We are proud to share with you the four recognitions we received again for our services to our community!

Advancing HIT for Quality badge

This badge recognizes SVCHC for meeting all criteria to optimize HIT services that advance telehealth, patient engagement, interoperability, and collection of social determinants of health data to increase access to care and advance quality of care.

COVID-19 Public Health Champion

SVCHC received the COVID-19 Public Health Champion badge for contributions to providing critical public health services during the COVID-19 public health emergency. This badge was awarded because SVCHC is in the top 10% of health centers that provided COVID-19 vaccinations and/or COVID-19 diagnostic testing to the largest proportion of health center patients.

PMCH

SVCHC is recognized as a Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition for providing a model of care that puts patients at the forefront of care.

Health Center Quality Leader – Gold

SVCHC achieved the best overall clinical quality measure (CQM) performance among all health centers and is considered in the 1^st tier (top 10%) of health centers for quality excellence. To qualify for this badge, SVCHC has shown improvement in the following areas: improving A1c labs for patients with Diabetes, improving Breast Cancer Screening rates, re-engaging children due for immunizations, and improving processes for patients with Hypertension.

As usual, we will be closed on Thursday, November 23rd, to observe Thanksgiving Day. However, for the 1st time, we will also close on Friday, November 24th, and Saturday, November 25th.

Eating with family, friends, or loved ones is part of celebrating Thanksgiving. 

Here are some healthy tips so you can enjoy the holiday without regrets!

• Stay hydrated. Stick to calorie-free drinks such as water, tea, and seltzer.
• Start your meal with bitter herbs
• Fill your plate with veggies first
• Avoid high-carb, high-fat snacks such as cheese and crackers and chips and dip.
• East slowly and check in with your body before grabbing seconds
• Go for a walk after your meal
• Breath, enjoy the day and get back to your routine the next day

To learn more, click here

Sonoma Community Center is hosting its Annual Free Thanksgiving Dinner!

Join us for another fun and interactive cooking class!

Our upcoming class will be on December 7th to discuss how to handle kitchen fires and prevent wildfires while BBQing outside. Check out the promo video below and share it with your friends and loved ones!

Have you spotted SVCHC's patient transportation van yet?

The cold weather is here, and we want to make sure that our patients arrive at our clinic safe and warm! Therefore, we offer transportation for those without access to a vehicle or who are unable to drive themselves safely. This service is offered Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Please call 707.939.6070 ext.128 for more information.

Allied Health Services provides this service in collaboration with Sonoma Valley Community Health Center.

The following symptoms of diabetes are typical. However, some people with diabetes have symptoms so mild that they go unnoticed.

Common symptoms of diabetes:

• Urinating often
• Feeling very thirsty
• Feeling very hungry—even though you are eating
• Extreme fatigue
• Blurry vision
• Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal
• Weight loss—even though you are eating more (type 1)
• Tingling, pain, or numbness in the hands/feet (type 2)

Early detection and treatment of diabetes can decrease the risk of developing complications of diabetes.

Maybe it’s a different type.

If you or someone you know is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes but isn’t responding well to the typical treatments for type 2 diabetes, it may be worth a visit to an endocrinologist to determine what type of diabetes is happening. Generally, this requires antibody tests and possibly the measurement of a C-peptide level.

Gestational diabetes

Women with gestational diabetes often have no symptoms, which is why it's important for at-risk women to be tested at the proper time during pregnancy.

Diabetes Complications

Diabetes increases your risk for many serious health problems. The good news? With the correct treatment and recommended lifestyle changes, many people with diabetes are able to prevent or delay the onset of complications.

Eye Health.

(November is also Diabetic Eye Disease Month)

It's easy to take your eyesight for granted.

Diabetes is the leading cause of vision loss in people 18–64 years old. And there are no obvious signs or symptoms. The great news is that an annual routine eye exam can help identify existing eye diseases so you can take steps to prevent or delay vision loss caused by diabetes.

Source

INTERESTED IN HAVING AN EYE EXAM?



