“We are optimistic that this is going to help more patients,” said Mohammad Aslam, Al-Shifa medical director and board member. “This is another step toward helping our community.”

The group announced during their annual banquet on July 11 that through a Kaiser Permanente grant, specialty care including respiratory, neurology, nephrology and gynecology, among others, will be provided to patients who cannot afford health care. The idea is to work with other organizations who will then direct their patients to Al-Shifa for needed specialty care.

Al-Shifa will work as the referral center since the organization has a large number of specialists, Aslam said.

Albert Arteaga, president and founder of Latino Health Collaborative, who gave a short speech during the banquet, said Al-Shifa’s efforts are commendable.

“You are here because of something way before your medical education, you’re here because of what you learned in your roots at home,” Arteaga said in addressing the crowd.

According to Aslam, Kaiser came up with the Specialty Care Improvement Program to promote the concept of specialty care into programs in the community.

Kaiser, Aslam said, is currently studying the need for the program and organizations can apply for the program next year.