News
Palo Alto Medical Foundation Gives $600k to Healthy Kids Program
Area Dignitaries, Matching Grantors Attend Gift Presentation
Mountain View, Calif; 8/12/09 - Six hundred needy children will get essential health care and insurance, thanks to a $600,000 grant from the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) made today to the Healthy Kids program of Santa Clara Family Health Foundation. In a celebratory event attended by 15 elected officials and other supporters, PAMF Executive Vice President Richard Slavin, M.D., presented the check to Kathleen King, executive director of Santa Clara Family Health Foundation.
For only $1,000 a year, the Healthy Kids program can provide full medical, dental, vision and mental health benefits to a child.
“This gift will fund health insurance for 600 children who otherwise would not receive appropriate health care. The recent state budget cuts have negatively impacted county health programs and have reinforced the importance of philanthropic support,” said Dr. Slavin. “This is one of the single largest gifts PAMF has ever made, one which reinforces our long-time commitment to keeping children and their families healthy.”
“Healthy Kids fills the crucial gap in insurance and health care access for many low- and moderate-income families who can’t insure their children because they lack access to employer-sponsored insurance or are not eligible for public coverage via Medi-Cal and Healthy Families,” King explained. “In Santa Clara County, those families can enroll their children in Healthy Kids.”
Launched in 2001, the locally funded Healthy Kids health insurance program increases access to and use of both medical and dental care, which are crucial contributors to children’s overall well-being and health.
A study funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation found that the Healthy Kids program increased preventive care, decreased sick visits to the doctor, improved children’s overall health and resulted in fewer missed school days.
Diane Parnes, executive director of the Sobrato Foundation, and Linda Baker, program officer of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, attended the event and confirmed that these two well-known foundations had each given challenge grants of $100,000 and $200,000, respectively, in support of the Healthy Kids program. Their grants are being matched by PAMF’s generous gift.
One of the many beneficiaries of the Healthy Kids program, Claudia Flores, spoke about her personal experience with the program. Claudia, Rafael and Diana Flores all became Healthy Kids members in 2005. Soon after receiving their health coverage, Diana at the age of 4, was diagnosed with leukemia. She was treated at a children’s hospital and is now in remission and back in school. Claudia expressed her family’s gratitude at this event.
“The work that the Santa Clara Family Health Foundation does to help the neediest of our county’s children is constant and critical. Today, more families than ever are without health insurance. The physicians and professionals of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation recognize this and we are committed to helping children in the communities we serve,” Dr. Slavin expressed in a letter that accompanied the check.
Adding to the celebratory atmosphere of the gift presentation was the presence of several elected officials including:
- A representative of Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, 14th Congressional District
- Senator Elaine Alquist, 13th District
- Assemblymember Jim Beall, Jr., 24th Assembly District Representative; presenting a commendation
- Assemblymember Paul Fong, 22nd Assembly District Representative
- Liz Kniss, Santa Clara County, President of the Board of Supervisors and member of the Santa Clara Family Health Plan; presenting a proclamation
- Margaret Abe-Koga, Mayor of Mountain View; presenting a commendation
- Anthony Spitaleri, Mayor of Sunnyvale; presenting a commendation
About the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and Sutter Health
The Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) for Health Care, Research and Education is a not-for-profit health care organization that is a pioneer in the multispecialty group practice of medicine. PAMF's 900 affiliated physicians and 4,000 employees serve more than 640,000 patients at its medical centers and clinics in Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. PAMF is part of the Peninsula-Coastal Region of Sutter Health, one of the nation's leading not-for-profit networks of community-based health care providers. Sutter Health's Peninsula-Coast Region also includes Mills-Peninsula Health Services. For more information, visit www.pamf.org or www.sutterhealth.org.
About Santa Clara Family Health Foundation
Santa Clara Family Health Foundation (SCFHF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote access to affordable, high quality, healthcare by supporting Santa Clara Family Health Plan through resource development and outreach on behalf of the underserved members of our community. SCFHF raises funds to support the Healthy Kids insurance program and the Children’s Health Initiative in Santa Clara County. Through the Foundation, community leaders, community members, foundations, corporations, local businesses, friends, and other supporters can contribute funds to help achieve the goal of providing every child in Santa Clara County with access to quality health care through insurance. SCFHF is dedicated to ensuring that every child in our county has affordable health coverage so they can grow up healthy and strong.
Contact
Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Cynthia Greaves
Public Affairs
(650) 934-8614
greavesc@pamf.org
Santa Clara Family Health Foundation
Kathleen King
(408) 874-1998
kking@scfhp.com