Bridging Clinical Care And Community Health
The Guilds Center for Community Health is the first of its kind in the Central Valley to bridge the exceptional care kids receive within our network and the health impacts our children experience where they live, learn and play.
Valley Children’s recognizes that the health of our kids is impacted by social determinants such as physical environment, health behaviors and economic status. According to research, of all the factors that influence our health, only 20% are linked to the clinical care we receive – and 80% are related to these social determinants. The Guilds Center for Community Health is an investment in that 80%.
The Center’s work will be shaped by health data to identify kids within our service region who are in most need of our help. With the funding commitment from the Guilds, we will prioritize the 80% of social determinants that are impacting a child’s health. The Center will:
- Build a Team – Under the direction of a full-time executive leader, the team will represent the expertise of social work, nursing, psychology and analytics. Together, they will assess health data to support the direction of the Center’s priorities and put metrics in place to measure the health improvement within our communities.
- Lead Partnerships – The Center will convene organizations, local government, schools and others working in our neighborhoods to align our work in the most impactful way.
- Childhood Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity – Nutrition and physical activity are identified as effective tools to combat childhood obesity. Programs such as Kids Eat Smart and Communities for Healthy Kids provide children with access to healthy food choices and wellness education. The Center will expand on this work and develop additional strategies, including the building of playground structures in communities to create safe access to physical activity.
- Access to Healthy Foods – Through the success of Prescription for Food, a pilot program in one of our North Valley pediatric practices, we have successfully screened patients for food insecurity and then partnered with the local food bank to supply our families with regular monthly access to healthy foods. The Center will continue to focus on helping families gain access to healthy foods through expanded partnerships with food banks; establishing food distribution sites at our Hospital and other Valley Children’s locations across the region; and collaborations with neighborhood grocery retailers to reach more kids and families.
- Additional Priorities – The Center will also support initiatives around asthma, diabetes, childhood safety, mental health and more.
The work of the Center will help Valley Children's Healthcare fulfill its mission ... to continuously improve the health and well-being of children.