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Part of a robust community support program valued at $244M in 2018. Through a series of partnerships, programs and grant initiatives, the hospital continues to improve the health of children and expectant mothers in the Bay Area.

For release: April 30, 2019

STANFORD, Calif.聽鈥� Even though is only 3 miles from Lucile Packard Children鈥檚 Hospital Stanford, it鈥檚 an insurmountable distance for many families. Without the nearby community health clinic, parents in the area would have to take multiple buses and spend more than an hour getting to the hospital for care.

鈥淚f we can keep kids from having to come to the hospital, that鈥檚 a great thing,鈥� said Sherri Sager, chief government and community relations officer for Packard Children鈥檚 Hospital. 鈥淚t鈥檚 part of the hospital鈥檚 DNA to improve the health of all children in the greater community, and one way we do that is by partnering with community clinics in order to provide care that鈥檚 close to home.鈥�

Sager explained that Packard Children鈥檚 investments in trusted community partners aim to expand access for families to receive care for their kids in their own neighborhoods. These include community-based health centers that serve as providers of comprehensive primary care services in a patient-centered environment, including Ravenswood in East Palo Alto; ; in Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Palo Alto; and Gardner Packard Children鈥檚 Health Center in Atherton.

Committed to improving the health of Bay Area communities

鈥淲e select organizations that have a proven track record of improving the health of some of our most vulnerable community members,鈥� Sager said. 鈥淔or more than 25 years, we鈥檝e been committed to improving the health of Bay Area communities.鈥�

In addition to supporting local health centers, Packard Children鈥檚 brings health care directly to underserved children at shelters and schools through hospital-based programs. The Mobile Adolescent Health Services program, also known as the Teen Van, provides free-of-charge multidisciplinary care to high-risk kids and young adults ages 10 to 25 in Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Francisco counties. Many of the young people who rely on the Teen Van face difficult circumstances, including homelessness. In 2018 (fiscal year), 526 youths received ongoing, comprehensive services across 10 community sites that the van routinely visits.

Packard Children鈥檚 recently released the 2018 鈥淐ommunity Benefit Report,鈥� which outlines community health improvement efforts that directly address needs established in the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). CHNA takes the pulse of the region鈥檚 health every three years, turning data into actionable steps.

For 2017 to 2019, the hospital adopted three core health initiatives:

One community program in particular encompasses all three initiatives, creating a multidisciplinary hub for kids with complex health care and social support needs: . In 2017, Packard Children鈥檚 helped establish the Pediatric Complex Care program, giving the community access to specialists and subspecialists, and providing an integrated plan that provides wraparound care for kids. Besides medical care, the program delivers mental and behavioral health care while addressing the social determinants of health, including income level, housing security, and access to care. A pediatric case manager works closely with families and forms partnerships with providers, county resources and schools to give kids the best chance at success.

鈥淚n order to live healthy and prosperous lives, we need homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, schools and communities that positively affect the health of individuals鈥攖his is particularly important in a child鈥檚 first few years of life,鈥� said Joseph Vaughan, manager of community partnerships at Packard Children鈥檚.

Sager believes community investments deliver an extra punch when coupled with community partnerships and legislative advocacy. She explained that Packard Children鈥檚 gets 鈥渋n the legislative trenches鈥� to promote policies and social change to support the health needs of children and expectant mothers. In 2018, Packard Children鈥檚 invested close to $500,000 in advocacy efforts to ensure access to quality health care. 聽聽

鈥淎s part of our advocacy efforts in 2018, we held our second adolescent mental wellness conference and brought five audiences鈥攖eens, educators, families, policy makers and clinicians鈥攖ogether to hear each other鈥檚 perspectives,鈥� said Sager. 鈥淪o much has grown out of that, including new state funding to support freestanding clinics that serve as one-stop shops for adolescents, providing mental and physical health care as well as substance abuse solutions and school support. We are planning in partnership with Santa Clara County to open the first two in the county this year.鈥�

The 鈥淐ommunity Benefit Report鈥� delineates for community investments by type, including: community health improvement services ($3.1 million); community building activities ($3.8 million); health professions education ($18.2 million); charity care ($1.8 million); subsidized health services ($1.4 million); and financial and in-kind contributions and community benefits operations ($2.7 million).

The 2019 CHNA survey is underway, but Sager predicted it will likely reveal a repeat of the same needs as the 2017 survey: access to primary care, pediatric obesity and adolescent mental health. In the next three years, Packard Children鈥檚 will continue to focus on these core areas. However, according to Sager, it will reassess specific programs to ensure that its community health improvement strategy is working.

鈥淲e can鈥檛 do it by ourselves. We know it takes an entire community to move the needle on these complex health needs. That鈥檚 why we partner with others on a deep level and leverage our resources to make real impact in the communities we serve,鈥� Sager concluded.

Media contact:

Kate DeTrempe
media@stanfordchildrens.org
(650) 721-8527