UnitedHealthcare Continues its Support of Lestonnac Free Clinic and its Patients, Donates Wheelchairs

UnitedHealth Group News Release:

UnitedHealthcare Continues its Support of Lestonnac Free Clinic and its Patients, Donates Wheelchairs

• Lestonnac Free Clinic patients in Orange receive wheelchairs in honor of International Wheelchair Day

ORANGE, Calif. (Feb. 28, 2014) — 

In honor of International Wheelchair Day, UnitedHealthcare donated 10 wheelchairs to the Lestonnac Free Clinic. 

Edward Gerber, executive director of Lestonnac Free Clinic, accepted the wheelchairs at a special presentation today at Lestonnac’s main clinic in Orange. On hand were clinic patients who received a wheelchair at a reception in honor of International Wheelchair Day (www.internationalwheelchairday.com), a day to recognize that for many people, a wheelchair provides greater freedom and quality of life.

“We are grateful to receive support once again from our friends at UnitedHealthcare,” Gerber said. “Through their gift, we were able to send a few patients home today with a wheelchair, and the rest will be dispersed to our other clinics that assist the underserved population.”

Lestonnac Free Clinic is primarily a volunteer organization working with local physicians and hospitals to meet the health care needs of low- and no-income families in the community, providing critical health care services to underserved residents of Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties. Established in 1979, the nonprofit’s clinics in Orange, Yorba Linda, Los Alamitos, Artesia, Compton and Riverside have treated nearly 20,000 patients. Lestonnac also operates five mobile clinics in Riverside County. 

Last year, UnitedHealthcare, with support from H.O.P.E. Artesia and Joy of Sharing Foundation, helped Lestonnac Free Clinic open a new 750-square-foot clinic in Artesia. Also in 2013, UnitedHealthcare donated $710,252 to St. Joseph Hospital to help implement the hospital’s electronic health record system to connect 27 community clinics throughout Orange County, including Lestonnac Free Clinic, to improve care delivery to local patients.

“Lestonnac Free Clinic is an important health care resource, and together we hope to continue making a difference in the lives of the underserved people in our communities,” said Keith Emmons, M.D., market medical director, UnitedHealthcare of California.

UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, serves more than 2.4 million Californians with a care provider network of 315 hospitals and more than 59,000 physicians statewide.

About Lestonnac Free Clinic

Lestonnac Free Clinic, founded by Sister Marie Therese in 1979, is devoted to providing free, comprehensive medical care to the poorest of the poor in Orange County, California, as well as dental care to our currently established patients. We are a nonprofit, primarily volunteer organization working with local physicians and local hospitals to meet the health care needs of low and no-income families in our community. For more information, go online at www.lestonnacfreeclinic.org.

About UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 800,000 physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. Globally, UnitedHealthcare serves more than 45 million people in health benefits and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.