EL CHICANo Weekly
Vo l 61, NO. 18
April 11, 2024
Shocking Repor t: 73% of San Ber nardino Residents Avo id Pa r k s Du e to S af e ty C o nc e r n s
IECN.com
31st Annual Loma Linda Children’s Hospital Foundation Gala Raises More Than $1 million Pg. 4
Tesla to Build Collision Service Center in the City of San Bernardino Pg. 8
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PHOTO CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO
Neelay Bhatt, CEO of Next Practice Partners, leading a City of San Bernardino Parks Master Plan Kickoff in April 2023.
By Manny Sandoval
recent survey has revealed a startling truth about the city of San Bernardino, a staggering 73% of residents do not visit local parks because they do not feel safe. This alarming statistic was just one of many findings presented to the City Council during a Master Plan update on San Bernardino Parks by Neelay Bhatt, CEO of Next Practice Partners.
The survey, which reached 10,000 random households, aimed to gauge community needs and opinions regarding the city's parks and recreational facilities. With a response rate yielding 419 completed surveys, the results paint a concerning picture of public perception and park usage in the
area. One of the most shocking revelations shared to council on April 3, 2024 was the lack of park access for city residents.
According to Bhatt, only 46% of people in San Bernardino have access to a park within a 10-minute walk. "This means more than 1 in 2 people in this city do not have access within a 10-minute walk, falling below the national average of 55%," Bhatt stated.
The survey also found that only 60% of respondents had visited a city park in the past 12 months, but their experiences were far from positive. A significant 46% rated the condition of the parks they visited as poor, with only 1% deeming them excellent.
City Parks cont. on next pg.
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n a move to elevate healthcare affordability, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, alongside Representative Pete Aguilar, announced groundbreaking measures to reduce prescription drug costs for Californians, particularly for the Latino community, which has historically faced challenges in accessing affordable medication. During his visit to the Inland Empire as part of his “National Latino Health Tour,” Secretary Becerra emphasized the positive impact of the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act.
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Interestingly, 34% of residents reported going to neighboring cities for parks and recreational activities, highlighting a potential loss of community engagement and revenue for San Bernardino.
By Manny Sandoval
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Safety concerns were the primary reason for avoiding parks, with 73% of non-visitors citing this as their reason. Bhatt noted, "I’ve done about 300-400 of these surveys and this is the highest response for lack of safety that I’ve found. Almost 3 in 4 people said they do not feel safe going there." Criminal activity and poor maintenance were also significant deterrents, with 56% of respondents each pointing to these issues.
Over 108,000 Californians on Medicare to See $35 Insulin Cap: Inland Empire to Benefit from Groundbreaking Healthcare Savings
City of San Bernardino Inland Rochelle Empir e Names Co mmunity Newspaper s Clayton as Deputy City Of fice: (909) 381- 9898 Manager
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PHOTO CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO
The community listening sessions and meetings administered by Next Practice Partners are inclusive, with translators for sign language, Spanish speakers, and more.
PHOTO MANNY SANDOVAL
Representative Pete Aguilar and Secretary Xavier Becerra sharing data on recent prescription drug negotiations at SAC Health in San Bernardino on April 5, 2024.
"We have to remember that there were days before the Inflation Reduction Act became law and lowered the price of insulin, people were having to ration their insulin and make decisions about what to do in their daily lives if they wanted to afford it,” said Becerra. “Today, people paying
no more than $35 for insulin when on Medicare is a big deal, and the fact that we now have the ability to negotiate the prices on medicine is huge.”
The $35 insulin cost cap is set to benefit 108,164 Californians on Medicare who use insulin, addressing a critical need in a state where one 10-milliliter vial of insulin can cost up to $400; a person usually needs two to three vials a month. “This is the right thing to do for our patient care. We are going to continue lowering the cost of healthcare here in the Inland Empire because it matters to people,” said Rep. Aguilar.
Further emphasizing the Act's impact, Rep. Aguilar highlighted that drug negotiations will benefit more than 830,000 California Medicare enrollees, saving them between $64 and $4,297 in out-of-pocket costs for the first ten drugs subject to price negotiations. Additionally, the Act ensures that recommended vaccines are now free for the more than 1.2 Healthcare cont. on next pg.