OUR SVCHC OPTOMETRY CLINIC CAN HELP YOU!

We offer comprehensive eye care services for the community, including the following:



• Comprehensive vision exams
• Vision care
• Eye care for seniors
• Red-eye exam
• Wide frame selection

Testing

• Diabetic retinopathy
• Glaucoma
• Age-related macular degeneration
• Cataracts

We currently accept SVCHC-established patients who have Partnership HealthPlan, Medi-Cal, Private/ commercial insurance, or are uninsured. For those uninsured, an income-based sliding scale fee program is available. Our Certified Enrollment Counselors are also available to help look into obtaining coverage.

The Optometry Clinic is located at 19312 Sonoma Highway, Suite B, Sonoma, CA, 95476, and is open Monday through Friday from 10 am to 6 pm. For questions or to make an appointment, please call 707-755-7003.

Signs and symptoms of lung cancer include worsening shortness of breath, chest pain, a persistent cough, sometimes with bloody phlegm, excessive fatigue, and/or weight loss. Unfortunately, most patients with lung cancer don’t have symptoms of lung cancer until the cancer has progressed to a more advanced stage.

Catching lung cancer at its earliest stage prior to the development of symptoms and treating it quickly provides the best chance of survival. 

Lung cancer screening with an annual low-dose chest CT is recommended for patients at increased risk for lung cancer. Eligibility and coverage may vary depending on your insurance plan, but the US Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends lung cancer screening for patients meeting all of the following eligibility criteria:

• Age 50-80
• Tobacco smoking history of at least 20 pack years
• (one pack-year = smoking one pack per day for 1 year)
• Currently, smoke or quit smoking within the last 15 years
• No signs or symptoms of lung cancer

Source

For more information click here

The pancreas is an organ that is about 6 inches long. It’s located deep in your belly between your stomach and the backbone in the upper part of your abdomen. Cancer begins in cells, the building blocks that make up tissues. Tissues make up the pancreas and the other organs of the body. Pancreatic cancer symptoms are often barely noticeable or could be associated with other medical conditions. Early cancer of the pancreas often does not cause any symptoms, making it difficult to diagnose and treat. As the pancreatic tumor grows larger, you may notice one or more of these common symptoms:

• Abdominal and back pain
• Jaundice and related symptoms
• Nausea and vomiting
• Weight loss or poor appetite
• Digestive issues

Advanced stages of cancer may also cause these general symptoms:



• Weakness or feeling very tired
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss (also called cancer cachexia)

When you get a diagnosis of cancer, it’s natural to wonder what may have caused the disease. Doctors can’t always explain why one person gets pancreatic cancer, and another doesn’t. Studies have found the following risk factors for cancer of the pancreas:

• Tobacco use
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Chronic Pancreatitis
• Family History
• Race (Ethnicity)
• Inherited Genetic Syndrome

If you have symptoms that suggest cancer of the pancreas, your doctor will try to find out what’s causing the problems. You may have blood or other lab tests and/or one of the following: Physical exam, Computerized Tomography (CT scan), Ultrasound, Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS), Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Positron Emission Tomography, Needle biopsy or Laparoscopy.

For more information regarding pancreatic cancer, click this link.

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

• To learn more about SVCHC's Behavioral Health Department, visit our website.
• Resources for the LGBTQ community go to this link.
• Buckelew Programs and monthly resource packet.
• NAMI SONOMA support services.
• Hanna Center Community Mental Health Hub.
• For local resources, visit the county services.
• Resources for parents and children click here.
• Suicide is preventable website.

Now that we have longer nights, it is important to learn how to reduce or stop racing thoughts at night.

If your mind is racing, it may seem like you'll never fall asleep. Racing thoughts at night can be hard to "turn off" since they can only perpetuate the stress or anxiety that caused them in the first place.

Lying awake in bed is unlikely to help. In fact, it's likely to make matters worse. Managing stress, unwinding before bed, and using distraction and relaxation techniques, however, can help you slow your thoughts and get a better night's sleep.

