VALLEY HEALTH FOUNDATION (VHF)

VALLEY HEALTH FOUNDATION (VHF) IS A NON-PROFIT LEADER IN COMMUNITY HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE THAT FUNDRAISES TO SUPPORT, INNOVATE, AND ADVOCATE FOR BETTER HEALTH FOR ALL IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY. VHF HELPS PATIENTS, FAMILIES, AND DEDICATED HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS WHO SERVE IN PUBLIC HEALTHCARE FACILITIES IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY. VHF IS THE FOUNDATION FOR SANTA CLARA VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER, O'CONNOR HOSPITAL, AND ST. LOUISE REGIONAL HOSPITAL, 14 PRIMARY AND SPECIALTY CARE HEALTH CENTERS, SANTA CLARA COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES, AND CUSTODY HEALTH. VHF ALSO SUPPORTS MANY COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT SHARE OUR MISSION TO ENSURE BETTER HEALTH FOR ALL.THE FOLLOWING ARE VHF'S MAJOR PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES: LAUNCHING VALLEY HEALTH FOUNDATION - IN 2019, THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA PURCHASED TWO COMMUNITY HOSPITALS, O'CONNOR HOSPITAL IN SAN JOSE AND ST. LOUISE REGIONAL HOSPITAL IN GILROY. THESE THREE HOSPITALS COMPRISE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA'S LARGEST PUBLIC HEALTHCARE SYSTEM ALONGSIDE SANTA CLARA VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ACQUISITION, VHF INTEGRATED THE FORMER O'CONNOR AND ST. LOUISE FOUNDATIONS INTO OUR OPERATING STRUCTURE. THE FINAL STEP IN THAT PROCESS IS CHANGING THE NAME OF OUR FOUNDATION TO REFLECT ALL THREE HOSPITAL COMMUNITIES. IN MAY 2023, THE VMC FOUNDATION BECAME VALLEY HEALTH FOUNDATION WITH A NEW MISSION AND VISION STATEMENT. THIS REPRESENTS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FOR VHF SINCE OUR FOUNDING IN 1988 AND SETS US ON A PATH TO SUPPORT, INNOVATE, AND ADVOCATE FOR BETTER HEALTH FOR ALL IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY. FRIENDS OF ST. LOUISE - THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA PURCHASED THREE BANKRUPT AND/OR CLOSED HOSPITALS IN EARLY 2019, TWO OF WHICH HAD PRE-EXISTING FOUNDATIONS THAT LATER DISBANDED. VHF IS NOW RAISING FUNDS FOR AND SUPPORTING SERVICES AT SANTA CLARA VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER HOSPITAL & CLINICS, O'CONNOR HOSPITAL, ST. LOUISE REGIONAL HOSPITAL, AND THE REST OF THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA HEALTH SYSTEM. ""FRIENDS OF ST. LOUISE"" IS THE NEW GIVING SOCIETY LAUNCHED BY VHF TO SERVE AS THE COMMUNITY-FUNDRAISING ARM FOR ST. LOUISE REGIONAL HOSPITAL. COMPRISED OF THE FORMER MEMBERS OF THE NOW-DEFUNCT ST. LOUISE HOSPITAL FOUNDATION, FRIENDS OF ST. LOUISE WILL BE THE CONDUIT BY WHICH VHF SUPPORTS THE EXPANSION OF THE HOSPITAL.VIOLENCE PREVENTION - THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT LEADS A COMMUNITY-WIDE COALITION TO ADDRESS VIOLENCE IN EAST SAN JOSE AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN. AS SUCH, VHF HAS BEEN INVITED TO BE PART OF THIS COALITION AND HAS BEEN CHOSEN AS THE ""WELLNESS FUND,"" WHERE DOLLARS RAISED TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE ALLIANCE WILL BE KEPT AND ADMINISTERED. SPINAL CORD AND BRAIN