565 N. Mt. Vernon Ave. phone (909) 884-9091 in San Bernardino.
LaSalle Medical Associates, Inc., is also an Independent Practice Association (IPA) of independently contracted doctors, hospitals and clinics, delivering high quality patience care with more than 170,000 patient visits per year in Fresno, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Joaquin and Tulare Counties.
LaSalle’s IPA members in the Inland Empire include: LaSalle Medical Associates, Banning Medical Group and San Bernardino Urological Associates. Hospital affiliations include: Rancho Springs Medical Center, Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Community Hospital of San Bernardino, St. Bernadine Medical Center, Mountains Community Hospital, Redland Community Hospital, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Corona Regional Medical Center, Riverside County Medical Center, Parkview Community Hospital, Kaiser Moreno Valley, Kaiser Fontana and Kaiser Riverside.
