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Silicon Valley HealthCorps improves access to fresh produce
At the forefront of the campaign is the new Silicon Valley HealthCorps funded by a $1.02 million AmeriCorps grant that will recruit 46 HealthCorps members to work full-time and part-time on expanding Silicon Valley’s community gardens, school garden nutrition education, and farm to school programs. The goals of the Silicon Valley HealthCorps are ambitious:
After extensive training, the HealthCorps members will work with the partner organizations to help grow and distribute 180,000 pounds of organic produce from new and existing community and school gardens each year over the next three years. The HealthCorps will also educate an estimated 8,000 individuals about nutrition and where food comes from through field trips and school and community based workshops. “The goal is to empower our community to make healthy choices,” said Frederick J. Ferrer, CEO of The Health Trust. “People want to be healthy. They know what they should do to be healthy. But the lack of access to fresh affordable healthy food is preventing some individuals and families from having the opportunity to make healthy choices.”
Ferrer said that many low income neighborhoods lack a full service grocery store, a farmers market or produce stands – but have plenty of inexpensive high fat, high calorie fast food options close at hand. This contributes to the alarming statistics that one in four children and over half of adults in Santa Clara County are overweight or obese, a condition that increases the risk of chronic disease such as diabetes. Access to fresh fruits and vegetables is not just a health issue, it is a social justice issue. “In so many of our communities, particularly in poorer and more isolated communities, fresh, healthy food is simply out of reach,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. For the complete list of partners and additional photos, click here. Why it was called “the Valley of Heart’s Delight” – and will be again
In the 1800s, Santa Clara Valley grew prunes, apricots, plums, walnuts, cherries and pears for the international market. By the end of the century, it was the largest vegetable seed producer in the world. By 1939, it was the largest canning and dried fruit packing center in the world. The work of the Silicon Valley HealthCorps and the community partners will reconnect today’s residents with this agricultural heritage, and all of the benefits that come with being closer to the land. _____________________________________________________________
Local Congressman shares his thoughts on national health care reform Written especially for The Health Trust newsletter by Congressman Mike Honda
In moderating two town halls in my district in September, I came to realize that truths and untruths surrounding healthcare are pervasive. Even the media interviewing me intimated a reality that needs fact-checking. What was evident at my town halls, however, is that President Obama is on point: strong support for a robust public option remains. In fact, four out of five Americans support the creation of a new federal health insurance plan that individuals could purchase if they cannot afford private plans offered them (2009 Poll by Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates). And no wonder: The public option presented in America’s Affordable Health Choices Act, H.R. 3200, has broad public appeal. It encourages free market competition by driving down costs, incentivizing more effective and efficient service across the industry, and ensuring that the customer is provided with quality, competitive options. Negotiating truths and untruths may not be the best way to build a solid foundation to broker healthcare reform. Perhaps a better way to pursue good policy at this point is to find commonalities. There are many.
We all want lower costs. The fact that America pays more than any other nation when it comes to healthcare, yet ranks low on personal health, is indicative of our poor return on investment. Ireland, for example, with universal coverage, spends half ($3,082 per capita, compared to our $6,714) but ranks highest among all developed nations on personal health. In response, H.R. 3200 eliminates co-pays and deductibles for preventive care, prohibits rate increases for pre-existing conditions, gender, or occupation, puts a cap on out-of-pocket expenses, and guarantees affordable oral, hearing, and vision care for your kids. We all want greater choice and higher quality. Under H.R. 3200, Americans can keep their doctor, and current plan, if they like them. And with the addition of a public option, we give Americans more choice by offering a high-quality public health insurance option that is cost competitive with private insurers. In our bill, Americans and their doctors will make healthcare decisions (not insurance companies), family doctors and nurses will enter the workforce, which helps guarantee access, and mental healthcare will be covered. We all want stability and peace of mind. With our bill, Americans will no longer have to worry about being denied for pre-existing conditions or worry about lifetime limits on how much insurance companies will pay. Never again will Americans have to make a job or life decision based on healthcare coverage. Americans like their freedom, which is why our bill does not take away anyone’s insurance, nor does it force anyone into a public option. Furthermore the public option is not tied to employment status — a net positive for those who might want or need to change their job — and will operate alongside private plans. We also know Americans are mindful of their money. The bill cuts costs, saving roughly $500 billion, by including incentives to reduce hospital re-admissions, investments in fraud detections, and savings obtained from the pharmaceutical industry (by locking in rebates for seniors). My colleagues and I are not promoting an Irish-inspired reformation. All we want is to offer an overpriced and bloated healthcare market with some good old-fashioned competition to reduce costs by unburdening emergency services and encouraging early warning and prevention, guarantee choice, and ensure quality care. A public option will do that. Nothing less. • • • Mike Honda (D) represents the 15th Congressional District which includes Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Santa Clara, and parts of San Jose. He chairs the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of The Health Trust. _____________________________________________________________
Making healthy choice the easy choice through General Plan changes Daily life in America significantly changed in the 1950s as families moved away from cities to sprawling suburban communities. People no longer walked to work, to school, to the store because neighborhoods were designed around the assumption that everyone would drive to their destinations.
