Below is a look back at key moments in our history, along with awards and honors that recognize L.A. Care's unwavering commitment to our mission, vision, and values. We look forward to achieving even more for our communities as we elevate health care for all of Los Angeles County.
November 2004
L.A. Care improves health care quality and access for members by giving providers a telephonic translation device, a handset and adaptor which enables a doctor and patient to speak to each other through a remote translator. L.A. Care also launches L.A. Care's Pocket Rx Initiative, a pilot project to improve patient safety and reduce the amount of time health care providers must use to reference drug formularies. Seventy-five doctors are given PDAs, loaded with ePocrates software, which enables a health care provider to cross-reference dangerous drug interactions and check drug formularies by health plan.
October 2004
Consumer members of L.A. Care elect Maria Guerrero and Mario Ramos to represent them on L.A. Care's Board of Governors. As part of L.A. Care's Fitness & Obesity Initiative, L.A. Care sponsors a conference on obesity intervention, with keynote by Assistant U.S. Surgeon General Woodie Kessel, M.D. The conference focuses on teaching health care providers the basics of obesity intervention strategies since most doctors attended medical school at a time when obesity was not regarded as a major health issue.
August 2004
L.A. Care provides an additional $1.2 million in continuation funding to 14 grantees through the Oral Health Initiative to provide direct services and case management in order to ensure that patients who are referred actually see a dentist and receive the needed treatment.
June 2004
CHI publicly launched an expansion of the Healthy Kids program to children ages 6-18. Read more
At its peak, the CHI provided health insurance to nearly 40,000 children ages 0-18 living in Los Angeles County. This program was sunset in 2016.
March 2004
L.A. Care launches its Fitness & Obesity Initiative with an educational conference for providers and community based organizations attended by over 600 people.
July 2003
The Children's Health Initiative (CHI) of Greater Los Angeles launches Healthy Kids, a privately-funded expansion of health coverage for children ages 0-5, with incomes up to 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.
February 2003
L.A. Care allocates $500,000 in emergency funding for short-term assistance to community clinics affected by the reorganization and fiscal crisis of the Los Angeles County Health Department. This funding provided immediate relief and technical assistance, enabling four school-based clinics to remain open and effectively serve low-income and uninsured residents.
June 2002
Recognizing the agency's efforts in provider education, L.A. Care becomes the first health plan without a hospital to be accredited as a Continuing Medical Education (CME) provider by the California Medical Association.
February 2002
L.A. Care launches a $3.4 million Oral Health Initiative, which includes $200,000 in support from The California Endowment, to provide increased access to direct services, oral health education and promotion, and provider training programs to 22 grantees.
November 2001
After conducting a nationwide search, L.A. Care announces that Howard A. Kahn is joining the agency as its new CEO.
February 2001
Anthony D. Rodgers steps down as Chief Executive Officer.
July 2000
Launches the Community Health Investment Fund (CHIF). To date, CHIF has granted more than $160 million to implement more than 402 projects to improve community and public health, expand health care insurance coverage and strengthen the health care safety net.
June 1999
L.A. Care experiences significant growth as its total Medi-Cal membership rises to 609,083.
April 1999
L.A. Care hosts first "Legislative Day" in Sacramento to cultivate positive relationships with legislators.
April 1999
First formal elections are held for two Regional Community Advisory Committees (RCAC) consumer members to serve on L.A. Care's Board of Governors.
March 1999
The Internal Revenue Service confirms L.A. Care's tax-exempt status.
July 1998
Begins serving children through the state's newly-launched Healthy Families program, California's federal equivalent of the Children's Health Insurance Program. This program sunset in 2012, when the state of California transitioned these children into Medi-Cal.
April 1997
Launches 11 Regional Community Advisory Committees. Today, members make their voices heard through these committees and the four Coordinated Care Initiative Councils
April 1997
Opens doors and begins serving Medi-Cal beneficiaries in partnership with seven Plan Partners. Today, L.A. Care directly serves more than one million Medi-Cal members, and serves an additional one million members in collaboration with our Plan Partners – Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California/Care1st and Kaiser Permanente.