Homeless Health Day
1114 6th St. Modesto, CA 95354
Monday, August 9th | 8:30AM – 10:00AM
On Monday August 9th, 2021 Golden Valley Health Centers will be providing giveaway bags, juice, snacks, hygiene kits, swag and great information about our general services, our Medically Assisted Treatment program, and the Ryan White Program.
Collectively, health centers serve 1.3 million individuals experiencing homelessness each year, with about 1 million of these individuals served by the 300 health centers that receive HCH funding.
People who experience homelessness incur a number of health issues on the streets or in shelters, and being without housing can exacerbate current health conditions. People without homes endure higher rates of chronic and acute disease, behavioral health conditions, and other needs that make them particularly vulnerable to poor health, disability, and early death. HCH’s provide high-quality, comprehensive primary and behavioral health care, case management, outreach, and other supportive services to meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness. Due to the nature of homelessness, services are intentionally provided in trauma-informed ways that provide healing, choice, safety, and trust while honoring consumers as partners in care and experts in their own lives.
National Health Center Week is a time to honor and celebrate the work being done to advocate for policies that end homelessness by providing comprehensive housing and health care as a human right.
AGRICULTURAL WORKER HEALTH DAY
696 Livingston Cir. Westley
Tuesday, August 10th | 8:30AM – 10:30AM
Golden Valley Health Centers, Second Harvest Bank and Housing Authority of Stanislaus County along other volunteers will be delivering nonperishable food items, health care education and COVID19 updated health information to 170 agricultural and migrant worker households at Westley Migrant Camp from 8:00-10:30 to celebrate AG Workers Health Day for National Health Center week, want to volunteer? See you there
Community Health Centers serve approximately 20% of the estimated 4.5 million Agricultural Workers in the United States. Over the past few years, hundreds of health center staff members, community health workers, clinicians, executives, consumer board members, and advocates have come together to develop more effective strategies to increase access to care for migrant and seasonal agricultural workers and their families. Migrant/Agricultural Worker Health Center grantees are critical to ensuring access to quality primary and preventive care for patients who might otherwise go without care.
STAKEHOLDER APPRECIATION DAY
302 Northgate Drive, Manteca, CA 95336
Wednesday, August 11th | 8:00AM – 9:00AM
The incredible value Community Health Centers bring to their stakeholders deserves to be recognized. Golden Valley Health centers will be holding a special meet n’ greet Coffee and light breakfast event with Manteca Chamber of Commerce and invites you all to join us and celebrate National Health Center Week!
PATIENT APPRECIATION DAY
1405 California Ave. Dos Palos, CA 93620
Thursday, August 12th | 8:30AM – 10:30AM
Throughout the week we will be showing our appreciation to our patients by providing cool swag and snacks at all of our 44 health centers and on Thursday August 12th, 2021 Golden Valley Health Centers will be holding a patient appreciation celebration at our Dos Palos clinic that recently reopened! Come and visit and enjoy some music, swag and health information.
Our community board members are individuals who live in the community, are patients, and represent others who are served by the health center in terms of demographics such as race, ethnicity, and gender. GVHC ensures that our patients are represented by the needs and voice of the community. Today, we celebrate patients and community board members who keep health centers accountable and abreast of community needs.
CHILDREN’S HEALTH DAY
847 West Childs Ave. Merced, CA 95341
Friday, August 13th | 8:30AM – 10:30AM
More than 8 million children in the United States get their primary health care from a Community Health Center. Without a doubt, the timing of National Health Center Week lends itself well to engaging the youngest members of our communities as they prepare to return to school. From well-child checks to book drives to fun runs, health centers host events that will help children feel healthy, happy, and empowered now and in the future.
- Recognize your Legislative Contacts with an Official Certificate from the Health Center Advocacy Network – Download and customize the Certificate of Recognition template.
- Health Center Tours with Legislators or Legislative staff – Invite legislators and their staff to come for a tour of your health center to see firsthand all the good work you and the health center team are doing to care for the community. During the visit you can present an award to your elected official(s) recognizing their support, or you ask them to present an award to a deserving team member at the health center. Awards and recognition are always a great way to connect with policymakers.
- Submit a Letter to the Editor (LTE) or Opinion Editorial to Your Local Media Outlet – use the NHCW media templates to submit a letter to the editor or opinion editorial addressing your policymakers and/or their staff, expressing appreciation and/or explaining the reason why their continued support is so important for the health center and the patients you serve.
- Member of Congress can’t make it to your events? Ask them to celebrate NHCW on social media!
About NHCW 2021
National Health Center Week 2021 will be celebrated this year from August 9 – August 13. Elected officials will join communities across the country in elevating the work Community Health Centers have done while fighting on the front lines of COVID-19 to keep our communities healthy and safe. Their visits and messages will demonstrate that not only is it possible to move beyond the partisan divide over health care, but to support and agree on a program vital to our communities.
Health centers provide preventive and primary care services to almost 30 million people and have continued to do so while facing a global pandemic. Community Health Centers provide care to people who disproportionately suffer from chronic disease and lack access to affordable, quality care. While our approach is community-based and local, collectively we are the backbone of the nation’s primary care system. Community Health Centers lower health care costs to the tune of 24 billion dollars a year, reduce rates chronic diseases, and stimulate local economies.
At Golden Valley Health Centers we provide Family Medicine, Optometry, Pediatrics, Dental Care, Women’s Health and much more. Community Health Centers are not just healers, we are innovators who look beyond medical charts to address the factors that may cause poor health, such as poverty, homelessness, substance use, mental illness, lack of nutrition, and unemployment. We are a critical piece of the health care systems and collaborate with hospitals, local and state governments, social, health and business organizations to improve health outcome for people who are medically vulnerable. We have pivoted to serving our communities through telehealth, drive through COVID-19 testing, and still ensuring our patients can access basic necessities like food and housing resources.
While COVID-19 continues to exacerbate social and medical inequities across the country, Community Health Centers have stretched themselves to reconfigure services for those in need. As unemployment rates rise and more people lose their employee-sponsored health insurance, Community Health Centers must remain open to provide care for all, regardless of insurance status.
The mission of Community Health Centers remains crucial today because access to basic care remains a challenge in parts of the United States. Many people live in remote and underserved communities where there is a shortage of providers and, in many cases, the nearest doctor or hospital can be as far as a 50-mile drive in another county. Language barriers have also played a critical challenge when reaching communities with crucial updates to personal healthcare, with state and national healthcare information not being distributed fast enough.Congress must act immediately for CHCs to continue to serve as health care homes. Long-term and stable funding for Community Health Centers will ensure we can keep our doors open and close the growing access gap for medically vulnerable communities.
Show your support during National Health Center Week by supporting a health center in your community. We will be there when you need us.
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