Executive Summary

WFC empowers over 230 primarily Latino, first-generation, high school students per year to become agents of change for health equity in their community. Students in WFC's two-year Teen Healthcare Training & Internship Program are part of an intergenerational healthcare delivery team that provides free, bilingual health services to 16,000+ low-income, marginalized Latinos/year in Ventura County who would otherwise go without care.

Students, who are reflective of patients served, assist over 200volunteer medical professionals weekly, taking vital signs and patient histories. Students assist providers throughout the medical visit and help overcome cultural and language barriers. Students gain transferable skills and are exposed to myriad healthcare careers as they receive year-round, one-on-one mentorship/training from adult role models. Students learn public health skills including providing health screenings in neighborhood settings frequented by patients for early detection of diabetes/hypertension. Over 85% of low-income high school seniors who complete WFC’s program are accepted to college and/or advanced healthcare training programs, and are placed on a pathway to long-term economic/social mobility, as they become the social-justice-minded healthcare workforce of the future.

WFC also empowers un/underinsured adult Latino patients to take control of their health by delivering free, culturally/linguistically competent services through 3 clinic sites located across Ventura County, CA. Free services meet the whole person's needs and include basic primary care, diagnostic tests, medications, mental health counseling, dental/vision services, case management, as well as nutrition education, dietitian consultations, weekly healthy-food distributions, exercise classes, and economic supports. Over 50% of patients see improvements in their HbA1c/glucose/blood pressure/cholesterol.

WFC is 97% volunteer-based and leverages $2.5 million/year in donated goods and services.

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