HASC and the Los Angeles County of Department Social Services will host community outreach orientations for Los Angeles County HASC hospitals focusing on connecting Medi-Cal patients with access to the benefits of CalFresh, the new name for California’s Food Stamp Program (also known on the Federal level as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP).

The locations for both upcoming orientations have changed. The first orientation will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m., at Long Beach Memorial Hospital, 2801 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, in the Board Room. There will be a $5 parking fee. The orientation on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m., will take place at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, 1798 N. Garey Ave., Pomona, Pitzer Auditorium.

Sessions will cover eligibility, resources and program services, and are geared toward hospital staff in the following areas: admitting, business office, patient financial services, social work, case management/discharge planning, human resources, and dietitians/nutritionists.

CalFresh provides assistance for low income individuals and families to purchase nutritious foods. A  cost-benefit analysis examining 10 common nutritional-related diseases/conditions such as colorectal cancer, heart disease, stroke hypertension, Type 2 diabetes and obesity, indicated that every $1.00 invested in an a nutrition access program produces $10.64 in benefits from reduced health care cost, according to a 2009 Year-End Report from the North Carolina Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program.

Please register by Nov. 2 by contacting Dominique Diaz at (714) 750-0788, ext. 16 or ddiaz@hasc.org.