The Saban Free Clinic offers comprehensive medical and dental care and social services to people in need, free of cost and free of judgment.

R.M. was living a comfortable life, working at a job she enjoyed and raising a young daughter, when her luck took a sharp turn for the worse. She lost her job in the mortgage field, and then she became ill.

 “I suffered from fibroids,” she said. “After seeing the doctor and having several procedures, I found out that the fibroids were as big as a tennis ball. We tried two types of birth control pills and a prescription for iron. Nothing worked for me. Finally my doctor told me that I needed surgery and fast. I was losing too much blood.”

Her access to health insurance was ending, which meant that she had to quickly find another option for medical care.

“The pain I was experiencing every month became unbearable,” she said. She attempted to manage the pain with Vicodin or Advil, but she knew that was not a solution. “I was in so much pain, I couldn’t function. I didn’t know what to do or where to go.”

She tried to cloak her medical and financial troubles from her daughter, but there were times when the pain was so severe that she could not keep from crying. She told her daughter, “Don’t worry about me. Your job is to get an education, to play, to have fun and let Mommy take care of the rest.”

Her doctor told her about The Saban Free Clinic, and suggested that R.M. give the Clinic a call.

At first, she was dubious about the referral. Because the services were free, she expected that she would find the Clinic to be rushed and impersonal. But she had no other options, so she made an appointment to be seen at the Clinic’s Hollywood Health Center.

She was surprised and delighted by the quality of the care she received. She became especially fond of Glenda Laguna, a gynecology coordinator at the Hollywood site, and she was equally at ease and comfortable with Dr. David Finke, the physician who treated her.

“Oh my God, I love Dr. Finke!” R.M. exclaimed. “He made me laugh, smile and become somewhat cheerful every time we met for an appointment. He walked me through the entire procedure and was very honest.”

After completing an application, R.M. was approved for surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, one of The Saban Free Clinic’s partners.

“Even the day before the surgery I was calling Glenda with questions,” R.M. said. “She was able to calm me down —I don’t like hospitals. She was my angel.”

R.M. felt that she was in excellent hands at the Clinic. “I felt like I had the best insurance ever,” she said.

In September 2008, R.M. had the surgery that she needed and was “amazed and astounded” by the experience. “The staff from the time that we made it to the floor till the time that I was wheeled into surgery was the best,” she said.

Now pain-free and employed again, R.M. wants others to be aware of The Saban Free Clinic.  

“I had this surgery and the Clinic helped me,” she said. “Now I want to help other people. The care I got was was free, but I owe it to people who don’t know, that they can get help, too.”

She also has a message for people who may be looking for a charity to support.

“Give lots of money,” she said. “A lot of people need a lot of help.”

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When E.B. walked into The Saban Free Clinic, he felt deformed.  Suffering from partial facial paralysis, he was depressed and tired of people looking at him with pity.        

"I loved the environment of the Clinic and I felt as though it was my second home," E.B. said of his first year of treatment in which his facial paralysis was cured.  Then, while at a dinner with friends, his facial paralysis almost forgotten, he broke a tooth.

Forty-two years earlier, in Ecuador, he had seen a dentist who popped up in his small town.  He remembers that the drill was not run by electricity, but rather a pedal.  "She probably wasn't even a real dentist," notes E.B.  That traumatic experience left him terrified of dentists.  But when his pain grew so bad that he stopped eating, he spoke to Nageen Farmand, a physician's assistant at the Clinic who gave him a referral to the Clinic's dental department.

The Clinic's dentists told him that he would need dentures.  Throughout the following year, they began the work to take out all of his teeth and roots.

He remembers how embarrassed he felt when the local diner charged him the senior citizen rate for his coffee.  "Luis Villanueva (lead dental assistant) always told me not to worry; things were going to be ok."  Finally, some good news came his way - The Saban Free Clinic would be covering the entire cost of the dentures.

The night before the final procedure, E.B. couldn't sleep.  His appointment was at 10:15 but his alarm was set for 6 a.m.  He even arrived an hour early.  They sized him for his dentures and let him pick his new teeth from various styles.  Now he has a smile that could light up an entire city block.

"The work that is done is very good, but it's not just the quality of the work that makes a difference, it's that the staff sees the value of a human being," E.B. reported.  "To the dentists and staff who helped me through this process, this smile is due to you - you gave me my happiness."

Access to health care used to be something that M.K. almost took for granted.

A stylist working in the entertainment industry, M.K. had Motion Picture Health and Welfare Insurance, which she considers top-notch coverage.

“Then I left the entertainment industry,” M.K. said. “I kept up making COBRA payments for as long as I could but then I ran out of money. I had nothing.”

