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This month, I’m pleased to introduce a new feature in our Pulse Newsletter – a recurring feature about our committed board members. Many employees may not realize that SJ Health is governed by a volunteer board of directors who give their professional expertise and patient experience to guide our health centers toward our mission, vision, and successful outcomes for our strategic initiatives. In the months ahead, you’ll have an opportunity to learn more about the community members who are committed to sharing their personal time and knowledge to making us stronger and positioning us for further growth. This month, we’re appropriately starting with the leader of our board, Rod Place. Rod has a longer history with SJ Health than many of us here! I invite you to read on to learn about what interested him being part of our journey.
You’ll also find an introductory features about our ACES Aware efforts – part of a statewide initiative to bring awareness to, and screen for, trauma in our patients’ lives that undermine their health status and ability to thrive. SJ Health’s own Dr. Patricia Apolinario is leading this expansive effort for our health centers, and I’m sure our team will benefit from learning more about what the ACES Aware program is about, and how it can make a difference for the patients we serve.
Finally – after many months of preparation and a “soft launch” for our Manteca Health Center reopening, we’re ready to introduce our team and site to our south county communities. Work is underway for an upcoming reopening event in June – a potential showcase to policymakers, community influencers and others who can help us achieve our expansion objectives.
The SJ Health Team is doing great work – and the Pulse Newsletter is just one small way to showcase it. If you have ideas about topics we should cover, or other ways to share SJ Health successes with our broader community, please let us know!
The ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) AWARE program is a public health initiative designed to increase awareness of the impact of childhood trauma and to promote trauma-informed care. ACES refers to a set of potentially traumatic experiences that may occur during childhood, including physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, neglect, household dysfunction, and other adverse events. The program aims to educate healthcare professionals, educators, social workers, law enforcement personnel, and community leaders about the effects of ACES and to provide tools and resources to help them identify and address trauma in their respective fields.
The program focuses on three key areas: education, screening, and response. For organizations such as SJ Health, the program provides training and resources to help care teams recognize and respond to trauma, including guidelines for screening patients for ACES and strategies for providing trauma-informed care.
Dr. Patricia Apolinario heads up the ACES AWARE effort for SJ Health and is an advocate for ACES screenings and interventions for the health centers’ youngest patients. “ACES are traumas in our life that occurred in the past that can affect our body, as well as how we see things, and how we realize life. They have lasting and significant impacts that continue into adulthood,” said Dr. Apolinario.
ACES can also undermine health status, according to Dr. Apolinario. “The most frequent ACES-related condition is asthma, but we can see other outcomes such as malnutrition, depression, pneumonia, weight issues and eating disorders, as well as immune challenges – all manifesting from the various traumas that children or adolescents may be dealing with at home. “
Dr. Apolinario is working with SJ Health’s physicians to use established screening tools with parents during well-child visits to assess potential ACES that the children may be dealing with at home. For older children (ages 12-17), the physicians conduct the screening directly with the young patient as well.
In addition to consideration of the health implications, Dr. Apolinario noted that a key aspect of the ACES effort is to make referrals to professionals who can help the patient or family deal with the traumas identified, including psychiatrists or other behavioral health practitioners, the Child Advocacy Center, social service agencies (such as shelters, housing support agencies, and food pantries), or SJ Health’s Enhanced Care Management Program.
As a statewide public health initiative, ACES AWARE is expanding its reach to other disciplines (law enforcement education, etc.), and taking on more of a focus within programs such as Medi-Cal. Meanwhile, SJ Health’s near-term objectives are to increase family/patient participation in ACES screenings, to further patient education about ACES and their relevance, and to broaden care team training (to medical assistants). Longer term, Dr. Apolinario expects that Medi-Cal and insurance carriers will increase their requirements for providers related to ACES training, outcomes measurements, and reporting.
