UnitedHealthcare Donates Wheelchairs to Lestonnac Free Clinic Patients
Orange County Residents to Receive Wheelchairs on International Wheelchair Day
WHAT: In honor of International Wheelchair Day, UnitedHealthcare will donate 10 wheelchairs to the Lestonnac Free Clinic. Lestonnac Free Clinic is a volunteer-run organization working with local physicians and hospitals to meet the needs of low- and no-income families of Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties. In the last three years, the Lestonnac Free clinics in Orange, Yorba Linda, Los Alamitos, Artesia, Compton, and Riverside have treated nearly 20,000 patients.
International Wheelchair Day (www.internationalwheelchairday.com) is a day to recognize that for many people, a wheelchair provides greater freedom and quality of life.
WHO: Edward Gerber, executive director, Lestonnac Free Clinic
Keith Emmons, M.D., market medical director, UnitedHealthcare of California
Russ Bennett, vice president, Latino Health Solutions, UnitedHealthcare
Patients of Lestonnac Free Clinic
Antonio Alcala, 53 YO of Anaheim, continues to have neck, head and shoulder pain due to an accident at work. He currently uses a cane to walk, so this wheelchair will be of great use to him.
Angel Galicia, 65 YO of Corona, suffers from severe diabetic motor neuropathy making it very difficult for him to walk without assistance. Maria, 59 YO, his wife, said his current wheelchair is pretty beat up, so the timing to receive this new wheelchair is perfect. He depends on his wife 95% of the time in order to get from point A to point B, so this opportunity to receive a new wheelchair will make both their lives much easier.
Elizabeth Penaloza, 65 YO of Santa Ana, suffers from severe diabetic neuropathy, and is need of a wheelchair.
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 28, 2014
11 a.m. to 12 p.m. (presentation of wheelchairs followed by reception)
WHERE: Lestonnac Free Clinic
1215 E. Chapman Avenue
Orange, CA 92866
VISUALS/
INTERVIEW: Local residents receiving wheelchairs. Interview opportunities with the
patients and representatives from Lestonnac Free Clinic and UnitedHealthcare.
For more information, please contact Matthew Yi at (714) 226-3842 or matthew.yi@uhc.com.
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.
# # #
