$100,000 Pledged For Health Coalition

Kaiser Permanente and St. Joseph Health System are pledging $100,000 to keep Health Action, a coalition of public and private health-care providers, in business.

Health Action, a countywide advisory council with 30 members, was created by county supervisors in August 2007 as an outgrowth of medical community concern about Sutter Health's plans to exit public hospital services.

Although Sutter's plans have since changed, the council decided to focus on health policy issues such as ensuring primary care for residents, encouraging access to healthy foods and combating obesity.

"Long-term improvements to the well-being of the community and the health-care delivery system are not possible without making fundamental changes in personal behavior and lifestyle as well as developing new strategies for providing preventive health and medical care to all residents," said Rita Scardaci, director of the county Health Department.

On Tuesday, Scardaci is scheduled to deliver a progress report on Health Action's deliberations to supervisors. She also will seek approval to accept the grants of $50,000 each from Kaiser and St. Joseph, the parent company of Memorial Hospital and operator of Petaluma Valley Hospital. Until now, Health Action has been funded by grants from the California Endowment, a private foundation that makes contributions to community-based groups.

Judy Coffey, a Kaiser Permanente senior vice president, said many of Health Action's goals, such as preventive health care, "mirror programs" at Kaiser Permanente.

Kevin Klockenga, St. Joseph's interim CEO, said, "The goals are very basic but absolutely essential for ensuring that all residents, from infants to seniors, have the best possible chance to live healthy lives."

In addition to having Kaiser Permanente and St. Joseph officials on the panel, Health Action includes representatives of nonprofit agencies, private industry, health-care unions and local governments.

Since its creation, the council has held 21 community and focus group meetings designed to focus attention on initiatives that can be taken by health-care providers, government agencies, businesses, educators, social services and labor unions to improve the health of county residents.

December 8, 2008 Press Democrat by Bleys W. Rose