Compton is home to many hard-working families who, between paying for housing and food, are also faced with limited access to quality health care. With rising costs nationwide, communities experiencing health disparities cannot endure cuts to critical services, especially those keeping us alive.
The Jeffrey Smith Sickle Cell Clinic in the Martin Luther King Jr. Outpatient Center in Willowbrook, a neighboring community, has proven successful. Since 2019, it has treated several hundred sickle cell patients in the area with comprehensive medical care.
Sickle cell is an inherited blood disorder. Instead of having healthy, round red blood cells, people with sickle cell disease have red blood cells that are hard, sticky, and sickle-shaped. When passing through small blood vessels, these cells can get stuck and clog blood flow, preventing blood from reaching nearby tissue. The lack of tissue oxygen can cause people to experience sudden attacks of excruciating pain.
Approximately one hundred thousand people live in Compton. About 65 percent are Latino, and 35 percent are Black – two demographics most affected by sickle cell disease in the U.S.
An estimated 9,000 Californians live with sickle cell disease; in LA County, roughly 2,500 are adults.
Three years ago, the Networking Californians for Sickle Cell Care (NCSCC) clinics received $15 million in state funds to provide much-needed resources for those living with the disease. Since its initial funding, 12 statewide clinics have opened, more jobs and training services have come to our communities, and patients have access to specialized primary care and blood specialists.
In addition, those battling this genetic condition receive support from patient navigators and social workers providing mental health services offered at no charge through the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation.
Additionally, hospital emergency department visits have been reduced by 11 percent, hospitalizations by 20 percent, and the total length of hospitalization stays reduced by 50 percent. In the process, the state has saved millions of dollars.
These numbers are a drastic difference from prior years when California spent more than $162 million annually in sickle cell-related emergency room visits and hospitalizations.
We are grateful that sickle cell services are a short distance away. I was present at the center’s inaugural four years ago and have witnessed firsthand the impact services have had on families and our community.
As the state budget is reviewed, I urgently request that my colleagues in Sacramento consider the successes of the program, which would keep the doors open at Jeffery Smith Sickle Cell Clinic and the other 11 clinics in the state with much-needed funds.
The Honorable Emma Sharif is mayor of the City of Compton.
