CENTINELA: Foundation To Announce Grants Program

      The California Community Foundation is expected to announce today a plan to use proceeds from Centinela Hospital Medical Center's 1996 for-profit conversion to fund medical insurance for the poor, as well as treatment, research and education. The plan, as approved by Los Angeles Superior Court, will establish a six- member advisory board that hopes to begin reviewing grant applications as early as next year. Interest from the conversion's proceeds will fund two grant programs: one will disburse about $2 million in the first year through the Centinela Medical Community Fund for community health projects and facilities; the other will allocate $1 million to allow hospitals to improve their services. Jack Shakely, president of the Los Angeles-based CCF, said the money "will materially and directly help thousands of people -- especially the poor and working poor." Cheryl Mendoza, who will supervise grant programs for the CCF, said they will "positively affect the lives of thousands of people" (Merl, Los Angeles Times, 12/7). Click here for previous coverage of the CCF.