(Madera, Calif.) -- In Nov. 2019, the Guilds of Valley Children’s announced a $5 million endowment dedicated to transforming the health and well-being of kids in the Central Valley through the establishment of the Guilds Center for Community Health. The Center’s mission is to equitably improve the health and well-being of children by building capacity through programs, partnerships and community development.
For the last three years, the work of the Center has focused on areas that have a broad impact on childhood well-being and include adverse childhood experiences, food security, school wellness and child and infant safety.
It is well understood that the majority of health is determined outside of the hospital and clinic walls, the social determinants of health, which is why training physicians in the screening of adverse childhood events (ACEs) was an essential first step. As a result, from Jan. 2021 to Oct. 2022, 4,941 children were screened for ACEs. Of those, 294 screened positive for four or more ACEs, which is why it is so important to focus on improving the health of children where they live, learn and play.
As of Nov. 2021, the Guilds have raised $2.6 toward their final goal. It is through the incredible commitment of Valley Children’s 13 Guilds that the Center’s work is made possible and has opened the door for expanded partnership with Save-Mart, Rite-Aid, the Wonderful Company, the American Academy of Pediatrics, Cardinal Health and the California Department of Health Care Services, in partnership with the Office of the California Surgeon General.
Learn more about the Guilds Center for Community Health by visiting valleychildrens.org/guilds-center-for-community-health.