Majority of Funding Targets Unmet Needs of Underserved Populations
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA, August 17, 2009 --The El Camino Hospital District Board of Directors announced approval of the FY2010 Community Benefit Plan, identifying $5.2 million in grants. The board also approved a contingency fund of approximately $200,000 for additional projects and sponsorships.
Included was funding for community benefit grants and sponsorships to be spent in the area served by the newly acquired El Camino Hospital Los Gatos. This money did not come from El Camino Hospital District tax receipts.
In 2008, the El Camino Hospital Board of Directors substantially increased its Community Benefit grant commitments, announcing it would allocate approximately $5 million annually from district tax receipts to Community Health Improvement grants for projects in the area that comprises the El Camino Hospital District. (These grants are only one component of the hospital's total community benefit, which last fiscal year totaled $71.5 million*.)
In selecting Community Benefit initiatives, El Camino Hospital chose programs that expand access to care and preventive services for underserved children and adults; strengthen and extend the continuum of care to better manage chronic illness; expand capacity for existing health services and programs; focus on collaboration to enhance program effectiveness and avoid duplication of services; and emphasize extended commitments to partners that ensure maximum impact. The initiatives are targeted to address the unmet needs of underserved populations.
"In the history of our hospital district, there's never been a greater need for us to reach out to underserved populations," said Wes Alles, chairman of the El Camino Hospital Board of Directors. "With state and local funding for social and health services being cut drastically, agencies and non-profit organizations are struggling to meet ever-increasing needs. We feel a strong commitment to support and expand initiatives that reach those who otherwise might not have access to care."
In light of those unprecedented conditions, the hospital's community benefit grants include a significant partnership with Santa Clara Valley Medical Center to support new services at its Sunnyvale Clinic, including adult primary care, dental services, pharmacy, lab and radiology services. This $1.2 million investment is the largest grant for FY2010.
"El Camino Hospital's community benefit grant makes it possible for Valley Medical Center to implement our innovative, award-winning, patient-centered care model,” said Margo Maida, Director of Primary Care Services for Santa Clara Valley Health and Hospital System. “It will provide a medical 'home' for low-income people who are underinsured and living in the El Camino Hospital District service area, providing them with increased access to primary care services integrated with behavioral health and dental care. Given the severe cutbacks in funding at all levels, launching this program would not have been possible without their generous funding."
Barbara Avery, Director of Community Benefit for El Camino Hospital, said, "The current economic downturn has heightened the economic distress felt by so many in the county, where almost half of all households earned less than was needed to be self-sufficient. It's against this backdrop that we developed our FY2010 Community Benefit plan, with the goal of making a significant and lasting improvement in the health of our constituents."
The following organizations were approved as 2010 Grant Recipients:
- Santa Clara Valley Medical Center to develop an innovative model to provide integrated primary care, dental and behavioral health services, and ancillary services for underserved and low-income people in Sunnyvale.
- Santa Clara County Children’s Health Initiative (Healthy Kids) to provide comprehensive health insurance for children in low-income families otherwise unable to access affordable coverage.
- Mobile Adolescent Health Services Program to support a safety net of primary and preventive care services as well as social and educational programs for homeless and uninsured adolescents at the Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District.
- RotaCare Clinic to support primary and specialty health care for the uninsured and to enhance mental health services.
- Mountain View/Whisman School District to support two fulltime school nurses and an aide.
- Sunnyvale School District to support two fulltime school nurses and an aide.
- Cupertino Union School District to support a full-time nurse and needed medical supplies and equipment.
- Campbell Union School District to support a new full-time school nurse.
- MayView Community Health Center to fund primary care medical staff and vaccines for low income and uninsured families and individuals.
- Healthy Workers Program to provide first-year funding for an employer-based health insurance program offering an affordable, comprehensive health plan for small businesses and uninsured Santa Clara County residents through Santa Clara Family Health Plan.
- Community Services Agency to increase capacity to offer intensive case management for Mountain View seniors with chronic diseases.
- Sunnyvale Community Services to provide funding for medical supplies and medication for low-income families and seniors and the disabled.
- West Valley Community Services to staff “Raising A Healthy Eater,” a program offering low income parents and children the resources to learn about and practice healthy eating habits, and to support the Food Pantry.
- Community Health Awareness Council (CHAC) to expand the Teen Talk group program and counseling services for at-risk children and adolescents.
- Columbia Neighborhood Center to enhance mental health resources for low income elementary school children in the Sunnyvale School District.
- RoadRunners Program to provide reliable transportation services for medical and other essential appointments for underserved and senior residents of the community.
- Medical Respite (Hospital Council of Northern & Central California) to collaborate with other local hospitals on post-discharge medical care and social services for homeless individuals.
- New Directions (Hospital Council of Northern and Central California) to support Emergency Department intensive case management for under- or uninsured patients who are frequent users of hospital emergency departments.
- Sports4Kids (now called Playworks) to increase school-based physical activity and youth leadership programs in low-income elementary schools.
- Alzheimer’s Association "Caregiver University" to provide free multi-ethnic workshops for caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s or other dementia-related disorders.
- Chronic Disease Self-Management Program which provides culturally and language-appropriate community health workshops targeting low income residents suffering from chronic illnesses.
- El Camino Hospital Immunization Program to provide free vaccines and tuberculosis testing for underserved individuals.
- South Asian Heart Center to support early heart disease detection services for South Asian residents.
- Community Education and Screenings to enhance detection of disease risks and referral to community health resources; to expand community access and professional staffing for the Health Resource Center/Health Library; to support community wellness lectures and multi-lingual educational materials; and to provide free health and Eldercare consultations.
(*Due to new community benefit guidelines, the unpaid costs of Medicare will no longer be counted in future totals. Adjusted for these guidelines, last year's community benefit would have totaled $36.1 million.)
About the El Camino Healthcare District
The El Camino Hospital District was established by voter approval in 1956 in accordance with California Local Hospital District Law. The purpose of the District is to establish, maintain and operate or provide assistance in the operation of health facilities and other health care services provider, groups and organizations that are necessary for the maintenance of good physical and mental health in the communities served by the District. The District, now known as El Camino Healthcare District, encompasses most of Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills; a large portion of Sunnyvale, and small sections of Cupertino, Santa Clara, and Palo Alto. The publicly elected El Camino Healthcare District Board of Directors approves tax dollar expenditures, including expenditures for the award winning Community Benefit program. Community Benefit funds are granted each year to local nonprofits, schools and government programs that provide critical health services to the underserved. All District Board meetings are publically noticed, open to the public, and available for viewing on the District website.