MLK Community Healthcare

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MLK Community Healthcare

MLK Community Healthcare (MLKCH) is a private, non-profit, safety-net health system. Learn more about MLK Community Healthcare: www.mlkch.org

MLK Community Healthcare (MLKCH), a private, non-profit, safety-net health system, now offers inpatient, maternity and emergency care at MLK Community Hospital in Willowbrook as well as primary and specialty care at three outpatient sites. In addition, the health system runs a number of community-based health education, screening and treatment programs. MLKCH outpatient services include:

✅ Primary care
✅ Pediatrics
✅ Diabetes (endocrinology)
✅ Heart Disease (cardiology)
✅ Lung Disease (pulmonology)
✅ Urology (men’s health)
✅ Mental and behavioral health (psychiatry/social work)
✅ Foot care (podiatry)
✅ Wound care and hyperbaric healing
✅ Infectious disease
✅ Surgery
✅ Addiction medicine

The evolution of MLKCH from hospital to health system is a direct response to South LA’s chronic lack of resources and access to care. The community suffers from a severe shortage of doctors – 1,200 fewer than in average areas – as well as the fewest number of hospital beds in all of LA County.

“Lack of access to quality healthcare made this community vulnerable to Covid,” said Dr. Elaine Batchlor, CEO of MLK Community Healthcare. “South LA has a high burden of diabetes, heart disease, kidney-related illness and other chronic conditions. Our aim is to create the resources and infrastructure necessary to address and reverse poor health.”

Since its opening in 2015, MLKCH has garnered awards and headlines for its innovative approaches to quality, safety and patient satisfaction.

03/27/2026

A milestone worth celebrating! 🎉

At this year’s MLKCH Service Awards, we honored 190 team members reaching milestone anniversaries — including 131 who have been with us for 10 years, and 59 marking 5 years.

For a community hospital, those numbers are an extraordinary reflection of the culture our teams have built together.

As CEO Dr. Elaine Batchlor shared, “People come for the mission, and they stay for the culture.”

From anniversary jackets to a well-earned celebration with colleagues, this special occasion recognized the people—and the heart—behind the work.

Thank you to every team member who continues to shape MLKCH.

03/25/2026

Meet Monica Gardiner, part of the Social Services Department at MLKCH!

Born and raised in LA, Monica was drawn to social work after seeing the “transformative power of consistent, compassionate support” while volunteering at her local church.

That same spirit is what brought her to MLKCH, where meeting people with consistent, compassionate care is at the heart of our mission.

Swipe through to learn more about her ➡️

Happy to Monica and everyone on our care team! Leave a little love for them in the comments 👇🏽

03/20/2026

Please help us welcome the newest cohort of the MLKCH Internal Medicine Residency Program!

🩺 Genova Hernandez | Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
🩺 Lusine Karakhanyan | St. George’s University
🩺 Guneet Kaur | University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine
🩺 Roman Liccini | California University of Science and Medicine – School of Medicine
🩺 Merci Mino | University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

This group will spend the next three years caring for our South LA community while growing into physicians grounded in compassionate, whole-person care.

Give them some 🧡💙💚 in the comments!

03/18/2026

Flashback to when we chatted with Summer from the MLK Campus Farmers' Market!

Here on the MLKCH campus from 9-2 every Wednesday, the Farmers Market is chock full of all the fresh fruits and veggies you need to keep your body happy and healthy.

03/11/2026

Meet Shona Orenstein, the lead social worker in our Emergency Department.

Shona was inspired to get into this work at an early age. In college, she studied sociology, but quickly determined that she wanted to do more than just study problems—”I wanted to help empower people to work through their struggles.”

Swipe to learn more about Shona and why she loves working at MLKCH.

Happy to Shona and everyone on our care team! Leave a little love for them in the comments 👇🏽

03/09/2026

After receiving the People’s Choice Award for their presentation on reducing hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) at the ACNL conference, members of our nursing team were invited to present their work again at Huntington Health’s Nursing Research Day in Pasadena.

Our nurses shared their learnings alongside nurse scientists and staff presenting evidence-based research from across the field. It was a great opportunity to learn and connect with colleagues!

We’re grateful to Huntington Health for the invitation and proud of our team for continuing to share the story of MLKCH’s progress and innovation.

Leave a 👏🏾 for our incredible nurses in the comments!

03/04/2026

Meet Amilcar Pina, part of the Social Services Department at MLKCH!

Amilcar was inspired to get into social work early. Growing up in the Pico Union neighborhood, he witnessed firsthand what happened when people didn’t have access to mental health services. He became passionate about helping people get the care they need.

As a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), he assesses and treats mental disorders and provides psychotherapy. While he typically does this in a clinical setting, he travels with the Street Medicine team once a week. “It’s challenging treating outside of controlled environments, but I love it,” he says of these trips. "Most of my unhoused patients are receptive and willing to share.”

Swipe through to learn more about his story ➡️

Happy to Amilcar and everyone on our care team! Leave a little love for them in the comments 👇🏽

03/02/2026

Congrats to the newest nurse leaders at MLKCH: Meray Santander, Oro Omene, Gabrielle Cordero, Hana Dhillon, James Evalle!

These nurses have stepped into the vital role of preceptor—providing one-on-one coaching, support, and mentorship to help new grads and new hires feel confident, capable, and truly welcomed.

We’re proud to invest in nurses who are ready to lead, and grateful for the way these preceptors are shaping the next generation of care in South LA.

02/26/2026

Shoutout to the Employee Wellbeing team who is always there to help staff find balance, support, and renewal while doing demanding work.

They host events like Coffee With The Reverend (pictured here), where anyone seeking blessings, spiritual support, or just a nice jolt of caffeine can get what they need. From counseling to pet therapy and more, they help our caregivers stay grounded and ready to provide compassionate, high-quality care.

02/24/2026

75° degrees? ✅
Sunny? ✅
In-N-Out truck? ✅

Must be a Tuesday in South LA! ☀️🌴🍔

02/23/2026

We’re proud to announce the launch of MLK Community Healthcare’s inaugural Community Advisory Council—a cross-sector group of community leaders helping guide our work to advance health equity in South Los Angeles.

“This council represents a shared commitment of trust and community partnership,” said Dr. Atul Nakhasi, VP of Government & Community Relations at MLKCH. “I’m deeply grateful to the community leaders who are lending their time and expertise, and to the partners who helped us reach this moment.”

Thank you to our inaugural members and partners, including El Nido Family Centers, Black Business Association, California Black Women's Health Project, Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper, Community Coalition, NAACP Los Angeles, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles - Watts Willowbrook, WAM, All Peoples Community Center, St. Anne's Family Services.

Together, we’re strengthening community-informed care across South LA.

Learn more: mlkch.org/news/inaugural-cac

02/20/2026

Congrats to Evelyn Narvaez, Cynthia Pineda and Sandra Temple who represented MLKCH at the 2026 Association of California Nurse Leaders (ACNL) Conference.

Their presentation highlighted innovative tools we use to reduce Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries (HAPIs) and was recognized with a People’s Choice Award!

We are grateful for the opportunity to showcase the impactful work being done at MLKCH and to connect with nursing leaders who share our passion for excellence in healthcare.

Address

1680 E 120th Street
Los Angeles, CA
90059

Website

http://www.mlkch.org/

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Mary Kay Cocharo, MFT
11500 W. Olympic, Suite 614

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