Dandelion Healers Cohort: Seeding Community Resilience

Health care access

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Derrick Wortes donated to this project because “qigong and TCM kept me alive 20-odd years ago, when I had a case of untreated pneumonia.” Uninsured, he went to his university’s student health center. There, the staff told him his x-ray was negative and no follow-up was needed. Unconvinced, he went to Chinatown and received an herbal prescription that cost about $20. With daily qigong and herbs, his lungs cleared. Two months later, the student health center informed Derrick that his x-ray was positive. He could have died if he hadn't trusted his body and found an affordable practitioner. Derrick shared that his family members have suffered far worse health outcomes due to medical neglect and inaccessibility. In LA County, access to quality healthcare is clearly correlated to race and class. As of 2021, ten percent of residents were completely uninsured, one of the highest rates in the state. This year’s LA County Health Survey showed significant racial disparities in public health.

Derrick's story highlights the life-threatening consequences of health care inacessibility, which leads to preventable suffering and death right here in LA. Derrick's story is also one of empowerment and resilience. His recovery from pneumonia through Qigong and traditional herbalism exemplifies how these practices can be life-saving when conventional medicine is inaccessible. When offered in an equitable, low-barrier setting, traditional medicine can be a safety net for those who fall through the cracks of the healthcare system. This summer’s cohort is 60% Black, 60% LGBTQIA+, and all people of color. In public parks, we train in evidence-based Asian mindful movement modalities such as qigong. 100% of the healers are on a scholarship or payment plan, and 100% plan to serve communities impacted by structural inequity. The social support of the cohort empowers the healers as they help others. Our ancestors knew what we needed. Green space, the old remedies, and each other.

There will be 3 cohorts of maximum 25 healers, each of whom will train together for 3 months. After a 1 month application window, each cohort will begin by learning 1 movement form sufficiently well to teach others. After 2 months of technical refinement and community-building, healers will identify the park where they will teach and outreach to students. The 3 cohorts will be in South, East, and Central LA. By October 2025, each region will have multiple classes in public parks taught by local healers. Grant funds will pay the healers so classes can be donation-based. Healers trained during the grant period will be listed in a public database and be able to train other cohorts going forward. LA2050 resources will allow us to make community partnerships (such as Parks and Recreation departments) that can sustain the work beyond the grant period. In the long-term, the Dandelion Healers Cohort will make training in and access to traditional healing as accessible as the local park.

Derrick Wortes’ story illustrates the life-or-death stakes of health inequity, and the power of traditional medicine to address the problem right here in our green spaces.
If the proposed solution is implemented, expected outcomes include improved healthcare access for marginalized communities, increased utilization of public parks and preventative healthcare behaviors, decreased loneliness due to social support for both healers and participants, and better overall health outcomes as a result. These outcomes will be measured through pre- and post-class surveys for healers’ classes, as well as pre- and post-participation surveys for each cohort. These surveys will be offered in the top two languages spoken in each area, both in hard copy and electronic for maximum accessibility. Volunteers will conduct surveys as interviews if that's an access need. The qualitative and quantitative data collected during the grant period will give us metrics to use in applying for funding beyond 2025.