Encounters: Spring 2010 | Venice Family Clinic

The semi-annual newsletter of

Spring 2010

Encounters

N t h e n a ot e : m e of t site in Mar Vis he new ta ch followin g publi anged catio It is no w know n. as the Ir ma C n olen Health Center.

Location, Location, Location Venice Family Clinic opens a new site, the Colen Family Health Center, in Mar Vista. Story on page 2.

Address service requested

www.venicefamilyclinic.org PHONE 310.664.7910 • FAX 310.396.8279

604 Rose Avenue • Venice, CA 90291

Mercury Mailing Systems Inc. PAID

Non-Profit Org. US Postage

Location, Location, Location Venice Family Clinic Opens a New Site, the Colen Family Health Center, in Mar Vista At first glance, you would never suspect all that Joahnna Ramirez, 18, has endured. As she leaves the coordinator’s station at Venice Family Clinic’s new Colen Family Health Center, in Mar Vista, she moves slowly and with the help of a walker, but seems only to favor her left foot, which is bandaged as if she sprained her ankle playing basketball.

About three months ago, however, she was a passenger in a car on the 405 freeway that flipped over, rolled seven times, and came to rest on top of her. She suffered damage to her lungs, her liver, her spleen, and the nerves running down her legs. Both of her pelvic bones were broken, and she had a severed urethra.

“They had to open me up,” Joahnna says, using her finger to draw a vertical line about six inches long simulating the incision surgeons made in her abdomen to remove her spleen. “I have two more on my back, where they put screws in my spine.”

The accident left her in a wheelchair, and doctors warned that she might never walk again. Still, here she is, walking. And smiling. She smiles at everyone.

“She’s doing really well,” says Dr. Anne Arikian, her Venice Family Clinic physician. “Fortunately, she’s very young. But she also has a great attitude. She doesn’t feel sorry for herself.”

Dr. Arikian has known Joahnna since 2005, when Venice Family Clinic opened a site inside the nearby Mar Vista Gardens public housing development, where Joahnna’s family lives. That site was much too small to meet the needs of the surrounding community, so the Clinic recently signed a lease on a 3,400-squarefoot space one block away, just outside the housing development.

The Colen Family Health Center—named in honor of Lou and Irma Colen and their family, whose $1 million gift made the new site possible—opened Joahnna sees numerous specialists, including an orthopedist, a neurologist, a urologist, a dermatologist, and a physical therapist. Coordinators at the Colen Family Health Center case manage all of that for her. Photo: Margaret Molloy

March 1, 2010. Its seven exam rooms and one counseling room will accommodate approximately 4,000 patients and 15,000 visits per year—triple the capacity of the previous site.

On this particular day, in mid-April, most of the patients are pregnant women and families with young children. Few need the kind of intensive case management that Joahnna requires.

“She sees a variety of specialists at UCLA—an orthopedist, a neurologist, a urologist, and a physical therapist—as well as a dermatologist in West Los Angeles, and we case manage all of that for her,” Dr. Arikian explains, noting that Joahnna has CCS, a public insurance program for children with disabilities.

“Plus, we’re trying to get her a wheelchair and physical therapy at home. Most patients, even those with private insurance, don’t have the medical knowledge or the time to succeed at this. It takes hours.”

Joahnna Ramirez, 18, seen here with her father, Melvin, visits Venice Family Clinic’s new Colen Family Health Center, in Mar Vista, about once a week in her quest to recover from a car accident more three months ago. The new site triples Venice Family Clinic’s capacity in the neighborhood, which is home to the largest concentration of low-income families on the Westside. Photo: Margaret Molloy 2

Joahnna’s many medical needs are discernible in her scars. Besides those from her surgeries, she has fierce gouges on her left hand, left arm, right leg, and right shoulder, as well as on the right side of her face—three parallel lines running from her temple to her jaw.

And she has emotional scars. The accident occurred just months after she graduated from high school; she had planned on going to Santa Monica College to study art.

