Community Survey Contributes to Health of County

SAN MATEO, Calif. — Every three years, San Mateo County conducts a Community Needs Assessment Survey to determine the health of its residents, which in turn helps determine the priorities for the Health System and all County hospitals.

Sponsored and funded by members of the Healthy Community Collaborative of San Mateo County, the Community Needs Assessment Survey kicked off in early March. The survey is scientifically valid, randomly selecting 1,900 county residents and asking them to spend 35 minutes answering questions about their health and quality of life.

“We want people to take the time to answer these questions as thoroughly and thoughtfully as possible,” said Dr. Scott Morrow, San Mateo County’s Public Health Officer. “Directly asking the people we serve what they need, want, and how they feel is invaluable for helping us set priorities, and plan health programs and services to better serve the public.”

In 2008, the survey results revealed several significant trends affecting the health of our community, including that obesity rates were beginning to level off and youth violence was increasing. Community members participating in the survey also expressed concern about the large number of aging baby boomers in the County.

Since that time, the hospitals and community groups have been working to address these issues with new programs and initiatives, such as Get Healthy San Mateo County, a countywide obesity prevention initiative. Other efforts include the Sequoia Health Care District’s Healthy Schools Initiative, and launching the Sequoia Hospital Program, which coordinates care for older adults when they are discharged from the hospital. The 2012 data will help us evaluate if these efforts are making a difference.

Members of the Health Community Collaborative of San Mateo County include the Hospital Consortium of San Mateo County, San Mateo County Health System, San Mateo Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente Medical Centers in Redwood City and South San Francisco, Mills-Peninsula Health Services, Peninsula Health Care District, San Mateo County Human Services, Sequoia Hospital, Seton Medical Center, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford Hospital and Clinics, and Health Plan of San Mateo.

Free Activities, Classes During Public Health Week Beginning April 2

Join us for a week of free activities, classes and presentations to celebrate Public Health Week 2012 in San Mateo County.

Whether it’s a Pilates class, power walk, presentation on what you should know about diabetes, or how to safely handle raw chicken, there’s something for everyone.

The Health System is offering a wide variety of activities happening April 2-7. You’re invited to participate in as many activities as you want.  They are all free and being held in locations across the County.

Learn more about activities during Public Health Week by visiting the Health System website.

Meeting to Discuss Fitzgerald Marine Reserve Parking Lot Rebuild

On Monday, March 26,  at 7 p.m., San Mateo County Parks will hold a public meeting to discuss conceptual plans for rebuilding the existing parking lot at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve main entrance.

See the two proposed project conceptual plans.

Foreclosure Prevention Fair, Saturday, March 31

Learn about the foreclosure process, loan modifications, foreclosure rescue scams and much more at a free foreclosure prevention fair on Saturday, March 31.

The fair will be held from 9 a.m. to noon at the Silicon Community Foundation, 1300 S. El Camino Real, San Mateo.

The fair is sponsored by the office of Supervisor Carole Groom in cooperation with Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto, Project Sentinel, AFL-CIO Community Services, San Mateo Country Central Labor Council, United Way of the Bay Area and Housing and Economic Rights Advocates.

At the fair attendees will:

Hear about the new Attorney General settlement and other programs that might help you save your home.

Hear from a panel of experts including attorneys, tax professionals and certified housing counselors.

Learn about important tax issues related to foreclosures, loan modifications, the foreclosure process and more.

For additional information, call Housing and Economic Rights Advocates at 510-271-8443, ext. 307, or send an e-mail to inquiries@heraca.org.

To contact Supervisor Groom’s office, call 650-363-4568.

View a flier about the Foreclosure Prevention Fair.

Sawyer Camp Trail Closed Friday, March 16, for Maintenace

Sawyer Camp Trail, the popular hiking trail between San Mateo and Millbrae, will be closed Friday, March 16, for fire hydrant relocation. The trail will reopen Saturday morning.

Another one-day closure is expected at the end of March to complete the fire hydrant work.

The work is part of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s Water System Improvement Project. Please call the 24-hour Water System Improvement Program hotline with any questions or concerns:  (866) 973-1476.

 

Tickets Available for Women’s Hall of Fame Dinner

A school superintendent, a youth symphony director, one of the first women to be ordained an Episcopal Priest, and a leader in youth literacy, are among the inductees into the 2012 San Mateo County Women’s Hall of Fame, the county’s premier showcase for women who make a difference every day in our community.

This year, the Commission on the Status of Women is proud to announce that six women and two young women will be inducted into the San Mateo County Women’s Hall of Fame on March 22nd, 6:30 PM at the South San Francisco Conference Center.

