Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal
Friday, October 24, 2008
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Executive Q&A: Community health is business concern

Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal

Fred Ferrer joined The Health Trust in 2007. The Health Trust is a nonprofit organization founded in 1996. It has provided more than $100 million in community assistance through grant-making activity, policy and advocacy, direct health services such as Meals on Wheels, and partnerships such as Healthy Silicon Valley. For 18 years, Ferrer served as executive director of Estrella Family Services in San Jose, where he grew the organization from serving 74 children to multiple programs that touched the lives of more than 1,000 young children and their families every year.

Q: What kind of financial investment is needed from a large donor to turn Silicon Valley into a healthier community?

A: You don’t have to be a large company like SanDisk Corp. or Cisco Systems Inc. to have an impact — small companies can also make a significant contribution. Some corporations donate $10,000 and some might give as much as $500,000 over the long term. The main point is that all of the money donated goes directly to help people and isn’t spent on overhead. Companies can also contribute by purchasing wellness services from The Health Trust or by offering employees as a resource to volunteer their time. Some employee groups pack food once a month, and it helps build a sense of camaraderie while contributing to the community.

Q: What are the costs associated with childhood obesity, and what role will The Health Trust play in reversing it?

A: Childhood obesity costs $14 billion per year in the United States, according to the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation. In Santa Clara County, 17 percent of residents are obese and 37 percent are overweight. There are four times as many fast food restaurants as there are produce markets and grocery stores. You’re never going to change behavior unless you look at the big picture and get the community involved. We focus on changing the environment by being as preventive and “upstream” as possible. One way is to make amendments to cities’ general plans. For example, San Jose is the biggest recycling city, and that’s because of the convenience of blue garbage cans at our curbs. We need to think of solutions like this to make physical activity and nutrition more accessible.

Q: What new programs are you working on, and how are they being funded?

A: We’re planning a Physical Activity Symposium for early 2009 where we plan to match fitness experts with senior caregivers to increase awareness and education on physical activity for seniors. We’re looking for a company to sponsor the event and underwrite the estimated $50,000 printing costs. Also, our Healthy Steps project, which consists of classes that help people manage chronic diseases such as diabetes in a group setting, is in need of funding. We’re looking for a company to fund $150,000 to print the manuals.

Q: What are some of your goals to improve health care in Silicon Valley?

A: I’d like to build a community kitchen with large enough capacity to serve the needs of many different Santa Clara County agencies, such as Loaves and Fishes. A large kitchen would be able to reap the economies of scale, and the facility could also serve as an emergency kitchen in the event of an earthquake. Corporate support is needed in order to make it happen, and it would cost in the millions of dollars.

Fred Ferrer

Chief Executive Officer, The Health Trust
Age: 50
Home: Willow Glen
Education: Bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara University and master’s degree from San Jose State University
First job: Working in my dad’s plumbing company
Best biz book you’ve read: “The Foundation: A Great American Secret,” by Joel Fleishman
Biz hero: Tom Peters
Best networking spot in Silicon Valley: Charity events
Hardest thing about your job: The Dow Jones Industrial Average falling