“I felt like everybody else’s lives kept going, but mine stopped,” she says. “For a month, I was just lying in bed in the hospital. I got so depressed.”

So Joahnna also meets with Steve Artiga, one of Venice Family Clinic’s licensed clinical social workers, who visits the Colen Family Health Center on Thursdays.

More than a dozen staff members share time at the Colen Family Health Center. Shown here are (left to right, top to bottom) Mary Smith, NP, Susana Martinez, Lara Stewart, DO, Alma Medrano, Patty Argueta, Anne Arikian, MD, Maria Reynoso, Yolanda Reyes, Oralia Palma, and Jackie Montes. Photo: Margaret Molloy

“It makes me feel much better, having him to talk to,” she says. “I’m much less depressed.”

The Clinic’s staff dental team stops by once a week.

So does Dr. Victor Perez, a pediatrician specializing in school function. Volunteers from Sathya Sai Baba Group run a Saturday clinic providing primary care and dentistry, with orthopedics soon to follow. And a new three-year pilot project, funded by the OneWest Foundation and the UCLA Health System, will enable qualified uninsured patients to access specialty care and hospitalization at UCLA.

While most other patients’ needs might be quite different from Joanna’s, they are no less important.

Pregnant women visit for prenatal care; kids for immunizations and physicals; adults with chronic diseases to keep their conditions under control.

Hence, the comprehensiveness of care offered at the Colen Family Health Center is similar to that at other Venice Family Clinic sites.

One of the staff members asks her when that might happen. Joahnna has only been walking for the past week, but she doesn’t hesitate to answer.

“Any day now.”

But clearly one of the most important features of the Colen Family Health Center is its location.

Mar Vista is home to the largest concentration of low-income families on the Westside, many of whom work long days made even longer by lengthy commutes.

Even before the Colen Family Health Center opened, residents of Mar Vista and surrounding Palms and Culver City made up more than a third of Venice Family Clinic’s patient population. The vast majority got their care at one of the Clinic’s sites in Venice or Santa Monica.

The Colen Family Health Center, at the intersection of Braddock Drive and Inglewood Boulevard, is a short drive for most in the neighborhood and walking distance for many. It is also just steps from partner agencies providing additional family services.

Just like other Venice Family Clinic sites, the Colen Family Health Center features a wide range of care, from primary care to dental care to mental health services, with more services coming soon. In addition, it is bright and cheerful, with artwork lining the common areas. Photo: Margaret Molloy

The proximity of the Colen Family Health Center means a lot to all of its patients, but perhaps none more than Joahnna, who visits about once a week. Her father, Melvin, drove her to this particular appointment, but she looks forward to eventually making the trip on her own. Walking that one city block will be a major milestone in her recovery.

Though her father drove her to this visit, Joahnna looks forward to being well enough one day to make it on her own to the Colen Family Health Center. Walking that one city block will be a major milestone in her recovery. Photo: Margaret Molloy 3

Tickets Tickets and merchandise may be purchased online at www.veniceartwalk.info or by phone at 310.392.9255.

One Great Cause—One Great Weekend of Art! This is no ordinary art event! The Venice Art Walk & Auctions is a fundraiser for Venice Family Clinic, the largest free clinic in the country, and each ticket you purchase helps provide a medical visit for an uninsured person in need.

(Purchases of art and tickets to Art & Architecture Tours go even further!) So bring a friend. Or two. Or ten. After all, taking care of the uninsured is good for everyone.

