Skip to main content Skip to site navigation
Close

Get Healthy San Mateo County

Building Healthy, Equitable Communities
Building Healthy, Equitable Communities
Menu

September 2016 Newsletter
Partnerships for Health

Newsletter

Reviewing applications for 2017 recipients 
Our 2017 Community Implementation funding opportunity closed last week with 26 proposals for funding requests! We will spend the next few weeks reviewing applications with an external committee of experts in the field, and announce the next batch of projects to advance health and equity in San Mateo County later this year. We thank all those who took the time to apply! Stay tuned!

Join our team 

We have two internships for grad students to learn more about health and equity in San Mateo County and advance place-based work. Apps are due 10/14!

  • Our Epidemiology intern will focus on understanding what challenges Health System clients are facing to better target prevention efforts and address social determinants of health.
  • The Healthy Economy Intern will help staff with researching and developing strategies to maximize opportunity for those facing economic barriers in the county.

Leading for Change
Urban Habitat is looking for local leaders to join their Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) to train and support people from low-income communities and communities of color to advance an equity agenda on local and regional boards and commissions. Join a network of 100 social justice advocates and gain a deeper knowledge of and the ability to apply a race and class analysis to local and regional transportation, affordable housing, and land use issues. Applications are due 10/17!

Items to include in this newsletter

Staff Perspective Shireen Malekafzali

A Year of Implementing Your Healthy Vision

 Get Healthy San Mateo County Partners and Friends,

It’s been almost one year since we released our 2015-2020 strategic plan that highlights the four key priorities you identified for the collaborative. As Health System staff supporting Get Healthy San Mateo County (GHSMC), over this last year we’ve learned a lot about the key priority areas, engaged new areas of work, built new skills, and developed new partnerships. We’ve learned from all of you!

News

When You Can’t Plan Ahead

New research from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System shows irregular work schedules and income fluctuations are posing serious problems for households. Their recent survey shows nearly 1/3 of adults said they experienced some variability in their monthly income. Financial insecurity makes it difficult to afford and meet basic needs, leading to higher rates of depression and stress, and subsequently more health problems.

News

Means to Parks

Visiting County Parks is now easier than ever thanks to a new shuttle for East Palo Alto and North Fair Oaks! Launched last Saturday, September 24, anyone can take the new County Parks Shuttle for free, linking East Palo Alto to Edgewood County Park & Natural Preserve in Redwood City and eastern Menlo Park to Wunderlich County Park in Woodside. Kudos to the Parks Department for providing residents with a convenient and accessible means of transportation to enjoy San Mateo County’s wonderful outdoors!

News

Forecasting Growth

This month, MTC released the Draft Preferred Land Use Scenario, a major milestone towards Plan Bay Area 2040 that will be adopted next year. The Draft Preferred Scenario includes a regional pattern of household and employment growth with a corresponding transportation investment strategy. Sadly, the scenario did not meet the housing and equity goals identified by the Commission and the community through an extensive region-wide outreach process.

News

Finding Health Outdoors

In another collaborative effort this month, Public Health, Health Care Services, and Parks and Recreation professionals came together to discuss shared goals for health and parks. Goals included seeing parks as an opportunity to promote healthy living, physical activity, and access for underserved communities. Check out the Parks Prescriptions for programs running in other Bay Area communities for more ideas.

News

Who’s Failing Who? 

New federal data highlights disparities in education in 99% of public schools in the U.S. Across indicators like discipline, access to advanced classes, and student and teacher absenteeism, students from communities of color are disproportionally impacted. This sets students up for a long road of challenges ahead as educational attainment is a key factor in determining lifelong health.   

News

Next Steps for Local Growth

The County’s Jobs/Housing Gap Task Force reconvened this month and is developing a new structure to build on the existing momentum, continuing to provide support to local leaders and make San Mateo County a more livable place. Staff presented the initial products of the Task Force, including a new website, PowerPoint presentation, brochure, and talking points. Participants were thankful for all the work the County put in and excited about the Home for All San Mateo County initiative the County will advance as an outcrop of the Task Force.