Suffering with chronic bronchitis and clinical depression, M.K. turned to Los Angeles County health clinics for care. She said that the County system was free for a while, but she then was asked to contribute toward her care.

M.K. could not afford to pay rent on an apartment, let alone come up with fees to pay for medical services. M.K. knew about The Saban Free Clinic so she decided to come to the Beverly Health Center and get a walk-in appointment.

While M.K. was at the Clinic to be treated for bronchitis, the provider who saw her noticed signs of depression, so he brought in Clinic case manager Mauro Guzman.

“I was in a really bad state of mind that day, and Mauro was very caring,” M.K. recalls. “He sent me somewhere where he thought I could get the medication I needed immediately. He called to check on me later that day. I’ve never gotten that kind of treatment before.”

Mauro also told M.K. he would put her in touch with a therapist in the Clinic’s Behavioral Health Department. Jenna Flowerree contacted M.K. the same day. “I didn’t expect to be called so soon,” M.K. said. “That really blew me away, and gave me a lot of trust in her.”

Every Wednesday morning since early June, M.K. has been coming to the Clinic’s site in Hollywood for an hour of counseling with Jenna. In addition to the one-on-one sessions, M.K. also participates in a Tuesday evening peer support group for women at the Wallis Annenberg Children and Family Health Center.

She is delighted at the connection she has made with the other women in her group. “And Jenna is very warm and compassionate,” M.K. said. “I know she really cares about me.”  By working one-on-one with Jenna, M.K. says that she has been able to take huge strides in improving her situation.

“Before I couldn’t get excited or motivated about anything— and I mean anything,” M.K. said. “Now I feel excited in the morning. There are things that I want to do. I actually have long-range goals!”

One of M.K.’s new ambitions is to return to school to study childhood development.

“When I was a teen-ager, I really was a mess,” said M.K., who is now 44. "I was begging for help in high school. I want to help kids so that they don’t go through what I experienced. I’d like to be a counselor for kids or teens.”

M.K. is also volunteering with a variety of organizations, as a way of learning new skills. She recently volunteered at the Clinic’s annual food and wine-tasting event, the Extravaganza for the Senses. “I don’t have any money so that was my way to give back to the Clinic,” she explained.

M.K. gets emotional when talking about how The Saban Free Clinic has changed her life. She praises what she calls “the human factor” at the Clinic.

She recalls sitting in the reception area at the Hollywood site and watching the security guard interact with a homeless man. “The guard was so kind to him. Those are the kinds of things that you need to see when you’re in my state. Everyone here is amazing.”

M.K. knows that she has a lot of issues in her life to resolve. She lacks permanent housing and relies on friends to provide a place for her to sleep.

“I really have nothing,” she said. “I spent my last $10 the other night. I’m struggling and I’m always trying to get by but it always seems to be that way. I’m trying to change it but for now that’s how it is.”

But the Behavioral Health services she gets at The Saban Free Clinic give her hope for the future. “I get better care here than anything that I’ve ever paid for,” she said.

— 

M.R. first came to the Clinic for prenatal care during her second pregnancy. One of the Clinic residents noticed a lump on her neck and referred her to an endocrinologist at a partnering medical center for testing. 

M.R. was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Urgent steps were taken to deliver her baby at 36 weeks so that she could begin treatment.  She underwent surgery to remove the malignant lump and proceeded with chemotherapy treatments to arrest the cancer.  Thankfully, M.R. is on the road to recovery.  She and her healthy baby continue to receive medical care at the Clinic, and she is very grateful for the swift and effective medical intervention that saved her life.




— 

R.V. accessed our medical services at our newest clinic, The Wallis Annenberg Children and Family Health Center, and sent the following letter:  “I am the one who is grateful for the services I do receive.  The generosity of the Clinic means the world to me.  Dr. Lee is one of the best doctors I’ve ever had.  She is great.  Thanks for everything.  I work only 3 hours a day.  I know $20 isn’t much but please accept it with my heart full of gratitude.”




—

J.W. is a 22-year old recovering addict who arrived at the Clinic’s High-Risk Youth Program in the summer of 2006. A product of the foster care system, she was then an emancipated youth, living on the streets, trapped in a dangerous of world drugs and sexual exploitation. However, unlike scores of unfortunate young people, J.W. was determined to escape chronic homelessness. With the help of the Clinic’s Case Management Team, she summoned the courage to take ownership of her life, once and for all.

Health care providers helped J.W. adapt to medication for bipolar and schizoaffective disorders. Case management workers helped her search for housing. JW actively sought mental health services and engaged in individual and group therapy with a partnering hospital. She maintained her vigilance with NA/CMA/AA meetings to address her drug addiction, all with the Clinic’s abiding support.