Art & Architecture Tour: Rustic Canyon: The Sequel, Saturday, May 22 Picking up where last year’s historic walking tour left off, Leo Marmol, FAIA, takes visitors deeper into this architecturally bountiful neighborhood, stopping to tour a fresh collection of homes representing the old and the new. $175 per person, benefits Venice Family Clinic, includes lunch and reception

Art & Architecture Tour: Architects’ Homes in Venice and Santa Monica, Saturday, May 22 Explore homes that architects and designers built for themselves in this self-guided walking tour along the border of Venice and Santa Monica. $100 per person, benefits Venice Family Clinic, includes reception

Life and Style on Venice’s Walk Streets and Canals, Sunday, May 23 You can’t get more Venetian than this self-guided walking tour of homes on Venice’s charming walk streets and serene canals. $100 per person, benefits Venice Family Clinic, includes Venice Art Walk & Auctions ticket

Venice Art Walk & Auctions, Sunday, May 23 The Los Angeles Times calls it “the granddaddy of them all.” For this one special day, more than 50 Venice artists open their studios or create special exhibits in equally special spaces around town. Back at the school, the silent art auction collects works by 400 Southern California artists under one roof. Great Westside restaurants serve up the nourishment you’ll need to see it all, and there’s even free parking and shuttle buses. $50 per person, benefits Venice Family Clinic

It’s the Year of the Cat (or Dog, if You Prefer)—Win a Gwynn Murrill Sculpture!

Take a chance on art! Artist Gwynn Murrill, a longtime Venice Art Walk & Auctions supporter, is donating one of her stunning bronze maquettes for this year’s art drawing. The lucky art raffle winner will have their choice of a Gwynn Murrill cat or dog. Winner to be drawn at the Sunday, May 23, Venice Art Walk & Auctions on the main stage at 5:45 pm. Winner not required to attend. $20 per chance, tickets available at the event or by calling 310.392.9255 Photo: Brian Forrest Art donation courtesy of Gwynn Murrill with the support of L.A. Louver Gallery

Visit www.veniceartwalk.info for event hours; photos and descriptions of homes on the Art & Architecture Tours; lists of participating artists in the Artists’ Studio Tours/Special Exhibits and Silent Art Auction; information about free parking lots and public transportation; and to fill out a volunteer application.

4

Major Sponsors

In-Kind Sponsors

Media Sponsors

Major Gifts November 7, 2009, to April 23, 2010 $100,000 + Gerrie Smith & Dr. Neal Baer Cedars-Sinai Medical Center The William H. Hannon Foundation Kathleen Hannon Aikenhead, President The Atlas Family Foundation Lezlie & Richard Atlas Judy & Bernard Briskin The Fineshriber Family Foundation Gumpert Foundation The Hearst Foundations George Hoag Family Foundation Kaiser Permanente of Southern California The Barry and Wendy Meyer Foundation Estate of Harvey Newman The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation The Resnick Family Foundation Lynda & Stewart Resnick The Simms/Mann Family Foundation Dr. Victoria & Ronald Simms The Skirball Foundation Weingart Foundation Anonymous (2) $50,000 to $99,999 The Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Inc. Baxter International Foundation The Bravewell Collaborative Louis Colen The Carl & Roberta Deutsch Foundation NBC Universal Frederick R. Weisman Philanthropic & Art Foundation Billie Milam Weisman $25,000 to $49,999 Dr. Mayer B. Davidson & Roseann Herman, Esq. The Dharma Grace Foundation Chuck Lorre Christine & Dr. Chester F. Griffiths The Mark Hughes Foundation Susanne & Paul Kester Susan G. Komen for the Cure Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation Gail Margolis, Esq. The Sommer-Childress Family State of California Attorney General The Vollmer Family Foundation Witherbee Foundation $10,000 to $24,999 The Apatow Family Foundation, Inc. Judd Apatow Kathy K. & Matthew Scott Barrett The Cecile & Fred Bartman Foundation Cecile Bartman