Schedule "Worry Time"

Scheduled worry time is a point in your day when you sit down and list what is causing you stress and anxiety, as well as some actions you can take to help address them. For example:

By writing down your stressors and creating an action plan, you help yourself:

• Put a name to the sources of stress
• Release worries from your mind
• Find ways that the stress can be relieved
• Enjoy a sense of accomplishment when you tackle and review your tasks

If thoughts related to the stress present themselves at night, you can respond by simply telling yourself, "I don't need to think about this right now. Instead, I will think about it tomorrow during my scheduled worry time."

Address Your Stressors

Rather than being overwhelmed, break your stressors down into manageable chunks—and then get to work.

What If I Can't Cross Off a Task?

There may be some items on the list that have no apparent resolution. This ambiguity may cause additional anxiety and zap your energy throughout the day.

If you find yourself stuck in this loop, tell yourself to let it go and come back to it tomorrow. There are other things you can focus on today.

A solution may become clearer with time. And since the item is written down, you don't have to worry that you'll forget about it.

Prepare for Sleep

It can be helpful to set aside intentional time to relax before bed to make the night a relaxing time. Good sleep hygiene involves stopping certain activities and establishing a familiar routine that tells your body it's time for sleep.

Disconnect

Your circadian rhythm is the internal clock that tells you when it's time for sleep. These internal rhythms can be thrown off by several things, including lack of sunlight and too much blue light from computer screens.

A few hours before bed, turn off screens, including:

• Computers
• TV
• Phones

In addition, put your work aside and disengage from social media. There will always be more to do, but you have done enough for today. Now it's time to relax and prepare for sleep.

Spend at least 30 minutes, or perhaps as long as one or two hours, unwinding and decompressing before bedtime.

Relax

Fill this time with relaxing activities, such as:

• Reading
• Listening to calming music
• Stretching
• Taking a shower or bath
• Meditating or praying

You may find that establishing a nighttime ritual that incorporates some of these activities sends your body signals that it's time to wind down.

Right before bed, or if you find yourself awake at night, you might try some other relaxation techniques, including:

• Breathing exercises
• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Guided imagery

These can distract you from the effort of trying to fall or stay asleep. They can also reduce racing thoughts at night.

SOURCE

To learn more, access this site. If you have a concern, call us at (707) 939-6070 to make an appointment with one of our providers. We are here to help you!

“During National Family Caregivers Month, we recognize the love and sacrifice of more than 50 million Americans providing crucial care and medical assistance to parents, children, siblings, and other loved ones, ensuring their health and dignity."

MEDI-CAL AND COVERED CA COVERAGE

1. Medi-Cal continues processing renewals/redeterminations paperwork. Those who don't renew will receive a termination notice. Beneficiaries that are over income (and *status that qualifies for Covered CA) will be transferred to Covered CA.

PLEASE NOTE: Currently, open enrollment is from November 1st through January 31st. For coverage on January 1, 2024, apply by December 15th, 2023.

Make a difference in the community by helping through the SVCHC.

“Volunteers are paid in six figures -S-M-I-L-E-S."

(Gayla Lemaire) 



Send us an email!

Remember to stay up to date through our social media platforms, where you'll find videos, resources, and information on current topics.

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• For questions regarding renewing Medi-Cal or questions about Covered California, please get in touch with the SVCHC Eligibility Team at (707)939-6070 or by email: eligibility@svchc.org

• Appointments for SVCHC W.I.C. Office must be made via phone prior to visits. Please call 707-565-6590.

• REFB Food Distribution is at SVCHC every 1st and 3rd Friday of each month. Distribution hours are from 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. or until supply lasts. 



• To receive a Free COVID test starting on September 25th, visit this website.

For more community resources, visit our website.

Community Resources

OUR MISSION: To provide accessible quality health care to those who need it, especially the underserved.

OUR VISION: To be recognized as a leader in providing patient and community-centered care in collaboration with other organizations.

707-939-6070 * www.svchc.org * community@svchc.org

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