ST MARY MEDICAL CENTER

PRIORITY 3: HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON THE CONDITION OF HOMELESSNESS, INCLUDING HELPING HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS, PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS, AND MITIGATING ITS IMPACT ON COMMUNITIES. HOMELESSNESS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING ARE SIGNIFICANT NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITIES. HOMELESSNESS HAS A RIPPLE EFFECT THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY; IT IMPACTS THE AVAILABILITY OF HEALTHCARE RESOURCES, CRIME AND SAFETY, THE WORKFORCE, AND THE USE OF TAX DOLLARS. AFFORDABLE HOUSING BENEFITS OUR COMMUNITIES AND CREATES STRONGER OUTCOMES IN EMPLOYMENT, HEALTH AND EDUCATION. SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, LIKE HOUSING, HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT ON HEALTH BEHAVIORS AND HEALTH OUTCOMES. ADDRESSING HOUSING INSTABILITY, HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, AND PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS WILL IMPROVE HEALTH AND THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE. IN 2023, HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS WAS ADDRESSED BY: 1. HOMELESS NAVIGATION PROGRAM - A FULL-TIME HOMELESS COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER WAS HIRED IN FEBRUARY 2023. BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, 87 UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS WHO PRESENTED IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT WERE PROVIDED SUPPORT BY THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER. 2. HOUSING POLICY ADVOCACY - THE MANAGER OF COMMUNITY HEALTH INVESTMENTS IS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE CITY OF VICTORVILLE'S HOMELESS SOLUTIONS TASK FORCE AND SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY'S DESERT REGION STEERING COMMITTEE THAT MEETS MONTHLY. PRIORITY 4: OBESITY IS PRIMARILY DEFINED AS THE HEALTH CONDITION IN WHICH INDIVIDUALS ARE SUFFICIENTLY OVERWEIGHT TO HAVE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS ON THEIR OVERALL HEALTH. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE ISSUES OF EXERCISE OR FOOD CHOICES, WHICH ARE LISTED AS SEPARATE ISSUES. OBESITY WAS FREQUENTLY DISCUSSED IN THE 2017 CHNA FOCUS GROUPS, IN CONJUNCTION WITH ROOT CAUSES SUCH AS NUTRITION AND LACK OF EXERCISE, WITH CHALLENGES WITH WALKABILITY. IN 2023, OBESITY WAS ADDRESSED BY SMMC THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION OF CALFRESH HEALTHY LIVING PROGRAM, FURTHERED BY A GRANT RECEIVED FROM SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH. A TOTAL OF 503 HIGH DESERT RESIDENTS RECEIVED DIRECT OR INDIRECT NUTRITION EDUCATION. AS PART OF THE AFOREMENTIONED EFFORTS, ASSISTANCE ENROLLING WITH CALFRESH WAS PROVIDED BY CALFRESH GRANT STAFF. FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO: HTTPS://WWW.PROVIDENCE.ORG/LOCATIONS/SOCAL/ST-MARY-MEDICAL-CENTER