Finding Common Ground in Community CEO MESSAGE
Board of Directors
Dear Sequoia Healthcare District resident,
Throughout the past year our work has centered around our collective desire to experience good health, to feel safe and supported, and to have equitable access to food, shelter and quality health services
While achieving and sustaining these outcomes is a tremendous and never ending task, I am proud of what we have accomplished so far Our $12 million dollar investment back into the communities we serve was substantially leveraged to help expand and refine services being provided by our partners on the ground
Whether through our own District led Initiatives or through funding our extraordinary community partners, we were able to help address the significant increase in demand for health services, particularly for mental health services in our schools and greater community, as well as to help address the sharp rise in food insecurity.
While the client stories featured in this annual report provide only a snapshot of the collective impact of our investments, they speak to why our dedicated staff and Board members along with our many extraordinary collaborative partners continue to do the difficult work of confronting and combatting longstanding health inequities.
In good health, Pamela Kurtzman, CEO
The 1st of 79 Health Districts in California Staff Jerry Shefren, MD Aaron Nayfack, MD Ivan Martinez Kim Griffin, RN Jenny Bratton President Chief Executive Officer Secretary/Treasurer Director of Partnerships & Development Director Michael Garb Director Pamela Kurtzman, MPH Luz Garcia Clerk of the Board Heidi Stamper Communications Specialist Sequoia Strong Coordinator CEO Pamela Kurtzman (middle) with RWC City Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department Director Chris Beth (r) and Manager Bruce Utecht (l) Sequoia Healthcare District serves residents of these cities: Director“I was worried about dying. I asked God for a little more life to enjoy my grandchildren. They are my only family in this country ”
—Abelardo
CLIENT HIGHLIGHT
When all five members of Abelardo’s family contracted COVID-19 during Thanksgiving 2020, Samaritan House was there to support them. A team effort led by Dr. Massy Safai, volunteer physician, helped keep the family successfully quarantined. Through telehealth visits, the medical team was able to assess the family’s health and deliver the appropriate medications.
Samaritan House also delivered daily warm meals, groceries and household supplies to Abelardo’s family so that they could stay quarantined in their Redwood City apartment.
As a vital public health provider, Samaritan House was able to diagnose and monitor Abelardo’s family, saving hospital resources, and preventing the further spread of COVID19.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHT RIDE PVI Program
When it first started, the Ride PVI program transported clients in Menlo Park to and from their homes and the Little House senior center. Now, it has expanded to transporting clients to their doctor or dentist appointments, grocery stores, and pharmacies.
PVI will arrange for a Lyft Driver to pick you up from your home within a few minutes. When you are ready to return, you call them back and they will get you a safe, comfortable ride home. No cell phone needed! Just call their transportation hotline at 650-272-5040. Service hours are Mondays – Friday from 9 AM to 4 PM. Preregistration is required for all users.
Residents Served
Vista Center for the Blind provides itinerant services to our clients in their home and community which allows them to apply the skills they have learned to remain independent in their own environment. Since July 2021, some services have been offered both virtually and in person to ensure the client is reaching their full potential, including Support groups. Clients have been quoted to find them "lifesaving" especially during Covid19 challenges.
AWARDED
Samaritan House works to keep everyone in our community fed, clothed, healthy, and housed through providing food services, children's programs, housing and shelter, health and dental clinics, case management, worker resource center, financial empowerment workshops, and school programs. Learn more at https:// samaritanhousesanmateo.org.
Peninsula Volunteers (PVI) empowers older individuals to lead independent lives through care and connection.
Located in Menlo Park, PVI offer four essential services: Little House senior activity center, Rosener House adult day services, Meals on Wheels and RIDE PVI. To volunteer or learn more about their services, please visit https://1pvi.org.
Abelardo“I realized part of surviving was accepting that I may become blind and working towards handling this new normal.” Paula
CLIENT HIGHLIGHT
Paula
Paula is an 80-year-old woman who lives in San Carlos, California. She has been losing vision due to macular degeneration, glaucoma, and a maturing cataract.
Paula was referred to Vista Center by her ophthalmologist so she can get services like Counseling, Training and Education that will help her navigate life after irreversible vision loss. She is terrified about becoming totally blind, which is how most of Vista's clients feel at first. Paula was given individual counseling to be followed by participation in a support group. She is now learning how to live with her changed circumstances and cope with progressive vision loss. “Being able to exchange information with other people who are visually impaired certainly helps me live with vision loss in a positive manner.”
Vista Center for the Blind provides services to clients in their home and community, allowing them to apply the skills they have learned to remain independent Clients have noted that they are "lifesaving" especially during Covid 19 challenges. For more information, visit https://vistacenter.org.
