IMPACT REPORT

SVCHC is proud to share its 2022 IMPACT REPORT. Thank you to our staff, partners, and volunteers for their support in 2022.

Be Prepared: Flooding in Sonoma County

Be safe during these weather conditions.

Visit the following links to learn more about how to prepare.

• View alerts, warnings, and orders from Sonoma County, here

• For other emergency numbers, please visit here

COVID-19 UPDATE REMINDER

SVCHC Vaccination clinic hours for boosters 

• Our NEW schedule is every Wednesdays from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

Please remember that the current California health order requires anyone entering our building to wear a mask. 

• Patients with scheduled appointments should receive a phone call no earlier than 24 hours before determining symptoms. Patients showing specific symptoms will be asked to remain in their cars, and providers will come to patients' cars to be seen. We would greatly appreciate your cooperation as SVCHC works to ensure the health and safety of our patients and staff. 
• You may notice that our staff are wearing masks. This is our effort to keep our patients safe.
• If you need help, please call SVCHC at (707)939-6070, or for an emergency, call 911 or visit your nearest emergency room.
• Please note that behavioral health services will continue via telehealth and during clinic services. If you need assistance call (707)939-6070.

• LHI provides Covid-19 testing on Saturdays at Sonoma Valley Community Health Center's parking lot. For an appointment or other LHI sites, click here.
• Please note that CURATIVE is no longer offering Covid-19 testing. 
• For other testing sites around Sonoma County, please visit here.

To combat the virus' spread, White House officials announced that each household can order four free at-home tests. The tests will be mailed directly to homes starting the week of Dec. 19.

Order a free at-home test here

What you need to know about the Bivalent booster shots

• Bivalent: The authorized bivalent COVID-19 vaccines, or updated boosters, include an mRNA component of the original strain to provide an immune response that is broadly protective against COVID-19 and an mRNA component in common between the omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5 lineages to provide better protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant.

• As of 12/13/2022, the bivalent vaccines age ranged lowered to 6 months.

Which brand to get?

• Moderna Bivalent Booster It is authorized for use as a single booster dose in individuals six months of age and older.

• Pfizer BioNTech Bivalent Booster It is approved for use as a single booster dose in individuals 5 years of age and older and as a third initial dose for ages 6 months to 4 years.

When to get it?

• Bivalent Booster: At least two months after their primary dose or any previous monovalent booster.

SVCHC Vaccination Clinic Hours for Boosters

New hours: Wednesdays from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

Additional Dose- Moderately or severely immunocompromised people ages six months and older who completed their Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine primary series should plan to get an additional dose at least eight weeks after their second dose. People ages six months and older who completed their Moderna COVID-19 vaccine primary series should plan to get an additional dose at least 28 days after their second dose.

Please note: physical paper vaccination cards are required for 2nd and booster doses.

For questions, please email us at community@svchc.org or call us at 707-939-6070 or click this link.

To check our calendar, visit our website below:

Meet our In-House Pharmacy Department

Edgar Sanchez- pharmacy clerk. Lupe Magaña- Pharmacist, and Jennifer Mendiola- pharmacy technician.

(Names from left to right)

Our pharmacy at SVCHC is a 340B community pharmacy. A 340B Pharmacy is a pharmacy that participates in a federal 340B pricing program that allows clinics such as SVCHC that treat low-income and uninsured patients to purchase prescriptions at discounted prices. The 340B program also helps the clinic generate revenue that may be applied to programs that can enhance patient services and access to care. As a 340B pharmacy, we serve all patients regardless of their insurance status. 

Our pharmacy offers 340B priced medications, an RX Club discount plan, and also accepts most private insurance plans. We strive to provide our patients with the most economical pricing when purchasing prescriptions.

Our Pharmacy hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:30 pm.

Call (707) 939-2278 to see if you can benefit from this program or if we can help you refill your prescriptions. Our pharmacy department will gladly assist you.

Small yet meaningful activities can help you start this new year with a better mindset!

• Be grateful. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build stronger relationships.
• Give some love to your mind. Watch, listen or read information that uplifts you. It will help you focus on the things that truly matter to you and make you feel happier.
• Do something you've always wanted to do. Learn a new skill, travel to a new place, practice yoga, meditate, take that cooking class... It is time for you to start doing what makes you feel alive!
• Find your happy place. Discover those things that bring you happiness and practice them more often.
• Be kind to yourself and others. We all make mistakes. We are not perfect. Forgive and love yourself and others, and keep moving forward.
• Serve. Volunteering your time, money, or energy to help others doesn't just make the world better- it also makes YOU better. Giving back to the community boost your happiness, health, and sense of well-being.
• Give your body some love. Make an appointment with your primary doctor to have a regular checkup. Find out if there are some ways you can improve your health and well-being.

• You can learn about our Behavioral Health services here.
• For local resources, click here, here, or visit the County services on this site
• To find support for you and your little ones, click here.
• The young LGBTQ community can visit this link.

