May is a time to raise awareness about mental health and reduce the stigma around this topic. Community health systems are essential in providing behavioral health care and helping patients find resources and connectedness in their community. We invite you to take some time to look around and within your community and take action on what matters the most to you and your loved ones.

COVID-19 UPDATE

The COVID-19 emergency at the federal level ended on 5/11/2023.  In California, COVID-19 vaccines, PCR and home antigen testing, and treatment will continue to be provided and covered as they are today. They will be covered at no cost until November 12, 2023.

As of April 3, 2023, patients are no longer required to wear masks to enter into healthcare facilities. Currently, Sonoma County Department of Public Health has remained silent on the state guidance. As such, SVCHC will follow the state guidance and lift its blanket mask-wearing policy for patients.

SVCHC will continue to ask patients to wear masks if they have a cough, cold, fever, or flu-like symptoms. We may also ask patients to wear a mask during certain exams or procedures where there is close patient-to-provider (or other staff) contact. The patient may remove the mask upon completion of the exam or procedure. At their own discretion, providers may ask patients to wear a mask while seeing the patient.

Please wear a mask around others if you have respiratory symptoms; cough, runny nose, and/or sore throat.

If you’ve had significant exposure to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, wear a mask for 10 days.



We will also require patients to wear a mask when the COVID-19 community levels increase to “High.” Click here for more information.

SVCHC CELEBRATED WOMEN'S HEALTH WEEK

(May 14th-20th)

The goal of this health awareness is to empower women to prioritize health. It also equips women with the knowledge to help other women on their journeys to improve their health. With the efforts of individuals and healthcare workers, every woman can live a healthy and happy life.

SVCHC's Women's Health Services include a dedicated care team of primary care clinicians and women’s health specialists. We empower patients of all ages to achieve exceptional health by providing women-centered primary care, family planning, and prenatal and post-partum care. Our center has various services to help meet your care needs.



Primary Care: We provide comprehensive primary care, including diabetes screening, cervical cancer screening and referrals for mammograms.

Family Planning: We provide pregnancy tests and comprehensive birth control options to our patients.

Prenatal Care: We offer early-term prenatal care with midwives and physicians. Our team partners with Queen of the Valley Medical Associates to deliver care as you get closer to your delivery date.

Perinatal Services: Our program, along with your obstetrics practitioners, offers support leading up to and directly after your child’s birth. We want you to have a healthy baby and a positive pregnancy experience. Through education and counseling, we address all of your pregnancy and post-partum needs to help you have a happy and healthy pregnancy.

Women’s Health Services can offer the following:

• Preventative care
• Outpatient gynecology
• Prenatal care
• Family planning services
• STI testing/treatment
• Confidential pregnancy testing
• Cervical Cancer Screening Program
• Breast Cancer Screening Program

* To celebrate Women's Health Week, our center collaborated with the Sonoma Valley Hospital, on May 13th, to assist and pamper our women. Seventeen of our female patients recieved a mammogram and a massage.

Because moms need to be celebrated all month and all year round!

“When you are looking at your mother, you are looking at the purest love you will ever know.” -Charley Benetto

Nurses Week was May 6th-12th. They are so valuable to us that we still want to recognize their great contribution!

Just as we must acknowledge that patients suffer, we must recognize that caregivers' work is complex, essential, and physically and emotionally challenging. For those of us who work in the healthcare industry, nurses aren’t just people we see every so often; they’re at the heart of our healthcare organization. That is why we want to acknowledge their work and selfless commitment to helping every patient at our clinic.

Because of them, we live in a happier, healthier world!

This is a peak season for people with asthma and allergies and a perfect time to educate patients, family, friends, co-workers, and other people about allergic diseases.

More than 100 million people in the United States have asthma and/or allergies. Some people may have more than one of these conditions.

• Nearly 26 million people in the U.S. have asthma (20.7 million adults and 4.8 million children).
• About 20 million people in the U.S. have food allergies (16.0 million adults and 4.3 million children).
• About 80 million people in the U.S. have rhinitis due to nasal allergies, also called “hay fever” (66.4 million adults and 13.9 million children).
• There is no cure for asthma or allergies.

What Is Asthma?

• Asthma is a long-term disease that causes inflammation and swelling of the airways. This results in the narrowing of the airways that carry air from the nose and mouth to the lungs.

• Asthma symptoms include trouble breathing (shortness of breath), wheezing, coughing, and tightness or pain in the chest. Allergens, like dust or pet dander, are common triggers. Some people also develop asthma symptoms in response to certain foods or to exercise. Asthma can be deadly. There is no cure for it, but appropriate treatment prevents asthma attacks and can help you have a better quality of life.

For more information, click here

THIS MONTH WE OBSERVE SKIN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Spending time outside is a great way to be physically active, reduce stress, and get vitamin D. You can work and play outdoors without raising your skin cancer risk by protecting your skin from the sun.