“It is the great privilege of the Commission on the Status of Women to recognize the contributions and achievements of these exceptional women and young women,” said Martina Tello, President of the Commission. “The Women’s Hall of Fame is a reminder of the wealth of talent and generosity women bring to our county communities every day of the year.”

For information about the Hall of Fame awards banquet, please call the Commission on the Status of Women at 650-363-4463, or visit the Commission’s web page at www.smcgov.org/csw

A list of past inductees is also available on the website. Tickets can be purchased online at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/224975.

Read the rest of this post.

Board of Supervisors Appoints Controller

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday appointed Bob Adler as the County’s Controller effective April 1.

Adler has served as the Assistant Controller since 1998 and began his tenure with San Mateo County in 1995. He will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of current Controller Tom Huening at the end of the month.

Adler, a certified public accountant, will lead a staff of 42 accountants, auditors and fiscal personnel. The Controller’s Office provides financial services to departments, public agencies, special districts, cities and the school districts and contributes to the fiscal stability of the County.

Adler, 57, is a resident of Redwood City.

Sign up for SMCAlert

Next week is Tsunami Awareness week. San Mateo County residents are encouraged to be prepared.  For emergency information and alerts residents can sign up at http://www.smcalert.info.  This is free service.

County Simulates Mass Medicine Distribution in Emergency Preparedness Exercise

SAN MATEO, Calif. — In the Silver Dragon VI emergency drill, the Health System will partner with local response teams to simulate the delivery of large quantities of medicine and medical supplies to homes throughout the County on March 15, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Volunteers and agencies throughout the County will participate in the drill and practice their readiness to provide emergency assistance in a timely manner, specifically in the event of a major health emergency such as Pandemic Influenza, a food or water-borne illness, or the intentional release of a bioagent.

The Silver Dragon exercise tests the Health System’s ability to partner with local cities, law enforcement, fire departments, San Mateo Coastside Medical Reserve Corps (SMC MRC), and Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) for mass-dispensing medicine from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Strategic National Stockpile (SNS).

To test door-to-door distribution as realistically as possible, CERT and MRC teams will distribute earthquake safety brochures to simulate the medicine that could be delivered following a health-related emergency. Results from the exercise will be shared with other health agencies.

In addition to testing the Health System’s ability to distribute medications, the exercise tests how quickly San Mateo County receives the CDC’s stockpile medicines and medical supplies. The SNS would be deployed in the event of a public health emergency severe enough to cause local supplies to run out. Once Federal and local authorities agree that the SNS is needed, medicines can be delivered to any state in the U.S. within 12 hours.

While waiting for the SNS shipment to arrive, San Mateo County is prepared to distribute medicine and supplies from its own pharmaceutical stockpile. Last year’s Silver Dragon V exercise tested how long it took to visit 15,000 homes countywide; and this year, the group will try to improve on last year’s time. To test its mobile kitchen, San Mateo Medical Center’s food service staff will prepare food for the volunteers, which would be used at the hospital in the event of an emergency.

 Media is welcome to observe the exercise.

Participating Agencies: SF Bay Area American Red Cross, Belmont, Cal Fire, Calif. Highway Patrol, Coastside CERT, Coastside Medical Reserve Corps, City of Brisbane, City of Foster City, Menlo College, Menlo Park Fire Protection District, Millbrae Fire Department, North County Fire Authority, Pacifica Police Department, Redwood City, San Carlos, San Mateo County Health System, San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services, San Mateo Fire Department, San Mateo Medical Center, South San Francisco Fire Department.

Media Contact:

Robyn Thaw 650-573-3935

San Mateo County Health System

Register Now for the SMC Youth Conference

Join the San Mateo County Youth Commission on March 17 for the second SMC Youth Conference. The free event is organized by youth, but for adults and youth alike. It will feature more than 15 different youth-led workshops, a local legislative panel, international film showings and presentations from inspirational young leaders from around the world.
 
The conference takes place Saturday, March 17, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the College of San Mateo College Center, Buildng 10, 1700 W. Hillsdale Blvd, San Mateo.

Register online until March 11 at https://sites.google.com/site/smcyouthconference/registration. Continental breakfast and lunch included for those registered.

For more information, visit www.smcyouthconference.com or contact Seren Pendleton-Knoll, Youth Commission Program Coordinator, 650-401-8617 ext. 20.
 
This event is brought to you by StarVista, the San Mateo County Youth Commission, San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, Kaiser Permanente, Youth Leadership Institute, San Mateo County Health System and Redwood City 2020.