Our Laguna: Few have answered hospital’s call for input

It seems that most folks are not interested in Mission Hospital’s efforts to engage the community in a dialogue to help determine and prioritize citywide health and quality-of-life needs in town.

Fewer than 15 community members attended the Laguna Beach Community Benefit Plan meeting Feb. 18 at Mission Hospital Laguna Beach.

“The entire community was not well represented,” said former Mayor Ann Christoph, who attended on behalf of herself and the South Laguna Civic Assn.

Christoph is among a handful of residents who have been regulars at the Community Needs Assessment Process meetings, as well as the Neighborhood Forums.

The forums are an opportunity for the community at large to hear about in-hospital programs and updates and to ask questions of hospital officials — rarely, if ever, better attended than the Feb. 18 meeting.

Only six people showed up for the neighbor forum two days earlier.

If the elimination of programs such as cardiac rehab upset you, or you just see room for improvement, these forums are the place to make your feelings known.

The next one is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. March 16 in the hospital Community Room.

The paucity of residents and/or representatives of organizations at the Needs Assessment meeting was a disappointment.

“The hospital has reached out and they get only a handful to come,” said school board member Betsy Jenkins. “What else can it do?”

The meting was held to identify issues that merit consideration by the hospital for community programs

Attendees were asked to take home the list of some 15 issues and cull their top three priorities for discussion at a meeting set for the following Thursday.

Those recommendations will be run past the hospital’s Advisory Council, which will not be open to the public, but will be included in the package presented to the Community Benefit Committee. The committee is scheduled to make the final selection March 16.

“It would have been nicer to have engaged more stakeholders, but we need to move forward,” said Michael Beck, head administrator of the Laguna Beach campus.

Among the items on the list considered at the Feb. 18 meeting:

 Seniors’ issues including isolation, high blood pressure, transportation to appointments and other functions;

 Skin cancer;

 General population issues such as diabetes management, quitting smoking;

 Homeless and low income priorities of affordable housing, access to low-cost or free medical and dental care, and limitations on social or recreational activities.

Items related to both the homeless and they city’s youth included mental health (specifically depression), and alcohol and substance abuse.

At the request of Jenkins and seconded by other attendees, stress was included as a factor in depression.

Laguna Beach Community Clinic physician Korey Jorgeson asked to have included his concerns that the telephone survey of residents did not accurately portray the needs of the patients he sees. The survey indicated that the majority of residents, on which the needs are based, are insured.

No doubt true, but there are a large number of under- or non-insured residents who were underrepresented in the survey, Jorgeson opined.

“They don’t have listed telephone numbers,” Jorgeson said. “And there is a high unmet need for prenatal and delivery care.”

He also asked to have HIV and sex education and HIV/AIDS treatments added to the list.

Jorgeson made his requests when the attendees at each table were asked to review the list distilled from comments made at the Assessment Forums, held Feb. 3 in the City Council Chambers and Feb. 4 at the hospital, and suggest additions.

Eric Jessen, who sat the same table, declined to make comments because he is on the Advisory Council.

Affordable housing was mentioned at all four participants’ tables.

Dawn Price, executive director of Friendship Shelter, said she was the only one of four staff members who lives in town — due to the cost of housing.

And it’s no secret that many firefighters and police officers live out of town.

Price also wants assurances that something more tangible than educational programs will be offered.

George Avila, Mission’s Healthy Communities manager in charge of the needs assessment process, interpreted “tangible” to mean measurable outcomes.

A strategic plan will be developed from one or two programs selected and the hospital hopes to engage all sectors of the city in the planning sessions in April and June so that a long-term collaborative effort can be established to accomplish the goals.

Good luck with that.

Coming up Daisy

Jack Major’s 2009 film on Laguna’s Daisy Mae Messer wowed the judges at the Santa Barbara Film Festival.

The documentary filmed by the 2008 Laguna Beach High School graduate was promoted from the student category to the professional category by the judges, said his proud mom, Beth Major, a familiar face behind the cosmetics and perfume counter at Bushard’s Pharmacy.

“I was just thrilled by the response to his film,” she said.

The film was shown twice at the festival. Beth and Mark, his dad, were there for both.

Jack Major, in his second year at the Brooks Film Institute in Ventura, was inspired to produce the documentary by challenges that Messer, who uses a wheelchair, has faced with optimism and overcome in her life. She is a well-known figure on the streets of Laguna.

The film is scheduled to be screened next month at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival.

OUR LAGUNA is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot. Contributions are welcomed. Write to Barbara Diamond, P.O. Box 248, Laguna Beach, 92652; call (949) 380-4321 or e-mail coastlinepilot@latimes.com