The David Bohnett Foundation The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation Roy E. Crummer Foundation The Max Factor Family Foundation Gerald J. Factor Max Factor Robert L. Feldman Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation Patricia & William Flumenbaum The David Geffen Foundation Tatiana & Todd James Deborah Laub Constance Lawton & James Yoder Tracey Loeb & Kent Beyer The Harold McAlister Charitable Foundation L&S Milken Family Foundation Lowell Milken Rebecca Pollack Parker & Hutch Parker David & Judy Shore Foundation Judith & David Shore Lon V. Smith Foundation Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. R. K. Squire Company Harriet & Richard Squire United Way of Greater Los Angeles University of California San Francisco Center for the Health Professions Magda & Frederick Waingrow Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Gail & Irving Weintraub John & Marilyn Wells Family Foundation Ruth Ziegler Ziering Family Foundation Marilyn Ziering Diane & Michael L. Ziering Anonymous (4) Permanent Endowments Judy & Bernard Briskin Women’s Health Endowment Irma and Lou Colen Physician Endowment Mose and Sylvia Firestone Social Work Endowment Karsten Family Domestic Violence Endowment Sadie and Norman Lee Teen Clinic Physician Endowment Milken Family Physician Endowment Jack H. Skirball Medical Director Endowment Gail and Irv Weintraub Endowment Frederick R. Weisman Psychosocial Services Endowment Every donor is important to us.

If your name is not listed within the appropriate category or is listed improperly, please accept our apologies and notify us at 310.664.7932 so the correction can be made.

Lou Colen, Dr. Neal Baer, and Gerrie Smith Honored at Silver Circle 2010 On Monday, February 1, Venice Family Clinic hosted its 28th annual gala to thank members of Silver Circle, the Clinic’s premier giving group, for their generous support, as well as to pay tribute to three individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to furthering the Clinic’s mission.

Lou Colen was honored with the 2010 Humanitarian Award. It is estimated that he and his late wife, Irma, for whom the Leadership Award is named, raised $30 million for Venice Family Clinic between 1979 and 2006. Most recently, Lou made a $1,000,000 gift to name Venice Family Clinic's new site in Mar Vista, the Colen Family Health Center. (See article on page 2.)

The husband-and-wife team of Dr. Neal Baer and Gerrie Smith received the 2010 Irma Colen Leadership Award.

Dr. Baer is best known as Executive Producer of the hit NBC series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, whose Lou Colen (right) was honored with the 2010 Humanitarian Award at the Silver Circle gala on February 1. Former State Senator Alan Sieroty presented the award. Photo: Margaret Molloy

storylines have raised national awareness of a multitude of medical issues, including the plight of the uninsured. Gerrie has spent years working at the individual and community levels, improving education, housing, and food security in Africa.

Mariska Hargitay, who plays Detective Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, emceed the evening, which also featured appearances by her co-star, Ice-T, and Dr. Baer’s cousin, singer-songwriter Jill Sobule.

For the fourth consecutive year, Silver Circle members collectively contributed more than $1 million. Net proceeds totaled more than $900,000.

Gerrie Smith (left) and Dr. Neal Baer received the 2010 Irma Colen Leadership Award. Mariska Hargitay, who plays Detective Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, emceed the evening. Photo: Margaret Molloy

Co-Chairs Harley Liker, MD Julie Liker

Our Condolences to the Families and Friends of Our Departed Supporters Ernest Auerbach, Gene Barry, Harriet Benjamin, Robert Berke, Roy E. Disney, Donald A. Franklin, MD, Frederick Hacker, Harriet Hacker, Walter Kaplan, Dr. Robert J. Kositchek, Simha Lainer, Richard Lauter, Myron "Mike" Levi, Dr. Leon Lipkis, Reverend Gordon Mackensen, Hugh Manes, Oslinda Mascarenhas, Jim McCoy, Marvin Minoff, Vivian Monroe, Hoyt S. Pardee, Irving Parker, Mimi Perloff, Edward Sanders, Jerry Spector, Judith Stark, Jerry Sudarsky, Judge Julius Title, Betty Umansky, Nancy Wang, MD, Libby Weselman, Janet Witkin, Boris Allan "Bud" Yorkshire 5

One Thing to Remember From the CEO Dear friends, In many ways, this newsletter is unique among all those that Venice Family Clinic has ever produced. It’s not that its content has changed dramatically; its context has.

Because health care reform is now federal law.

This is easily the single most important development to Venice Family Clinic in its 40-year history. It means that, in time, thousands of the Clinic’s patients will obtain health coverage, along with the peace of mind that goes with it.

