National Health Center Week | Rooted in Communities: A Local Collection of Health Center Stories
In honor of the 2019 National Health Center Week celebration, from August 3rd - 10th, the Safety Net Clinic Coalition hosted multiple celebratory events, a social media campaign, and a press release to highlight the important work of health centers in our community. Santa Cruz County has an incredible network of highly skilled health organizations which support thousands of residents along the Central Californian coast, extending from Santa Cruz to Watsonville to Monterey. The NHCW 2019 theme was Rooted in Communities: A local collection of Health Center Stories. Local health centers joined the national celebration by hosting the following events and activities:
Saturday, August 3rd – Give Seniors a Smile Day - Senior Dental Care Advocacy
Coffee Tour Event hosted by: Dientes Community Dental
Sunday, August, 4th – Social Determinants Day (Creating Nutrient-Rich Soil)
Moving Health Care Upstream video hosted by: Salud Para La Gente which can be found on Salud’s website and social media
Monday, August 5th – Homeless Persons' Health Project (HPHP) Clinic
Open House hosted by: Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency
Monday, August 5th – Senior Dental Care Advocacy
Guest Commentary in Sentinel: Dientes Community Dental
Wednesday, August 7th – Patient Appreciation Day
Special Food Distribution Event hosted by: Santa Cruz Community Health Centers
Thursday, August 8th – KSQD Radio Interviews
Three Live Interviews with Health Center Leaders on KSQD hosted by: United Way of Santa Cruz County
Friday, August 16th – The Health Matters publication
Sentinel article by Tara Walker, highlighted the importance of eye care. The article includes care tips and features Plaza Lane Optometry and Salud Para La Gente optometry services.
Saturday, September 14th – Community Appreciation
40th Community Appreciation Event hosted by: Salud Para La Gente
These events aimed to showcase the various services that health centers provide to maintain high-quality care, improve access, and increase awareness of the social determinants of health which affect all community members.
To gain further insight on the work health centers do to serve our community, please visit HIP’s website. Also, check out the 5-Year Impact Report from NHCW 2017, as well as the NCHW 2018 Bus Tour Event. To learn more about NHCW and the listing of events, please visit www.healthcenterweek.org. You can also follow the conversation using #ValueCHCs or #NHCW19 on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook! Santa Cruz County will join thousands of communities across the nation to recognize and celebrate the innovative work of health centers.