Most skin cancers are caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun, tanning beds, and sunlamps. Protection from UV rays is essential all year, not just during the summer. (UV rays are strongest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

How to Protect Your Skin from the Sun

Shade: Stay in the shade under an umbrella, tree, or other shelter.

Clothing: Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants and skirts. If wearing this type of clothing isn’t practical, try to wear a T-shirt or a beach cover-up. Clothes made from tightly woven fabric offer the best protection. Darker colors may protect you better than lighter colors.

Hat: Wear one with a brim around it that shades your face, ears, and neck. A tightly woven fabric, such as canvas, protects your skin from UV rays. Avoid straw hats with holes that let sunlight through.

Sunglasses: Sunglasses protect your eyes from UV rays and reduce the risk of cataracts. They also protect the tender skin around your eyes from sun exposure.

Sunscreen: Put on a thick layer of broad-spectrum sunscreen that filters out UVA and UVB rays and has an SPF of 30 or higher before you go outside.

Sunscreen is not recommended for babies who are six months old or younger. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends keeping infants out of the sun during midday and using protective clothing if they have to be in the sun.

• SPF. Sunscreens are assigned a sun protection factor (SPF) that rates how well they filter out UV rays. Higher numbers indicate more protection.

• Reapplication. Sunscreen wears off. Put it on again if you stay in the sun for over 2 hours or after swimming, sweating, or toweling off.

• Expiration date. Sunscreen without an expiration date has a shelf life of no more than three years. Its shelf life is shorter if it has been exposed to high temperatures.

Source

Watch for Sudden:

• NUMBNESS or weakness of face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
• CONFUSION, trouble speaking or understanding speech
• TROUBLE SEEING in one or both eyes
• TROUBLE WALKING, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• SEVERE HEADACHE with no known cause

Risk Factors Under Your Control

• High Blood Pressure
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• Diet high in Saturated Fat
• Physical Inactivity
• Obesity
• High Blood Cholesterol

You can click here if you'd like to take a Stroke Risk Assessment.

Steps you can take to be healthier and reduce your risk of stroke

• Don’t smoke or vape and avoid secondhand smoke.

• Eat healthy foods low in saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium (salt). Reduce sugary drinks.

• Do regular physical activity.

• Keep a healthy weight.

• Limit alcohol to one drink daily for women; two drinks per day for men.

• Take your medications as directed.

• Know your blood pressure. Optimal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg. Get your blood pressure checked regularly and work with your health care professional to manage it if it’s high. High blood pressure is a leading cause of stroke.

• Reduce stress, which may contribute to overeating, lack of physical activity, unhealthy diet, and smoking.

• Have regular medical checkups, including an assessment of your risk for stroke.

• Get adequate sleep, 7-9 hours per night for adults, more for children and kids.

Source

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Part of a healthy lifestyle is taking care of our Mental Health. Here are some tips that can help you with that.

• Get plenty of sleep. 
• Stop to enjoy small aspects of the day. 
• Use a stress ball or some other stress reliever.
• Perform a random act of kindness. 
• Exercise.
• Practice deep breathing exercises.
• Practice yoga. 
• Pet a dog. 
• Eat breakfast.

For detailed information regarding these tips, click here.

To find valuable information locally, we invite you to attend the following event:

Additional resources are available to you:

• For local resources, 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.
• For Mental Health Community events in May, click here.
• Check the Buckelew Program for May here.
• To learn about our resources, visit our website here.

 "You don't have full control of the situations you experience, but you do have control of what you decide to do in those situations. And the attitude you take towards it." 

(Unknown author)

Homeless Action Sonoma, Inc, Needs Our Helping Hands!

We have the following open positions. Help us find great candidates for SVCHC's team!

Remember that our Back to School Health Fair is coming up soon!

You can make a positive impact on the education of students in our community while shopping at SVCHC's

WALMART ONLINE REGISTRY

Two ways to support SVCHC and the BTS Health Fair at Altimira Middle School on August 5th!

1) Donate change by rounding up your purchase at checkout on Walmart.com

2) Donate products from SVCHC’s registry & have the items shipped to us. Items for the Back to School Health Fair are included on the list!

Together, we can make a difference in the health and education of students in our community!

“The end of all knowledge should be service to others.”

– César Chávez

Would you be interested in volunteering?

Send us an email!

Don't forget to check our social media platforms. You will find videos, resources, and information about current topics.

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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 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.

We appreciate your support!

• PHE Medi-Cal Continuous Coverage Requirement ended on March 31st. For questions regarding renewing Medi-Cal or questions about Covered California, please get in touch with 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 am-9:45 am or until supply lasts. 

• If you suffered monetary losses due to the December 2022 & January 2023 storms, contact Petaluma People Services

To find more community resources available click the button below.

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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