Pediatric Center for Excellence Receives $125,000 Grant from Dominican Hospital
Grant supports Santa Cruz Community Health Centers' pediatric nursing program
SANTA CRUZ, CA (May 29, 2019) – Santa Cruz Community Health Centers (SCCHC), a leading nonprofit provider of high-quality, affordable and comprehensive health services to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay, today announced its Pediatric Center for Excellence has received a $125,000 grant from Dignity Health Dominican Hospital. The funds support the hiring of a new pediatric nurse to serve as Healthy Steps specialist. Healthy Steps is an evidence-based model to improve care and outcomes for birth-to-three-year-old children.
The Pediatric Center for Excellence is part of a comprehensive system of care to improve the lives of the more than 4,000 children served by SCCHC. Currently, 95 percent of the families served live at or below the poverty level and more than 180 of the children served are homeless.
“This investment from Dominican Hospital makes a huge difference in the level of service we will be able to provide to children in our community,” said Leslie Conner, CEO of SCCHC. “We are so thankful to Dominican for their recognition of the value of our program that provides access to care for local children, regardless of income or any other circumstance.”
Consisting of three phases, development of the Pediatric Center for Excellence is in Phase 2, which increases services for at-risk children. Going forward, plans call for additional integration of specialty care, implementation of evidence-based models for prenatal care and children age birth-to-3, and greater attention on social factors like housing and food insecurity. SCCHC is also innovating new ways to work with the Live Oak School District to serve shared students and patients.
“Dignity Health Dominican Hospital and Santa Cruz Community Health Centers have been longtime partners, and we share a commitment to taking care of the most vulnerable in our community,” said Dominican Hospital President Nanette Mickiewicz, MD. “We’re proud to support the Pediatric Center for Excellence and improve health outcomes for children in their critically important first three years of life.”
About Santa Cruz Community Health Centers
Through the Santa Cruz Women’s Health Center and the East Cliff Family Health Center, Santa Cruz Community Health Centers (a Federally Qualified Health Center) provides comprehensive primary care services in English and Spanish to all ages, genders, ethnicities, abilities and sexual orientations, regardless of their ability to pay. Seeded by the Santa Cruz Women’s Health Center, SCCHC is driven by its originator’s 40-year commitment to social justice and access to health care as human right. Its mission remains constant: to provide quality health services and advocate the feminist goals of social, political, and economic equality. SCCHC’s health centers serve nearly 11,000 patients through a dedicated staff of medical providers, nurses, licensed clinical social workers, health educators, and administrative staff. SCCHC’s clinics offer primary care, pediatrics, prenatal care and education, mental health and substance abuse counseling, chronic disease management, health insurance enrollment, food distribution, and more. Learn more at schealthcenters.org, facebook.com/schealthcenters or on Instagram@schealthcenters.
About Dominican Hospital
Dignity Health Dominican Hospital has been caring for the Santa Cruz County community for 75 years. Dominican offers emergency services and is a Certified Stroke Center. Dominican’s services include the only comprehensive Cancer Center in Santa Cruz County, a Total Joint Replacement program, advanced neurological and endoscopic services, and an expert heart and vascular team treating some of the most complex cardiac cases in the Monterey Bay area. Dominican has received national recognition for superior patient safety, cardiac care, and stroke treatment from Healthgrades, a leading provider of comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. Dominican also has received several awards for environmental excellence.
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Publish date:
Wednesday, May 29, 2019