INJURY REHABILITATION - SECURING GRANTS AND GIFTS TO ENHANCE THE WORLD-CLASS CARE PROVIDED BY SCVMC'S SPINAL CORD INJURY ("SCI") AND THE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY ("TBI") UNIT IS A MAJOR PRIORITY SINCE DOING SO NOT ONLY HELPS PATIENTS OBTAIN THE BEST TREATMENT FOR THESE KINDS OF INJURIES BUT ALSO HELPS ATTRACT PATIENTS WITH PRIVATE INSURANCE. THIS PROGRAM BENEFITS SCVMC FINANCIALLY BEYOND WHAT PHILANTHROPY ALONE CAN DO.TURNING WHEELS FOR KIDS - VHF ENSURES THAT CHILDREN OF LOW-INCOME FAMILIES CAN HAVE A BRAND-NEW BICYCLE, PROMOTING OUTDOOR EXERCISE AND BATTLING THE CHILDHOOD OBESITY EPIDEMIC. IN 2023, VOLUNTEERS BUILT 943 BIKES DISTRIBUTED TO 24 COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND SCHOOLS THAT SERVE CHILDREN. NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT ("NICU") SUPPORT - SCVMC'S NICU PROVIDES THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF CARE TO HUNDREDS OF TINY, PREMATURE INFANTS EACH YEAR. VHF, WITH THE HELP OF FIRST 5 SANTA CLARA COUNTY IN SILICON VALLEY, AND OTHER PHILANTHROPISTS, PROVIDES TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL SERVICE SUPPORT TO THESE BABIES AND FAMILIES.EDUCATION AND ISSUE ADVOCACY - VHF ENGAGES IN PUBLIC OUTREACH AND EDUCATION TO PROMOTE THE EXCELLENT AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES IT PROVIDES TO ALL COUNTY RESIDENTS, REGARDLESS OF ABILITY TO PAY. PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE OF THESE SERVICES, MANY OF WHICH ARE PROVIDED BY THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA HEALTH SYSTEM AND NO OTHER HOSPITALS IN THE BAY AREA, CAN HAVE POLICY IMPLICATIONS. FOR THIS REASON, VHF IS DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ABOUT THE HEALTH SYSTEM'S SERVICES, HOW LOCAL AND NATIONAL POLICY CHANGES MAY AFFECT THE HEALTH SYSTEMS, AND HOW INCREASED UNDERSTANDING OF THE HEALTH SYSTEM'S ROLE IN CARING FOR THE COMMUNITY CAN DRIVE DONATIONS, POLITICAL SUPPORT, AND PUBLIC PERCEPTION. ADDITIONALLY, EXPANDING THE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW ISSUES LIKE COMMUNITY VIOLENCE AND HOMELESSNESS ARE CONSIDERED A HEALTH CRISIS AND HOW SANTA CLARA COUNTY RESIDENTS CAN HELP SOLVE THESE CRISES HAS BECOME A GROWING PRIORITY.SANTA CLARA COUNTY COMMUNITY GRANTS PARTNERSHIP - THE COMMUNITY GRANTS PARTNERSHIP TEAM AT VALLEY HEALTH FOUNDATION ADMINISTERS THREE GRANT PROGRAMS FUNDED BY THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA THROUGH THE FEDERAL CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS UNDER THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT (ARPA), THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ACT (MHSA) AND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA JUVENILE JUSTICE CRIME PREVENTION ACT (JJCPA). THE THREE VHF GRANT PROGRAMS INCLUDE (1) THE COVID-19 NONPROFIT RESILIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY GRANT PROGRAM, (2) THE CHILDCARE EXPANSION GRANT PROGRAM AND (3) THE SCHOOL-BASED WELLNESS CENTER GRANT PROGRAM. IN TOTAL, THE $37 MILLION IN GRANT PROGRAMS WILL DISTRIBUTE $33.9 MILLION TO QUALIFIED ORGANIZATIONS IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY BY 2025, WITH ADMINISTRATIVE COST OF $3.1 MILLION.