But we must keep in mind that 2014—when many of the most important provisions take effect—is still four years away. And much of the eventual success of the law, not to mention public health, depends on our collective ability to meet the health care needs of the uninsured in the meantime.

So if you remember nothing else from this issue of Encounters, please let it be that Venice Family Clinic still very much needs your help. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to help—by volunteering, by asking one of your friends who has relevant professional experience to volunteer, by mentioning the Clinic to your friends or on your Facebook page, or, in just a matter of days, by attending the Venice Art Walk & Auctions.

Venice Family Clinic will make sure it offers you plenty of opportunities to plug into this very exciting chapter in the history of the health care reform movement. Hopefully you will find a few occasions to accept.

Since the federal health care reform statute, known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, was signed into law, many of Venice Family Clinic’s supporters have been eagerly awaiting details of how it will affect the Clinic and its patients. While some of those details will only be known in time, several are immediately apparent. Following are a few of the most important.

Many of Venice Family Clinic’s patients will obtain health coverage.

It is estimated that one-third to one-half of the Clinic’s uninsured patients will be covered by the provision expanding Medicaid, which is known as Medi-Cal in California. In addition, many patients whose incomes exceed Medi-Cal eligibility limits hopefully will succeed in purchasing federally subsidized health coverage through the new private insurance exchanges. Both of these provisions take effect in 2014; in the meantime, some low-income patients with preexisting conditions will qualify for new high-risk insurance pools.

After obtaining insurance, many current patients will continue to visit Venice Family Clinic.

Many, if not nearly all, current patients will continue to visit Venice Family Clinic after they obtain health coverage because 1) it is the medical home they know and trust, 2) it has the expertise to treat and manage conditions common to low-income populations, 3) it is close to where they live and/or work, 4) there is a shortage of primary care providers nationwide, including in L.A. County, and 5) only a small fraction of primary care providers on the Westside of L.A. County accept Medi-Cal. New patients will seek out Venice Family Clinic.

Currently, there are thousands of people in Los Angeles County who, because they are uninsured, avoid all but the most urgent interactions with the health care system. Many of these who succeed in acquiring health coverage will eventually seek a primary care provider and, for some of the same reasons as existing patients, choose Venice Family Clinic.

Thank you for your support,

The meantime is a long time.

As mentioned earlier, several of the most important provisions of the reform law will not take effect until 2014. Meanwhile, people will continue to get sick and injured, women will become pregnant, children will need physicals and immunizations for school, etc. It is all-important that support for organizations on the front lines of the health care crisis, such as Venice Family Clinic, remains as strong as ever.

Elizabeth Benson Forer, MSW/MPH Chief Executive Officer

The law will not provide universal coverage.

Even once all the provisions of the reform law are implemented, some 16 million Americans will remain uninsured. In addition, members of some populations that would ostensibly qualify for coverage—such as the mentally ill and the homeless—will inevitably fall through the cracks and require the help of a provider, like Venice Family Clinic, that will treat them regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.

Liz Forer joined Venice Family Clinic in 1994. Under her leadership, the Clinic‘s annual operating budget has increased from $5 million to $20 million and six locations have been added. The newest location is the Colen Family Health Center, in Mar Vista. In 2009 fiscal year, Venice Family Clinic—the largest free clinic in the country—provided 80,480 primary care, 8,074 specialty care, 8,748 mental health, 2,141 dental, and 4,074 health education visits to 24,424 low-income and uninsured patients.

6

What Does the Health Care Reform Law Mean for Venice Family Clinic and Its Patients?

Something very special is within reach.

Currently, there are more low-income and uninsured people on the Westside of L.A. County than Venice Family Clinic has the financial capacity to reach. The federal health care reform law, in combination with sustained private support, offers hope that Venice Family Clinic can actually, finally, reach all of those in need in its community.

