Merced County Health Care Consortium July 24, 2014

Sierra Health Foundation is a private foundation whose mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of life in Northern California. Our region extends from the Oregon border down to San Joaquin Valley, excluding the coast. Since 1985, we have awarded over $87 million in cash grants to nearly 1000 nonprofit organizations. SHF also offers in-kind meeting and event space for nonprofit organizations through our Conference and Convening Program. Our main offices are in Sacramento, but our Center for Health Program Management has offices in both Sacramento and Merced. Manuel Alvarado is our staff at the Merced office. As some of you know we opened an office on Main Street here in town last November. Some of you were at our open house. Since then more than 500 people have used our conference facility and we hope this number will continue to grow. So why the expansion into the SJV? A few years ago, our board recognizes that despite all the good work that is going on in the Valley, there is a big gap between funding and programs in the region. In fact, time and time again, we’re heard that despite all the health inequities in the region, the Valley receives less State and Federal funding than anywhere else in the State. The leadership team at Sierra Health Foundation realizes that than an innovative approach was needed to pursue the promise of health equity in communities across our State. Sierra Health Foundation established the Center to address this challenge. Our hope is that the Center would bring people and ideas together and leverage needed knowledge, expertise and establishes partnerships. With respect to the SJV, we want to bring attention to the region and to leverage resources into the region. The Center for Health Program Management’s vision is for all people in California to live healthy lives. Through the Center, SHF expands our work to 8 counties in SJV: San Joaquin and Stanislaus, which were the original 26 counties Merced Mariposa Madera Fresno Kings Tulare

Though we are health foundation, we have a broad definition of health, believing there is much more to health than health care. It is influenced by many factors, including socioeconomic conditions, environment, education, income and individual behavior choices – factors that have come to be known as the Social Determinants of Health. We also believe in the need for health equity. Reducing health disparities is a key factor in striving toward better health for all and reflects the foundation’s dedication to ensuring that people throughout our funding region have the opportunity to lead healthy lives. This is a graph that many of you have seen before from RWJ’s Commission on Health.

Strategies for Working in the San Joaquin Valley Leadership: Health Leadership Program Strengthening Institutions: Minority-Led Organizations Convening Community Investment: Grantmaking (to come) We are committed to improving health outcomes and reducing health disparities in the Valley. Our theory of change is quite simple – we believe that with good leaders, strong organizations, a space for reflection and planning infused with some strategic grantmaking - - anything is possible. So we expanded our existing leadership and organizational effectiveness programs to the San Joaquin Valley. We continue to make available our conference facility to nonprofit organizations and mission-driven coalitions and networks We will be rolling out a grantmaking strategy – we’re trying to figure out what the best way is to do this and want to make sure that we are Adding value to existing and needed work. We’ve been thinking about capacity, but very much in developmental stage. Maybe co-investing with other funders.

Health Leadership Program Received eight Health Leadership Program Class XI applications from the San Joaquin Valley: Fresno (1) Mariposa (1) San Joaquin (4) Stanislaus (2) (Total of 64 applications received) Participants have the opportunity to improve existing skills while developing new competencies that strengthen their organizations, and deepen their ability and commitment to address health disparities and health equity in underserved communities in Northern California and the San Joaquin Valley. Would love to get your help in recruiting more applicants next year.

Capacity Building for Minority-Led Organizations 11 of 12 MLO grantees are from the San Joaquin Valley, serving: Fresno (5) Fresno & Kings (1) Madera (1) Merced (1) San Joaquin (1) Stanislaus (1) Tulare (1) (19 of 26 applications received were from San Joaquin Valley) available to support organizational capacity building and leadership development activities for youth-focused, minority-led nonprofit organizations. Organizations serving in a 32-county region of Northern California and the San Joaquin Valley are eligible to apply for grants up to $10,000. This is the fourth cohort of the program

For a healthier California for all Partner with us For a healthier California for all

Discussion

Senior Program Officer Contact Info: Kaying Hang Senior Program Officer khang@sierrahealth.org 916.922.4755 x 3319