WHO WHY WHAT FOCUS STORIES BLOG INVEST CONTACT Bringing Health Care Into The Community Many roadblocks keep patients from getting health care. Maybe a facility does not take a patient’s insurance. Perhaps the patient does not have transportation to get to and from the health clinic. A majority of providers only open from 9 to 5, during peak work hours for many. Northern California’s OLE Health recognizes these obstacles within its community. So in order to ensure equitable access to quality care to residents across Napa and Solano counties, the staff venture outside of OLE’s health clinics and into the region — into vineyards, homeless shelters, parks, and community centers — to help patients get the care they need. That dedication to patient care is what caught the attention of Capital Impact. In fact, when OLE Health expanded from Napa to Solano County — a region with different needs and new demographics — Capital Impact supported that expansion with $1 million in financing from its California Primary Care Association Ventures loan program. This new location allows OLE to continue to fulfill its mission of meeting patients where they are. This series of photographs tells the stories of several doctors and patients whose lives are positively impacted by the vital services OLE provides through its innovative approach. We invite you to click the circles below each set of pictures to view the entire series. ENSURING EQUITABLE ACCESS THROUGH ON-SITE HEALTH FAIRS About 15 years ago, the OLE team noticed that Napa’s farmworkers — the 6,000 or so workers who produce the region’s famous wines — were not getting the care they needed. Since many workers send money to their families in Mexico, they did not want to miss a day’s worth of wages, so they often skipped valuable preventative care appointments. As a result, many waited until they were extremely ill before finally seeing a doctor. Some seasonal workers didn’t know their options for health care as immigrants, so they put off seeing a doctor until they went back to Mexico, often spending months in pain. PROVIDING HOUSING AND HEALTHCARE FOR VINEYARD WORKERS Angel Calderon, a former farmworker, was out walking around Napa with his family a few years ago when he noticed a group of men walking toward a bridge. When he followed them, he discovered that the men — all farmworkers for nearby wineries — were homeless and lived under that bridge surrounded by waste. Many farmworkers don’t have a place to call home due to the region’s high rents and lack of affordable housing. Horrified, Calderon began working with vintners to create housing for the region’s seasonal workers. DELIVERING QUALITY CARE FOR NAPA’S HOMELESS RESIDENTS While OLE started as a resource for farmworkers, in the 1980s it expanded to help all of Napa’s vulnerable populations, a practice it still continues. Every Tuesday a team of three providers from OLE Heath — a doctor, behavioral health specialist, and physician’s assistant — finishes their day and heads to South Napa Shelter for their second shift. It’s one of two Napa homeless shelters in which OLE has a permanent space, and its services are in high demand, with a constant line of patients eagerly awaiting care. CREATING A MEDICAL SAFETY NET FOR FOSTER YOUTH A few miles away from the South Napa Homeless Shelter, Dr. Lynette Leighton, a family medicine physician at OLE, prepares to see patients at VOICES. The downtown Napa community center helps young adults transitioning out of the foster care system. At the center, 16- to 24-year-olds can participate in a variety of programs to help them learn skills, ranging from housing readiness to college preparation. They also receive the health care they need from OLE, which partnered with VOICES in 2008. LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR WORK Health Care For San Francisco’s Vulnerable Residents See The Impact Create Health Care Impact with Us See our Strategy Interested in Community Health Center Financing? See Our Options ORGANIZATION Events Meet The Team News Partners, Funders, and Investors Press Publications Stories LEGAL Nondiscrimination Notice Privacy Policy Terms of Service HELP Careers Contact SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER © Copyright 1982 - 2021. All Rights Reserved.