Privatization Plan Threatens Health for Elderly Armenians

The Glendale Health Center (GHC) is one of LA County’s most successful primary care clinics, with over 3,500 patients and 11,000 patient visits each year. The vast majority of these patients are uninsured and medically-underserved Armenian and Spanish-speaking elderly.

A proposal to hand over the Center to a private agency is currently being considered by the LA County Board of Supervisors. Such a privatization threatens to drive up costs and leave many of the patients without the adequate, affordable care they need. Patients will also likely be relocated to facilities determined by the private health care provider and left without the culturally and linguistically competent care they depend on.

Arbi Derghokasian, an intermediate clerk at GHC, spoke to Glendale City Council members this past September, pointing out the dangers that privatization posed to the Health Center’s clients.

“Most of Glendale health’s providers, nurses and clerks speak Armenian.  The primary bidder does not employ a single worker who speaks Armenian,” Derghokasian said.  “I know an elderly patient who goes to another hospital to get her prescription refilled. The problem is they don’t provide her translation services and that process is always very difficult for her.”

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Call L.A. County Supervisor Antonovich at (213) 974-5555 and let him know that you oppose privatizing Glendale Health Center; that our community depends on the Glendale Health Center as a medical home for quality care!