Fifty years later, health and planning professionals are working together to revise communities in a way where making healthy choices – such as walking and bicycling – is the easy choice for residents. In order to promote wellness and reduce the risk of health problems, communities are looking at changes to their General Plans, the blueprints for future city development. Encouraging and supporting these efforts is a key strategy of The Health Trust’s Healthy Living Initiative.
Zoning, land use decisions, service delivery, and other policies are based on the General Plan that is updated about every 10 years. Some jurisdictions are creating an entirely new health “element,” or chapter, in their General Plans. Others are integrating health concerns into existing elements that cover such topics as housing, transportation, open space, etc. Robert Ogilvie, Director of Planning for Healthy Places at Public Health Law & Policy, believes that making healthy choices the easy choice in a community relies on the right answers to these types of questions:
General Plans might address these issues in a number of ways. For example, the General Plan might set a “walkability standard” for development decisions that says all residential properties must be within 1/4 or 1/2 a mile from daily retail needs and a public transit stop. Or, a city might set a condition that all neighborhood markets must be a specific percentage of shelf space to fresh fruits and vegetables.
The Health Trust is working closely with the cities of Mountain View, San Jose and Santa Clara to incorporate health into their General Plan updates currently underway. Grants from The Health Trust are funding health experts and community engagement and advocacy efforts to assist in the process. All 15 cities in Santa Clara County have received informational material from The Health Trust on how to integrate health considerations into their General Plans. “With The Health Trust’s guidance, community members shaping San Jose’s revised General Plan have expressed a strong commitment to shaping a built environment that induces a healthy lifestyle. In America’s 10th largest city, that commitment translates into a community designed for people rather than for cars, with ample bike lanes, connected trails, vibrant parks, integrated retail and residential development, and ample access to fresh food in low-income communities," says San Jose City Councilmember Sam Liccardo. Resources for communities that want to be healthy Institute for Local Government Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Eating Active Communities Program Planning for Healthy Places Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL)
Cities Campaign Health Trust partners with Greenbelt Alliance to promote health in General Plan updates The Health Trust and one of its grant recipients, the Greenbelt Alliance, an organization long known for its work to protect the environment, have teamed up to advocate for the inclusion of health elements and policies in the General Plan updates of San Jose, Santa Clara and Mountain View. The goal is to generate a “chorus of voices” in advocating for health policies so that city leaders are aware of the public’s interest in living in a community that is conducive to health. Greenbelt Alliance is holding a series of convenings and creating communications tools to help deliver the message about the connection between health and built environments. The General Plan update process in each city includes multiple opportunities for public input and comment on drafts. “It is exciting to partner with The Health Trust on this project because we can really bring together allies from across the sectors,” said Michelle Beasley, Senior Field Representative of Greenbelt Alliance. “There is a strong link between community health and environmental protection. Very often what is good for the environment–bike trails, public transportation and local produce is also very good for our health.” Individuals and organizations would like to join the effort to incorporate health into the General Plans of San Jose, Santa Clara and Mountain View can contact Michele Beasley at mbeasley@greenbelt.org. _____________________________________________________________
Health Trust is major sponsor of Silicon Valley Reads 2010
The Health Trust is a major sponsor of Silicon Valley Reads 2010 and its featured book selection – In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan – the bestselling book that advocates for a healthier diet. Readers will walk away with practical information, such as:
“Pollan's book gives Silicon Valley the opportunity to have a community-wide dialogue about healthy eating. It is the cornerstone of good health,” said Frederick J. Ferrer, CEO of The Health Trust. “We must ensure that we engage everyone in the community in this conversation—because healthy eating shouldn’t just be a privilege for those who can afford it.” For information visit the Silicon Valley Reads website, www.siliconvalleyreads.org. _____________________________________________________________
Fresh produce comes to low income families
The Health Trust has teamed up with Second Harvest Food Bank to bring its Produce Mobile refrigerated truck filled with fresh produce to the parking lot of The Health Trust Children’s Dental Center in East San Jose. Volunteers distribute about 10 pounds of fresh, healthy produce to each low income family each month. More than 400 families have been served so far.
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Concern about soda is bubbling over
Senate hearings on the link between soda consumption and obesity … a controversial public service ad depicting human fat gushing from a soda bottle … a call for a punitive tax on “liquid candy” – putting soft drinks in the same health-risk category as cigarettes and liquor. A groundswell of awareness about the health impacts of America’s consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is leading to more strident calls for legislation to reduce soda’s popularity. Individuals and families, however, can take immediate action by substituting healthier beverages like water, milk or green tea in their daily diet.
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