Asked how SJ Health’s team can further support the ACES AWARE efforts within the health centers, Dr. Apolinario identified that staff can play a significant role by encouraging families to discuss an ACES screening at their visit and to have open dialogues with their care team, and to help patients and families recognize the potential benefits that come from the ACES screening, including potential health improvements, referrals to helpful resources, and relief from day-to-day challenges the family may be experiencing. Additional trainings, talking points and materials are in development to support broader staff engagement in the ACES AWARE initiative at various patient touchpoints.
Ultimately, the goal of the ACES AWARE program is to reduce the incidence and impact of childhood trauma and to promote healing and resilience among individuals, families, and communities affected by ACES. SJ Health, its ACES-trained physicians, and the passion of Dr. Apolinario to expand the program among our health centers are leading the path locally toward achievement of that goal.
Many things make SJ Health unique – our dedicated team, our innovation, and our engagement throughout our service area. But one particularly unique aspect of SJ Health, compared to other primary care health providers, is our governing board made up of community professionals and patients that help us shape our programs and services.
Rod Place is the chair of SJ Health’s Governing Board, a role he’s had for “longer than I can remember,” he said. Rod joined the board at the urging of then County Supervisor Carlos Villapudua who thought that Rod’s business acumen would benefit the then-County Clinics as they navigated the economically challenging landscape.
“I met a number of very passionate and talented staff, and it broke my heart to think that despite their best efforts, the clinics were (at that time) losing money monthly,” shared Rod. “It became a personal conviction to help the status and the people who need services, while also moving the clinics’ revenue from red to black.”
Rod credits the overall SJ Health team, leadership, and creative thinking for the health centers’ success, highlighting the expansion of services, locations, grant-funded initiatives, and collaborative partnerships. He’s excited by the potential for ongoing growth as SJ Health eyes its entry into Lodi, assesses opportunities for vision and dental services, and plans for expanded technology to improve access and quality. “Our future is bright!” he exclaimed.
His perspective isn’t just coming from the position of voluntary advisor. He notes that part of the value of the local governing board has been in getting patient input, and in experiencing SJ Health’s service delivery himself first-hand. “I, as well as other members of the board, make it a point to be a part of the clinics, to be patients, and to visit regularly and to obtain services – real experiences. That helps us consider input from all angles and to determine where we need to put our efforts.”
Not limiting his commitment to the community solely to health interests, Rod serves as the CEO of a solar company leveraging renewable energy – another forward-thinking focus. He and his wife live in Stockton and are “empty nesters” after their adult children have moved on. In his spare time, he enjoys racquetball tournaments, and getting to the beach for surfing.
We thank Rod and our other committed governance board members. Their commitment to improving the health of our community and furthering our vision and mission, all as volunteers, is commendable. And we know they reciprocally appreciate the efforts and contributions of the full SJ Health team. Together, indeed “our future is bright!”
SJ Health is excited to be planning toward a community introduction and ribbon cutting for our newly reopened Manteca Health Center!
On Tuesday, June 6th, SJ Health will be partnering with the Manteca Chamber of Commerce to bring expanded awareness about the health center’s availability as a primary care resource for residents of Manteca and other south county communities such as Escalon, Ripon, and Lathrop. Included among the invitees and presentations will be representatives of county, city, state and federal elected officials, local business leaders, community-based partners of SJ Health and social service agencies, and, our special guests – team members from our Manteca health center, and selected families served at the location.
“Our reopening reinforces our commitment to expanding health access throughout San Joaquin County,” said Ahdel Ahmed, SJ Health’s community partnerships director. “This event is a great opportunity to showcase to the region’s policy makers the fantastic programs and services provided by SJ Health and how critical they are, while also helping to ensure that community influencers and referral sources know that we’re open and ready to serve those needing a primary care home and affordable healthcare.
An added value to the event is the opportunity for SJ Health to collaborate with the Manteca Chamber of Commerce, a conduit to community leaders who can help SJ Health advance its mission, and small business owners with potentially uninsured employees who can now be served by the conveniently located Manteca health center.
The event is scheduled from Noon – 1:30 p.m. on June 6th. Look for a recap, pictures, and highlights in the next issues of Pulse!