AND NOW WE BACK IN WITH JOANNA
AS PART OF OUR "IN YOUR
NEIGHBORHOOD SERIES".
>> THANKS.
WE NOW HERE WITH PASTOR JAMES
BROOKS.
HE IS NAMED C.E.O. OF LAWNDALE
CHRISTIAN HEALTH CENTER.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> I WANT TO START OFF YOU GREW
UP IN NORTH LAWNDALE.
DID LAQUAN McDONALD WHAT ARE
YOU THINK BEING TODAY AS A
FORMER OFFICER VAN DYKE IS
RELEASED TODAY?
>> FIRST OF ALL WE NEED TO PRAY
FOR THE FAMILY.
THIS MUST BE HORRIFIC TIME FOR
THEM.
AS WELL AS THE SECOND THINGS AS
A COMMUNITY, AS FAITH LEADERS,
AS ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERS,
COMMUNITY MEMBERS WE NEED TO
COME TOGETHER AND WE UNDERSTAND
AND WE SEE OBVIOUSLY THAT OUR
JUSTICE SYSTEM IS NOT JUST.
AND WE MUST COME TOGETHER AND
CHANGE THE SYSTEM.
>> NOW, YOU ARE THE NEWLY THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT C.E.O. OF
LAWNDALE CHRISTIAN HEALTH
CENTER.
CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE
ORGANIZATION?
>> YOU WILL BE SURPRISED WE HAVE
75,000 PATIENTS THAT CALL US
HOME FOR THEIR PRIMARY CARE.
WE'RE LOCATED IN NORTH LAWNDALE.
OUR MISSION IS TO SHOW AND SHARE
THE LOVE OF JESUS BY PROMOTING
WELLNESS AND PROVIDING QUALITY
AND AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE TO
LAWNDALE AND OUR NEIGHBORING
COMMUNITIES.
>> NOW, I DO WANT TO ASK THE
ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN WORKING TO
MAKE HEALTHCARE MORE ACCESSIBLE
SINCE THE 80s.
HAS THERE BEEN AN ADVANCEMENT IN
THAT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I WONDER SOMETIMES IF WE WEREN'T
THERE HOW OUR COMMUNITY WOULD BE
SURVIVING.
ONE OF OUR VALUES IS PROXIMITY
OR RELOCATION.
BEING AMONG THE PEOPLE.
SO THAT OUR COMMUNITY CAN HAVE
ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE.
YOU WHETHER NEVER SEE US ON THE
OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY.
ALL OF OUR CLINICS ARE INVESTED
IN WALKING DISTANCE IN OUR
COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE CAN
COME AND GET THE HEALTHCARE THAT
THEY DESERVE.
>> AND WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BE
PART OF THIS ORGANIZATION?
WHAT DROVE YOUR PASSION?
>> EXACTLY THAT.
YOU KNOW I WITNESSED THE
ORGANIZATION GROW.
IT WAS BIRTHED OUT OF LAWNDALE
CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY CHURCH IN
1984.
WAYNE GORDON IS THE PASTOR.
AND I WATCHED IT GROW.
I WATCHED MORE AND MORE THE
DEEPER IMPACT THAT IT WAS HAVING
ON OUR COMMUNITY.
AND NOW FOR ME TO BE THE C.E.O.
OF THE ORGANIZATION, I AM SO
BLESSED AND I'M SO ENCOURAGED
THAT I CAN HAVE PLAY MY ROLE IN
MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR
COMMUNITY.
>> HOW MANY YEARS WERE YOU THERE
BEFORE YOU GOT THIS ROLE?
>> I'VE BEEN AT LAWNDALE FOR
NINE YEARS NOW.
>> YOU SAW A LOT OF CHANGES.
>> NINE YEARS.
>> THE WEST SIDE FACED
SIGNIFICANT DISINVESTMENT AND
HEALTH DISPARITIES WHICH THE
PANDEMIC EXAGGERATED THAT.
DO YOU THINK MOVING FORWARD THIS
WILL MEAN FOLKS PAY MORE
ATTENTION TO THIS ONCE THE
PANDEMIC IS BEHIND US?
>> I HOPE SO.
IT IS OUR GOAL AS A HEALTH
CENTER.
FIRST LET ME DEFINE WHAT WE FEEL
IS HEALTH.
HEALTH IS COMMUNITY.
WE BELIEVE THAT ONE CAN'T REALLY
BE HEALTHY UNTIL THEIR COMMUNITY
IS HEALTHY.
SO IN ORDER TO HAVE A HEALTHY
COMMUNITY, WE HAVE TO ADDRESS
THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF
HEALTH.
WHICH MEANS WE NEED TO PARTNER
WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE
COMMUNITY.
NOT US DOING IT BUT PARTNERING
BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR IN OUR
COMMUNITY.
LINKING ARMS AND SAYING LET'S DO
THIS TOGETHER.
>> AND WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT
THE COMMUNITY HAS TOLD YOU THE
PEOPLE PART OF THE ORGANIZATION?
>> OF COURSE, WE FOR VIOLENCE IS
REAL IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE KNOW ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND
QUALITY HEALTHCARE.
WE WANT TO PLAY A ROLE IN MAKING
SURE THAT OUR HEALTH CENTERS ARE
ACCESSIBLE.
MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE BEAUTIFUL
SPACES IF OUR PARTNERS NEED A
PLACE TO MEET, WE HAVE SPACE AND
WE WILL BE EXCITED TO HAVE THEM
OR BETTER YET WE'LL GO WHERE
THEY ARE.
JUST BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR IN
OUR COMMUNITY.
>> AND LAST QUESTION YOU WERE
RAISED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO BRING
ALL THE CHANGES?
>> BECAUSE I KNOW THE POSITION
THAT I HOLD RIGHT NOW, I HAD A
MOTHER COME UP TO ME NOT LONG
AGO AND SAID, HEY, CAN I MY TWO
SONS COME AND MEET YOU?
AND THAT REALLY TOUCHED ME.
BECAUSE THEY RECOGNIZE HEY HE
LOOKS LIKE ME.
AND THAT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.
SO OUR ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY IS
TO BRING HEALTH.
AND HEALTH IN PARTNERING WITH
OUR COMMUNITIES AND SHOWING AND
SHARING THE LOVE OF CHRIST.
>> AND YOU SEE THE DIFFERENCE
WITH SOMEONE WHO LOOKS JUST LIKE
YOU?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> BRANDIS.
>> AND COVID-19 IS A BIG DEAL
FOR ANY HEALTH ORGANIZATION AND
I THINK YOU ASKED HIM ABOUT IT.
AS CASES DECLINE DOES THE HEALTH
CENTER HOPE TO OPEN UP MORE
SERVICES?
>> NO, PASTOR BROOKS MENTIONED
THAT AND SAID ONE OF THE BIGGEST
THINGS THEY WANT TO OPEN A
SENIOR CENTER.
THE SENIORS WERE A POPULATION
IMPACTED THE MOST.
THEY WERE HIT HARD.
HE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE
CENTER TO REOPEN THAT WAY THEY
COULD BRING MEMBERS BACK INSIDE
AND GET THEM WITHOUT BEING
ISOLATED INSIDE THEIR HOMES HE
IS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE SENIOR
CENTER BEING OPEN.