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HOME > ABOUT > PRESS > SONOMA VALLEY HEALTH ROUNDTABLE FORMS
Article published - June 26, 2009
Credit: SONOMA NEWS
Sonoma Valley Health Roundtable forms
A dozen health and community organizations in the Sonoma Valley are partnering to promote health and wellbeing.
The group, Sonoma Valley Health Roundtable, was spearheaded by Patricia Talbot, CEO of Sonoma Valley Community Health Center, and Dr. Patricia Brooks of Sonoma Valley Hospital. The group was formed to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders who will work to reduce disparities in health among residents in the Sonoma Valley. The charter is to promote health and wellbeing in the local community, catalyze local movement and defend the integrity of health-care access for all.
The group currently consists of Brooks, Talbot, Kate Brown, district nurse for the Sonoma Valley Unified School District; Stephen Dale, executive director for La Luz and Vineyard Workers Services; Dr. Richard Kirk, local psychiatrist and Health Care District board member; Dr. Clinton Lane, a local internist; Jona Matevish, grant coordinator for Sonoma Valley Community Health Center; Reva Metzger, healthcare community activist; Cynthia Scarborough, executive director of Vintage House senior center; Lynn Scuri, manager of the Sonoma County Health Department for Planning and Population Health; Dr. Jerome Smith, a pediatrician and medical director of the Community Health Center and Claudia Urbina, site manager for the Community Health Center. "It takes a village; it takes passion; it takes recognition of the values each and every individual brings to the table," Talbot said.
The health group has been working on two projects: a health and social services resource guide for the local community and iWALK Sonoma, a "get healthier" campaign from Sonoma County Health Action to increase the number of people who walk regularly in Sonoma County.
Talbot has secured the group's first grant from the TIDES Foundation Community Clinic Initiative for Center for Community Health.
The grant funds are for the development of the group's effectiveness and long-term sustainability in order to improve the health and wellbeing of the community.
Roundtable members expect to bring other stakeholders and subgroups into the process as additional health initiatives are identified.
"This is a wonderful opportunity to get face to face with key community resources to identify needs and generate solutions," said Brooks.
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