WelbeHealth Pasadena Marks 5 Years of Innovative Senior Care With Community Open House

Pasadena PACE provider invites the public to experience their integrated care model firsthand

Published on Tuesday, October 8, 2024 | 5:45 am

WelbeHealth Pasadena, a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) center, is marking its fifth anniversary by hosting a community open house to showcase its innovative approach to senior care. The event aims to educate the public about the PACE model, which has helped local seniors, including those from the Pasadena region’s Latino and Chinese American communities, age in place with dignity since 2019.

“After five successful years of serving seniors in Pasadena, we felt like it was the perfect time to actually extend our event to the broader community, to learn more about the services we provide, and really celebrate the impact we’ve made together,” said Jennifer George, Executive Director of WelbeHealth Pasadena.

The open house is schedule for Wednesday, Oct. 9 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at WelbeHealth Pasadena, located at 50 Alessandro Place, Suite A20.

Those who attend will have access to free health screenings, including blood pressure checks, as well as nutrition tips, fall prevention advice, chair yoga, and other resources for seniors and their families.

Congresswoman Judy Chu is scheduled to come to the  event. She is expected to highlight the growing importance of comprehensive, community-based care for older adults in both local and national healthcare policy discussions. The PACE model’s role in reshaping senior care nationally will be in focus.

WelbeHealth’s PACE model integrates medical, social, and emotional support for seniors, allowing them to avoid unnecessary hospitalizations or transitions to skilled nursing facilities.

The Center operates Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., offering a full suite of services including a medical clinic, rehabilitation gym, recreation space, and a dedicated dementia care area.

“We really want to bring the PACE model to life. We want someone to walk in, be able to experience what it would look and feel like to be a part of the PACE program through our approach with this community health event,” George explained.

She added, “Many of our participants tell us that having access to all of their care in one place has significantly improved their health outcomes and overall wellbeing. We’re really proud of the trust our participants have placed in us and the meaningful relationships we’ve built with them and their families and the community.”

The care team at WelbeHealth includes doctors, therapists, and social workers specializing in senior care. Additional services include transportation, in-home care, prescription management, and care coordination.

For seniors on Medicare and Medi-Cal, WelbeHealth’s PACE program often comes at little to no cost.

This open house represents a rare opportunity for the Pasadena community to engage with an innovative healthcare model designed to help seniors age in place.

Those interested in learning more about WelbeHealth and its services can visit https://welbehealth.com/. To inquire about enrolling in the PACE program, individuals can go to https://welbehealth.com/contact/.

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Matt Patterson, MD: A Physician-Operator on “The Love Economy” and Authentic Leadership

At WelbeHealth, we’re committed to ensuring that every senior receives the compassionate care they deserve.

In a powerful discussion, our President, Dr. Matt Patterson, joins Dr. Reena Pande on her podcast to explore the concept of the “love economy” and how it drives our goal to deliver compassionate and high-quality care to vulnerable seniors daily.

During the conversation, Dr. Patterson reflects on his journey, sharing insights on how leading with love and empathy not only shapes WelbeHealth’s approach to senior care but also transforms the workplace culture. When employees feel seen, heard, and valued, they are inspired to extend that same compassion and dedication to the seniors we serve.

This love-first approach to leadership and care has allowed us to create a holistic, person-centered model that empowers vulnerable seniors to thrive independently. As Dr. Patterson and Dr. Pande highlight, it’s about creating an environment where both employees and participants feel supported, respected, and truly cared for.

Tune in to hear how the “love economy” influences our work at WelbeHealth and helps us build a healthier, more connected community for our seniors.

WelbeHealth Hosts Open House to Celebrate One-Year Anniversary

Health provider helps meet the needs of low-income seniors in the valley | August 21, 2024

WelbeHealth, one of California’s leading health providers for low-income seniors through the Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), invited community members to an open house on Aug. 7 celebrating their one-year anniversary of expanding services to the underserved metro area of North Hollywood. 

Seniors and their families had an opportunity to learn about the comprehensive services available to help seniors age comfortably at home instead of a nursing home. Attendees met the WelbeHealth team, connected with other seniors in the community and toured the facility. 

Dr. Danielle Basurco, associate medical director for WelbeHealth, and WelbeHealth clients presented a brief program, addressing the health provider’s programs and benefits for older adults. Additionally, the open house offered Medi-Cal application assistance, blood pressure screenings, housing education, other valuable resources and raffle prizes. 

The WelbeHealth in North Hollywood center features a cafeteria, spaces for recreational and social activities, common areas with beautiful decor, and traditional medical spaces for primary care services, dental care and physical therapy.

California has the highest number of adults ages 65 and older in the country and has one of the nation’s highest rates of senior poverty. PACE organizations like WelbeHealth play a crucial role in providing comprehensive and affordable programs for older adults with complex health needs who want to age at home at little or no cost to them.