Providing free, quality health care to people in need BOARD OF DIRECTORS Officers Jimmy H. Hara, MD, Chair Brian D. Kan, MD, Chair-Elect Ashley Johnson, Secretary Jeffrey E. Sinaiko, Treasurer

Photos: Margaret Molloy

Recent Honors and Awards Theresa Brehove, MD, Director of Homeless Services at Venice Family Clinic, was selected as a Local Hero by the Health Care for the Homeless Clinicians’ Network for her contributions to improving the health and quality of life of homeless people. In addition to her 13+ years of providing care directly to and advocating on behalf of the homeless, Dr. Brehove recently successfully led efforts to launch an innovative new respite care program for homeless people in need of recuperative care following discharge from local hospitals and emergency rooms. She will receive the award at the National Health Care for the Homeless Conference & Policy Symposium, in San Francisco, June 3.

Venice Family Clinic Co-Founder Mayer B. Davidson, MD, was the recipient of the Jefferson Award for community service from local television station ABC7, for the month of January. Founded in 1972 by Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis, the Jefferson Awards honor those who have given back to their communities. Dr. Davidson, an endocrinologist, was chosen not just for co-founding Venice Family Clinic but also for his ongoing volunteerism with the Clinic over the last 40 years. The prestigious award included a story about Dr. Davidson on ABC7’s Eyewitness News, which you can view on the Clinic’s Facebook page.

Thelma Enriquez, a Venice Family Clinic Community Health Representative, was honored by La Opinión during its annual Mujeres Destacada/Distinguished Women award and editorial series, in March. Thelma received this distinguished award for her work in the homeless community in Venice and Santa Monica. Through the Clinic’s Street Medicine program, she performs outreach to homeless individuals and collaborates with physicians, social workers, and case managers to create personalized plans for patients. She was one of 30 Latina women to receive the award for contributions to the advancement of the health of the Latino community.

Elizabeth Benson Forer, MSW/MPH, CEO and Executive Director of Venice Family Clinic, was inducted into the Columbia University School of Social Work’s Alumni Hall of Fame for her contributions to the theory and/or practice of social work and adding distinction to the social work profession. Since Liz joined Venice Family Clinic, in 1994, the Clinic has more than doubled its capacity. In 2009, it provided free, quality health care to more than 24,400 patients in over 103,000 visits, including nearly 9,000 mental health visits. She was one of three alumni to receive the award this year. The induction ceremony was held April 23 in New York City.

Members Susan Adelman Carol L. Archie, MD Neal Axelrod Neal Baer, MD Rick Bradley Lowell C. Brown, Esq. Mayer B. Davidson, MD Aime Espinosa Mose J. Firestone, PhD, LCSW Susan Fleischman, MD William Flumenbaum Chester F. Griffiths, MD, FACS Joanne Jubelier, PhD Deborah Laub Constance Lawton Lou Lazatin Harley Liker, MD, MBA Tracey Loeb Gail Margolis, Esq. Frank Matricardi, Dr PH Viren Mehta Wendy Smith Meyer, PhD, LCSW William D. Parente Hutch Parker Neil H. Parker, MD Bill Resnick, MD, MBA David Rubenson Paul Saben Fern Seizer Alan Sieroty Marsha Temple, Esq. Bruce Tower Russel Tyner, AIA Michael S. Wilkes, MD, PhD Leisa Wu C. Victor Wylie, MD Board Emeritus Ruth Bloom Daniel Hillman, MD Karl A. Keener, Esq. Ruth Moss

PHILANTHROPY BOARD Kathleen Aikenhead Lou Colen Marjorie Fasman Ruth Flinkman Hilary & Robert Nelson Jacobs Glorya Kaufman Susanne & Paul Kester Shawn & Larry King Deborah Laub Susan Adelman & Claudio Llanos Chuck Lorre Laurie MacDonald Denise Richards Anita May Rosenstein Charlie Sheen Victoria & Ronald Simms Harriet & Richard Squire Eva Vollmer Billie Milam Weisman Sylvia Weisz Ruth Ziegler Marilyn Ziering

