Center for Health Program Management launches, opens office in Merced
We’re pleased to announce the launch of the Center for Health Program Management, a new nonprofit organization that will help Sierra Health Foundation and our partners work throughout all of California, with a special focus on the San Joaquin Valley.
The Center for Health Program Management has two offices – one located at Sierra Health Foundation in Sacramento and the other in Merced at 521 W. Main St., which opened with a launch celebration on Nov. 12.
“We developed the Center for Health Program Management at a time when nonprofits and public agencies throughout California faced diminishing resources and a rapidly increasing need for their services,” said Sierra Health Foundation President and CEO Chet P. Hewitt. “As the gap between funding and programs in California was widening, we realized that an innovative approach was needed to pursue the promise of health equity in communities across our state. This is an exciting time for us, our partners and all whom we collectively serve.”
The Center brings people, ideas and infrastructure together to create a collective impact that reduces health disparities and improves community health for the underserved living in California.
“This is a revolutionary new chapter in the field of philanthropy,” stated Sierra Health Foundation Board Chair Jose Hermocillo. “The foundation and its partners have developed a new model for partnering with other funders to help reduce health disparities in disadvantaged communities. Although the work of the Center for Health Program Management is just beginning, we are excited for what the future holds.”
Visit the Center for Health Program Management web site.
Photo: Merced Mayor Stan Thurston welcomes guests at the Nov. 12 Center for Health Program Management opening in Merced.
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Responsive Grants Program awards total almost $250,000 for 19 organizations
Responsive Grants Program funding for this year’s second round totaled $249,782, with grants awarded to 19 nonprofits and public agencies. The grants of up to $15,000 each will support programs that improve health and well-being in our 26-county funding region.
“A big part of our mission is to help support the good work that organizations are doing in their communities to create health equity,” said Sierra Health Foundation President and CEO Chet P. Hewitt. “We are privileged to be able to support a group of critical partners once again through our Responsive Grants Program.”
Grant recipients will offer a broad range of activities to help build strong, healthy individuals and families, and reduce health disparities among vulnerable communities. Funded programs will serve seniors, veterans with disabilities, low-income and homeless individuals, foster youth and children. Selected programs will also address determinants of health by improving access to health care services, increasing opportunities for physical activity, providing food security and improving employment outcomes of people who are homeless.
Of the $501,130 awarded this year, 40 percent was directed to programs serving rural areas of the region. Since launching the Responsive Grants Program in 2008, we have awarded 263 grants totaling nearly $6 million.
See the grant list and project descriptions on the Responsive Grants Program web page.
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Brian Fitzgerald joins Sierra Health Foundation
We’re pleased to welcome Brian Fitzgerald as the foundation’s new public affairs and communications director.
In this position, Brian is responsible for managing communications strategies for Sierra Health Foundation and the Center for Health Program Management. One of his key roles is to provide communications direction for the organizations’ programs and public policy initiatives. His responsibilities also include managing the foundation’s public relations and public affairs programming, and he provides communications technical assistance to grantees.
Brian has more than 15 years of communications and public affairs experience. Prior to joining the foundation, he managed and collaborated on numerous high-profile projects for organizations including Disney Interactive, Apple, Kamehameha Schools, Hawaii Health Connector, the California Department of Public Health, Azusa Pacific University, Eli Lilly & Company, the McClatchy Company and California Student Aid Commission. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from University of the Pacific.
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National Dialogue on Mental Health leads to action plan for Sacramento County
In response to President Obama’s call for a national conversation to increase understanding of and awareness about mental health, Sacramento held the first National Dialogue on Mental Health — Creating Community Solutions — on July 20. The event launched an effort to develop a mental health action plan for Sacramento County by collecting input from more than 300 community members, including youth.
After that community dialogue, a planning committee developed a mental health action plan for Sacramento County to address mental health issues that were raised. Download Sacramento Mental Health Action Plan: Breaking through Barriers on Mental Health.
To move the implementation phase forward, a lead consultant is needed to work with Creating Community Solutions – Sacramento. We will hold a proposers’ webinar on Dec. 11 and proposals are due by Jan. 22. Download the request for proposals and register for the webinar on our Center for Health Program Management web site.
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UC Davis and University of San Francisco selected to co-direct new Health Leadership Program
After a two-year hiatus, the Health Leadership Program will be back in 2014.
The newly designed leadership program for nonprofits and public agencies will be jointly led through the UC Davis Institute for Population Health Improvement and the University of San Francisco’s School of Management.
Program details and applications for participation in the Health Leadership Program will be available in spring 2014, and classes will begin in the fall.
Since 2001, the Health Leadership Program, which was originally delivered by the State Capital Center of the University of Southern California in conjunction with the Marshall School of Business, has helped 270 leaders in the nonprofit and public sectors to become better skilled with a stronger vision for their organizations and communities. The program was initially co-directed by Dr. Rich Callahan and Dr. Dave Logan.
The 2014 program will build upon the previous 10 years and work to develop the skills of current and emerging leaders in organizations that work to improve community health and well-being and reduce health disparities across a broad range of issue areas such as education, employment, access to health services and youth development.
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