Changes help revive clinic

Suzie Harrison

After limping along for nine months in the red, the Laguna Beach

Community Clinic is finally getting back on its feet. Credit goes to

internal changes and sacrifices the board thought were necessary.

Most recently, the executive director position has been

eliminated. Ericka Waidley held the position a little less than four

years; her last day of employment was June 27.

“Given the general financial climate facing nonprofit

organizations, and clinics in particular, the board found it

necessary to rein in costs and develop new funding sources within the

clinic,” board vice-president Wayne Ybarra said.

One of the changes the board decided to make was to name its

long-term medical director, Dr. Tom Bent, as chief operating officer

of the clinic.

“Dr. Bent is in concert with the board and is implementing more

streamlined financial reporting and control procedures,” Ybarra said.

“We’ve had some cash shortfalls we’ve unexpectedly observed,” Bent

said. “It’s one of the reasons for the change in leadership. We’re

back in the black as of July 1, after bleeding for nine months.”

Bent said the organization still needs to build cash resources.

“We almost closed in the early ‘90s,” Bent said. “The biggest

difficulty is the building, and it’s almost paid for.”

He said the clinic is hoping to have a capital campaign to retire

the mortgage so funds can go directly to patient care.

Bent, whose involvement with the Laguna clinic dates back to 1982,

said that over the years, the clinic has had many executive

directors.

“The model the board has chosen for now is to have myself as

medical director and chief operating officer,” Bent said.

Bent comes to the plate with years of experience through his work

at UCI Family Health Center and Camino Health Center.

Bent said a lot has changed over the last couple of months.

“I asked the board to step up and see if this structure works,”

Bent said.

Daily operations of the clinic have been run by clinical director

and nurse manager Adriana Sayegh for about six years.

“Financially we’ve eliminated a very large salary,” Bent said.

“I’ve voluntarily taken a 20% decrease to help out the clinic. We

need to get the clinic through financially; it’s turning round

nicely.”

He said they have not had to do any service reductions except for

cutting back a couple of weekend and evening hours of operation,

which will be restored at the end of the summer.

Bent said the clinic has it tough and relies greatly on community

support.

“Almost every clinic in Orange County has hospital or university

support,” Bent said. “We’re one of very few making it on our own.”

“We have to watch our finances a lot tighter,” Bent said. “We need

to know how much pencils and Band Aids cost and find out ... [if we

can] get them cheaper.”

The clinic’s budget is $2.4 million.

“We rely on fundraisers, and donations are critical,” Bent said.

Dr. Korey Jorgensen has been with the clinic since 1972,

practicing family medicine, and is the clinic’s HIV specialist.

He was named 2004 California family physician of the year.

“I think it’s a very positive event for the clinic,” Jorgensen

said. “Dr. Bent brings a new sense of openness and inclusion in the

management and operation of the Laguna Beach Community Clinic in ways

that allow providers and staff to contribute in ways that will

benefit our patients.”

Bent said the clinic sees 20 to 30 walk-ins a day and more than

17,000 visits annually. In 2004, more than 1,100 were children under

the age of 5.

“Most patients either work or live in town,” Jorgensen said.

“Ninety-eight percent work but just don’t have benefits or aren’t

making much money.”

Founded in 1970 as a free clinic by a group of volunteer doctors

and concerned citizens, the facility was later licensed as a

nonprofit community clinic in 1985.

The clinic offers medical, dental and health-education services to

uninsured and low-income Orange County residents. Patients are

allowed to pay according to a sliding fee scale.

The clinic is located at 362 Third St. For more information, call

(949) 494-0761.