St. Joseph Health, Northern California Releases 2019 Report Showcasing Commitment to the Health of our Communities

Providence St. Joseph Health, and affiliated facilities in Northern California—including Petaluma Valley Hospital, Redwood Memorial Hospital (Fortuna), Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, St. Joseph Hospital (Eureka) and Queen of the Valley Medical Center (Napa)—recently published its Annual Report to our Communities.

This report highlights how the organization has invested in the community by focusing on upstream health. In Northern California, our hospitals chose the following focus areas because they are the foundations to health and well-being and represent needs that are integral to improving quality of life.

• Housing and homelessness: St. Joseph Health understand there is a vital intersection between healthcare and housing and believes both are basic human rights. Finding manageable pathways to permanent housing requires comprehensive reform and a serious commitment from private and public sector entities to pool talent and resources. By partnering with local organizations and agencies, Queen of the Valley Medical Center’s CARE Network is helping clients, many of whom are homeless, access medical care and secure housing.
• Health Access: Health care is about ensuring equity of care for everyone by providing access to a suite of social and health services. Access to healthcare impacts one's overall physical, social, and mental health status and quality of life. In a changing landscape, St. Joseph Health has formed intentional partnerships and made targeted investments that improve care outside of hospitals. For example, in Humboldt County, St. Joseph Health joined forces with other community organizations to increase access to substance use treatment for pregnant women. By providing a dedicated navigator, and enhancing the screening process, we are shepherding patients through care and providing a shoulder to lean on.
• Mental Health and Well-Being: There are unique challenges to addressing mental health and substance use disorders in every community. By partnering with local organizations that understand the landscape and needs of the community, we are part of a coordinated ecosystem that supports fostering optimal mental health. When we became aware that anxiety, depression and self-esteem issues were becoming more prevalent among younger populations in Sonoma County, St. Joseph Health collaborated with local partners and school personnel to launch a pilot of the revamped Healthy for Life program that incorporates mindfulness and resilience techniques.

“We use data collected from our community health needs assessment to prioritize high-need populations. Across the counties we serve, we are working to address a homelessness and housing insecurity challenge that has reached crisis proportions and access to physical and mental health services,” said Kevin Klockenga, Regional Chief Executive for St. Joseph Health, Northern California.

“Our investments aim to target the root causes of systemic issues. With community voice, public health expertise, and data guiding our investments we are improving the social and economic factors that contribute to healthier communities and better health outcomes,” said Dana Codron, Executive Director of Community Health Investment, St. Joseph Health, Northern California.

This report also highlights the organization’s 2019 community health investment. St. Joseph Health contributed $65 million in community benefit investments in Humboldt, Napa and Sonoma Counties. These investments include the costs of uncompensated care for Medicaid, free or low-cost care, and many other programs and initiatives focused on improving the health of our communities, increasing access to care and making care more affordable.

These intentional investments make it possible for people to live their healthiest lives and allow our communities to reinvest in other vital programs. Caring for our communities has never been more important. To see the community investment by state, visit the Annual Report to our Communities website to view regional reports.