Diane & Michael Ziering Janet & Jerry Zucker

ADVISORY BOARD Martin Anderson, MD, MPH Gregory G. Baker Bernard Briskin Saul L. Brown, MD David Buell Henry G. Cisneros Lou Colen Hon. Kathleen Connell Dave Daniels Lucia Diaz Laddie John Dill Raymond Eden Leah Ellenberg, PhD Suzanne Futterman Luis Galvez Lila Garrett Naomi Goldman Allan Gordon Karen Gunn, PhD Daniel Helberg Roseann Herman, Esq. Marilyn Hersh Elaine Hoffman Douglas I. Jeffe Dan Keatinge, MD Diedre Kelly-Gordon Barbara A. Levey, MD, FACP Remy Levy Julie Liker Connie Linn Al Markovitz, MD, FACP Michael McClain Kelly Chapman Meyer Robert Moverley Charlotte Neumann, MD, MPH Regina Pally, MD Kenneth Ramberg Helen Reid, LCSW Joyce Rey Andrea Rich, PhD Brian K. Rosenstein Monica Salinas, PhD Miguel Sandoval Jeffrey A. Seymour Arthur Stickgold Kate Summers Rebecca Tafoya, CSAC Jill E. Thomas Matthew A. Toledo Carl Weissburg, Esq. Joseph K. Wright, Esq.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Elizabeth Benson Forer, MSW/MPH 310.664.7901

MEDICAL DIRECTOR Karen Lamp, MD 310.664.7648

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Tim Smith 310.664.7910

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Courtney Gero 310.664.7918 7

Connect with Venice Family Clinic Online Explore More of the Venice Art Walk & Auctions The Venice Art Walk & Auctions has its own web site, which expands on the information on page 4 of this issue of Encounters and includes: • • • • •

photos of each of the homes on the Art & Architecture Tours, names of the 50+ artists in the Artists’ Studio Tours and Special Exhibits, as well as the 400+ artists in the Silent Art Auction, a blog featuring artist profiles, previews of works in the Silent Art Auction, and other web exclusives, a downloadable volunteer application, and fast and easy ticket ordering.

Just visit www.veniceartwalk.info. Also, feel free to post this web site address to your Facebook page.

Learn More about Planned Giving Planned giving is just like it sounds—giving with a plan. The most common form involves simply naming the Clinic in your will or living trust, but there are other giving options that can: • • • •

reduce your taxable income, create options for distributing your estate to heirs, help you avoid capital gains on appreciated assets, and provide you with ongoing income in retirement.

To learn more about planned giving opportunities at Venice Family Clinic, visit www.venicefamilyclinic.org, click the “Donors” link in the top navigation, then scroll down to “Planned Gifts and Bequests.”

Find Us on Facebook There’s a quick and easy way to stay in touch with Venice Family Clinic wherever you go. Become a Fan of the Clinic on Facebook and you can: • receive event updates, advocacy action alerts, and links to relevant news stories in your feed, • continue to receive news from Venice Family Clinic even if your e-mail address changes, and • promote the Clinic to your friends with utmost ease.

To become a Fan, just log in at www.facebook.com, enter “Venice Family Clinic” in the search field, find the Clinic’s page, and click the “Like” link next to the Clinic’s name.

That’s all it takes. Then you can even invite your friends to become Fans, too.

Sign Up for Short Story, Venice Family Clinic’s E-Newsletter If you enjoyed the cover story in this newsletter, you might also enjoy Short Story, Venice Family Clinic’s periodic e-newsletter. To sign up, just visit www.venicefamilyclinic.org and click the “Add to mailing list” link in the top right corner.

8

Read the 2009 Annual Report As Venice Family Clinic celebrates its 40th anniversary, now is the perfect time to reiterate its reasons for being. To download the 2009 annual report, Why We’re Here, visit www.venicefamilyclinic.org, click on “About” in the top navigation, then scroll down to “Publications.”

Printed on 15% recycled, FSC-Certified paper