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of vision loss and blindness. It’s actually a group of diseases where pressure (usually) builds up and damages the eye’s optic nerve. National Glaucoma Awareness Month, in January, reminds all of us to get regular eye exams and show support for those suffering. Types of this disease include open–angle glaucoma, which causes peripheral eyesight to slowly diminish, angle–closure glaucoma, where pressure on the iris interferes with fluid draining, and low–tension glaucoma, which actually occurs without elevated pressure on the eye. There’s currently no way to restore vision lost from glaucoma.

WHY NATIONAL GLAUCOMA AWARENESS MONTH IS IMPORTANT

It's a silent disease

Open-angle glaucoma, the most common type, has no symptoms. Without treatment, those affected will slowly lose their peripheral vision. As glaucoma remains untreated, people may miss objects to the side and out of the corner of their eye.

It gives others a voice

National Glaucoma Awareness Month helps patients cope. It's a time to let them share their stories.

It's important to spread the word

The main objective of this month is to keep people in the know about this disease. Not everyone is aware of how easily they can be affected. Eye care organizations use this month to address the risks and provide treatment tips.

GLAUCOMA GUIDELINES TO REMEMBER

More patients than ever

Over 3 million people in the U.S. have glaucoma, and the number is rising.

​Glaucoma can affect people of all ages

​Although generally associated with seniors, glaucoma can strike anyone since each person has their own level of eye pressure tolerance.

Demographics do play a role

​Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness among African Americans; it's also highly prevalent in Hispanics over the age 65.

Is glaucoma hereditary?

​The risk of developing primary open–angle glaucoma is up to nine times more likely if parents or siblings have the disease.

For more information, click here

Did you know that more than 13,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer yearly?



Likely, the disease is preventable with vaccination and appropriate screening. Learn how below:

Cervical cancer is most frequently diagnosed in women between the ages of 35 and 44, with the average age at diagnosis being 50.

It rarely develops in women younger than 20. Many older women do not realize that the risk of developing cervical cancer is still present as they age. More than 20% of cases of cervical cancer are found in women over 65. However, these cancers rarely occur in women who have been getting regular tests to screen for cervical cancer before they were 65.

What are the symptoms of cervical cancer?

• Irregular or postmenopausal bleeding
• Increased vaginal discharge
• More severe symptoms may arise at advanced stages

* Abnormal bleeding doesn't mean you have cervical cancer, but you should see your healthcare worker as soon as possible.

For more information, follow this link and the CDC website

January 15th-21st is National Healthy Weight Week

One of the most common new year's resolutions is to lose weight or start a healthier lifestyle. However, few of us make conscious decisions about accomplishing this goal.

If you need some practical, tangible, and achievable tips to create some momentum, read the healthy tips from our dietitian Joyce Giammattei.

Healthy Habits for 2023:

• Start by setting goals, make them specific, realistic and achievable. 
• Find a fun way to pursue your goals.
• Break the goals into bite-sized pieces.
• Try not to achieve too much at once.
•  Enlist a friend, family member, co-worker, or neighbor to join you in your efforts. 
• Make a personal commitment, create and sign a contract, have a witness sign it too.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

• If you are not currently active, consider just 15 minutes of exercise twice a day during the weekdays, and if there is more time on the weekends, aim for 30 to 60 minutes a day.
• Use less butter, oil, cheese, and cream. Those fat calories can really add up. Not ready to give them up? Use less, or try a lower-fat version.
• Keep your heart healthy by choosing to eat less red meat. Choose chicken (skinless) and fish more often. Consider meatless meals every so often.
• Think of smaller portions. Consider cutting portions by 1/3.

We have the following positions open. Help us find great candidates for our team!

“Those who can do, do. Those who can do more volunteer.” 

Send us an email at

 volunteer@svchc.org

Stay up to date through our social media platforms, where you will find videos, resources, and information about current topics.

Subscribe today! 

Thank you for investing in health for Sonoma Valley children, families, and seniors.

Sonoma Valley Community Health Center has been on the front lines, providing care to our community since 1992. Low-wage jobs, minimal health benefits, and the high living cost mean too many of our neighbors lack access to affordable health care. SVCHC spends approximately $1 million each year on providing care to our patients who are under or uninsured. Thanks to generous, community-minded people like you, we can ensure that all of our neighbors have access to quality care.

Thank you for your support!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

· 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 am-9:45 am or until supply lasts. 

· Visit the Sonoma County Website for more info about Covid-19 vaccine clinics and testing.

To find more community resources available click the button below.

SVCHC is part of the health consortium "Aliados Health", formally known as "Redwood Community Health Coalition." Aliados Health is a network comprised of 17 community health center members with sites in Marin, Napa, Sonoma, Contra Costa, Solano, and Yolo counties. Formed in 1994, their mission is to improve access to, and the quality of care provided for under-served and uninsured people in the six counties. Aliados Health’s major focus is to strengthen the capacity of member health centers to act as a regional network of comprehensive primary care that provides access to consistently high-quality clinical care, effective care coordination, and reduce health disparities. The member health centers provide patient-centered primary care health homes to 295,016 patients, including 175,587 Medi-Cal patients and over 55,219 uninsured individuals.

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Sonoma Valley Community Health Center | Sonoma, CA

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

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