MENTEE HIGHLIGHT Amanda
As told by Amanda, a medical assistant at Stanford Hospital, Redwood City resident, and past Friends for Youth mentee (edited for brevity):
I was introduced to Friends For Youth through school, and little did I know it would change everything. Walking in, my initial thought was that there was no way that a mentor could help me, simply because they don't relate to me in any way. I was paired with Cece and Jim. Together, they both taught me about careers and life. They both pushed me to be my best self. As time passed I started to care about school more.
However, when sophomore year rolled around things got rocky for me. I was unfortunately a rape victim. In the time that I felt worthless, disgusting, alone, and completely shattered, both Cece and Jim were there for me. I honestly don’t think I’d be here today without the support I got from them, the school, and my mom. I’d love to also mention that I have not only graduated high school half a year early, but am now a Program Intern at Friends For Youth.
Residents Served 2021-22
Interested in becoming a mentor or mentee? Friends for Youth provides 1 to 1 and group mentoring to youths 8 17 in the Peninsula. To make an impact today, visit https://friendsforyouth org
“What I learned is that experiences, good or bad, impact your life in ways you could never imagine" Amanda
OUR IMPACT
Caring Community Grants Program
$3.8 M
AWARDED
The Caring Community grants program continued to grow in depth and scale in 2021 22. The program supported 59 grants totaling approximately $3.8 million, which was an increase from the $3 million granted in the previous 2020-21 grant cycle
These grants funded a variety of programs in six different categories: behavioral health, health literacy for seniors, health literacy for youth and adults (Y&A), Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug (ATOD) prevention, clinical services, and Food/Nutrition.
The need and demand for services has grown, mirrored by the reach of the programs Sequoia Healthcare District funds. The 2021-22 combined total of residents served is well over double the 27,000 district residents reported in the 2020 21 cycle.
For more information, visit seqhd.org/grants.
$100K
AWARDED
A joint holiday food grant program partnership with Dignity Health Sequoia Hospital* was created in 2020 as a direct response to the Covid 19 pandemic. In 2021, the joint holiday food program awarded $100,000 among five community partners: One Life Counseling, St. Francis Center, St. Vincent de Paul, LifeMoves, and Latino Commission.
In total, the 59 grantees served over 65,000* SHD residents The 2020 Census reports that there are close to a quarter of a million residents residing within the SHD boundaries, so it is estimated that up to one out of four households have benefited from these programs.
65,000*
1outof4 SHD residents served
*this number does not account for duplications
These grants directly benefited over 9,000 SHD residents. This is in addition to the number of residents regularly served through the 2021 22 Caring Community grants program, which funded $895,000 in nutrition and food grants to local agencies running food programs.
*SHD is not affiliated with Dignity Health Sequoia Hospital although we partner on health initiatives together.
Over the past 12 years, SHD has served as a leader in convening partners and providing a network of community supports and resources for students, families, and school staff. Through our Healthy Schools Initiative (HSI), SHD provides annual funding of over $4 5 million to eight local school districts, impacting approximately 31,000 K 12 students.
These funds help to support positions such as:
health and wellness leads school nurses school counselors
PE+ coaches
Furthermore, we provided much needed funding and support for school frontline Covid response teams Wellness leads and school nurses convened on a regular basis to share information and strategies about fighting the ongoing pandemic. Without the leadership of these individuals, it would have been difficult for our schools to re-open for in person learning Health and safety comes first, and setting this foundation was essential before classrooms re opened.
School Grants on profit
HSI Grants:
Over half a million dollars ($539,000) was allocated to 22 non profits that worked with our school districts in the 2021 22 school year. These partners provided a myriad of services to our schools, from outside education to animal assisted support For a complete list of past and current grantees, visit www.seqhd.org/hsi.
Mission:
Sequoia Healthcare District is committed to improving the health of District residents by enhancing access to care and promoting wellness through responsible stewardship of District taxpayer dollars.
Vision: Our Vision is for all District residents to experience optimal physical and mental health at every stage of life.
New Partnership with Red Cross:
Acknowledgements:
In celebration of SHD's 75th Anniversary, the San Mateo County History Museum hosted the Sequoia Healthcare District Then & Now exhibit from April to August, 2022 and a speaker event on April 30th with former Sequoia Hospital CEO/SHD Board Director Art Faro, Dignity Health Sequoia Hospital CEO Bill Graham, and SHD CEO Pamela Kurtzman A special thanks to Dana Nietzel and Carmen Blair from the SMC History Museum for their assistance with the exhibit and event!
We would also like to thank our many community collaborators, which include: Dignity Health Sequoia Hospital, The Gardner Center, Peninsula Healthcare District, Redwood City (Parks, Recreation and Community Services), Sandhill Foundation, San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, SMC History Museum, SMC Office of Education, SMC Department of Health, Thrive, 49ers Alumni Association, Via Heart as well as all the community members that stepped in to serve on committees and speak at our Town Halls.
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