WelbeHealth North Hollywood is located at 11633 Victory Blvd., Suite 100 in North Hollywood

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WelbeHealth Hosts Community Open House in Celebration of its One Year Anniversary Of Meeting the Needs of the Valley’s Most Vulnerable Seniors

WelbeHealth North Hollywood: One Year Anniversary and Community Open House

Explore our Coachella Valley WelbeHealth Center & Meet Some of our First PACE Participants. C/O KESQ

To learn more about our center, visit our location page – Coachella Valley

Mcknights Home Care – PACE expansion bill draws bipartisan support

A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation that would improve care coordination for dual-eligible beneficiaries and expand the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly to a larger share of people.

“This legislation is a start at redesigning our current patchwork approach of delivering long-term services and supports,” Katie Smith Sloan, president and chief executive officer of LeadingAge, said in a statement Thursday. “This is a true win.”

Sens. Bill Cassidy, MD, (R-LA), Tom Carper (D-DE), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mark Warner (D-VA), Tim Scott (R-SC) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) introduced the Delivering United Access to Lifesaving Services (DUALS) Act of 2024 on Thursday. Already, organizations including LeadingAge, the National PACE Association, Welbe Health and more than a dozen others have announced their endorsement for the bill.

The legislation’s primary function would be to require every state to develop a comprehensive, integrated health plan for dual-eligible beneficiaries, according to a summary. The bill also would require every state to allow PACE programs to be established, open up enrollment to any time in a given month, and extend PACE coverage to people under 55 years of age. 

PACE centers serve mostly dual-eligible beneficiaries who qualify for skilled nursing care but are able to remain at home and in their community, a representative for WelbeHealth, a PACE provider, said in a statement to McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse

“The DUALS Act marks a crucial stride forward in expanding access to care coordination for frail dual eligible beneficiaries through an innovative model called PACE,” Amy Shin, WelbeHealth’s chief mission officer, said. “This bill is thoughtful and represents a significant opportunity to enhance access to the gold standard for quality of care for our most frail and vulnerable seniors.”

Dual-eligible individuals, who qualify for Medicare and Medicaid, are responsible for a disproportionate share of government healthcare spending, according to the senators. Innovative, cost-effective care strategies can create payment efficiencies while also producing better patient outcomes, they said.

“Patients dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid have much worse outcomes than other groups even though there is a lot more money spent on their care,” Cassidy said in a statement. “Making Medicare and Medicaid better work together makes patients healthier and saves money.”

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WelbeHealth Opens Bay Area PACE Center

New center extends WelbeHealth’s collaboration with Sutter Health to underserved communities in San Jose and surrounding areas

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

SAN JOSE, California—The physician-led senior health services provider WelbeHealth, in partnership with Northern California-based health care system Sutter Health, announced the opening of a new Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) center in San Jose. The new center will provide essential health care and wrap-around services to diverse low-income older adults. WelbeHealth San Jose is now enrolling new participants, with services set to begin Jan. 1, 2024.

“We are excited to work with our Sutter Health partners to serve the most vulnerable seniors with better quality and compassion in the San Jose area,” said Si France, MD, CEO at WelbeHealth. “Through this expansion, we are ensuring that matriarchs and patriarchs can age in place and thrive in their communities.”

Sutter Health is one of the largest health systems serving Northern California’s Medi-Cal eligible population and has partnered with WelbeHealth to improve healthcare for underserved seniors.

“WelbeHealth provides nursing-home eligible seniors with the wrap-around services they need to remain safely at home in our communities,” said Kevin Cook, Greater Silicon Valley Market President at Sutter Health. “San Jose is home to a rapidly growing aging population that will benefit from greater access to PACE.”

More than 4,000 PACE-eligible seniors reside within 15 miles of the San Jose location, and the population of these seniors is anticipated to increase. The California Department of Aging forecasts that Santa Clara County’s senior population will surge by more than 200% by 2060, while Alameda County’s senior population is expected to increase by 150% by the same year.

“Many seniors in San Jose have been left out of the region’s broader economic growth,” said Vaneesh Soni, MD, Chief Growth Officer at WelbeHealth. “It’s difficult for low-income older adults to make ends meet and get the care they need amidst high rent, home care labor shortages and stretched family caregivers. WelbeHealth and Sutter Health are committed to delivering the PACE model, ensuring vulnerable seniors are not left behind.”

PACE is a proven, high-quality, cost-effective solution to address the care gaps left by the underfunded and patchwork system for long-term care in San Jose and across the United States by delivering comprehensive health and supportive services for seniors. The price for long-term care is expected to reach half a trillion dollars a year by 2030, yet the current infrastructure cannot support this growth and the United States lags behind most other wealthy countries in long-term care investment. PACE is one obvious solution because it delivers better health outcomes at a lower cost.

WelbeHealth is committed to addressing the long-term healthcare crisis for low-income seniors through PACE expansion. In addition to San Jose, WelbeHealth operates programs across California, including Modesto, Stockton, Fresno, Pasadena, Long Beach, North Hollywood and Rosemead. All locations deliver fully integrated care, allowing frail seniors to age in place with the support of interdisciplinary teams, including doctors and nurses, physical therapists, homecare aides and social workers. Wrap-around support like meals, social activities and transportation address social determinants of health.

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