For a youth born into trouble, the road to recovery and dignity is daunting, but J.W. has been taking personal responsibility “one day at a time.”  And she’s winning!  She secured a job at a local Target department store. In late November, she was accepted into a two-year transitional housing program where she will learn vocational and life skills to continue the progress she’s made so far.  She is determined to someday become an HIV or drug counselor and give back to the community that supported her brave efforts to save her own life.



—

For years, M.R. had been seen by a variety of doctors who treated her for infertility, severe pelvic pain and ovarian cysts.  She and her husband sacrificed more than they could afford and suffered many disappointments before arriving at the Clinic, as a last resort. 

With her friend’s encouragement, she enrolled in the Cradle Project Program at the Clinic’s Hollywood Health Center.
 
Our Ob/GYN physicians diagnosed her with endometriosis. 

Thanks to our Community Partners, she underwent surgery at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, at no cost. She returned to the Clinic for treatment in our Infertility Program. 

On Wednesday, February 20, 2008, a day MR will never forget, she and her husband received the good news they’d always hoped to hear: “Mrs. R, you are going to have a baby and we are delighted to be able to offer prenatal care right here at the Clinic.”  



— 

A man with M.L.’s professional aspirations cannot afford to lose his nerve, but when tragedy struck him down, it threatened to shatter, not only his body, but also his hopes and dreams. 

As the thief behind the wheel of his car sped out of the parking lot, he knocked M.L. to the ground with such force that M.L. sustained multiple injuries.  Worst of all was the loss of many of his teeth because, you see, M.L. made his living as a stand-up comedian.  This event could ruin his opportunity to continue at a Hollywood night club doing the work he loved: making people laugh.


M.L.’s dental health began to falter in other ways, too. The simple act of chewing became extremely painful.  Eating less, M.L.s weight dropped 35 pounds. He was constantly covering his mouth in embarrassment and the problem was affecting his personal relationships.  Finally, a friend suggested that he try the Clinic’s dental services to get the help he needed and deserved. 

“From the very beginning, I knew that I was in good hands,” he said.  Dr. Van Anh Dastur, the Clinic’s Dental Director, told M.L. about a partnership between the Clinic and the UCLA School of Dentistry. Ultimately, this program provided the dentures M.L. so desperately needed.

At 8:45 each Monday morning for 13 weeks, M.L. had a regular “gig” in the Clinic’s dental treatment center. By the end of the summer, M.L. was the proud owner of a gleaming new set of “pearly whites.”  M.L. is back on the stand-up comedy circuit and his calendar is starting to fill up with bookings.  With confidence restored, he can smile without fear and make people laugh again.



“I’m so grateful to the Clinic for what they have done for me,” M.L. grins. “It’s no joke. The Clinic gave me back my life.”

__

Uncomfortable with weight gain from her recent pregnancy and worried about the heart palpitations she was having, E.R. made her first visit to The Saban Free Clinic in November 2010.  At the Clinic she was told that she had high cholesterol and other indicators that her weight gain was seriously affecting her health. 

Her doctor at the Clinic referred her to Wendy Ziegler-Marsh, manager of our Health Education and Outreach Department, for nutrition education.  In the past, E.R. had tried weight loss techniques such as diet pills and diet programs but they never worked for her.  Instead, Wendy helped E.R. change her eating habits and integrate exercise into her daily routine.  After cutting most fats and fast foods from her meals, adding more vegetables and walking two hours daily, E.R. has lost twenty-five pounds and feels like she has more energy than ever before.  Now, she says, “People ask me what diet pills I am taking and can’t believe that I’ve lost all this weight just from proper nutrition and exercise!”

The weight loss process was challenging at first.  “I’m from Mexico, my entire family is overweight and we’re all accustomed to eating a lot of greasy foods and drinking soda with every meal,” she said.  Now she still eats the same food as her family during reunions, but takes smaller portions and feels full faster.  Her husband even goes to her for pointers about how he can lose weight after seeing how much happier and healthier she is.

 “The key to successful weight loss is self-motivation,” E.R. said.  During the school year, she exercises two hours by walking her kids to and from school.  During the summer, she wakes up at 6am and walks for an hour before her husband has to go to work at 7am.  Then she eats her last meal before 7pm and takes an evening walk from 7pm to 8pm while her husband watches the children.  “I eat every four to five hours during the day because Wendy has told me that to lose weight, you have to eat.”  But now she is actually eating food that is good for her health.

E.R. checks in with Wendy once a month and never misses an appointment.  She is committed to continuing to lose weight so that she can feel good about herself and so she doesn’t have to worry about the many health problems that obesity causes.  One of the best rewards that has come out of her weight loss?  “When my daughter used to hug me, she couldn’t wrap her arms all the way around me.  Now she can and it feels wonderful.”