Core Values

Respect: The Trust will support the pluralism that characterizes our community and will foster respect for opinions and perspectives.

Involvement: The Trust will operate openly and with input from the community it serves, and will encourage its grantees to do the same.

Integrity: The Trust will maintain a clear, consistent and fair decision-making process, one in which the decisions are consistent with policy and with demonstrated health needs. It will also ensure that the decision-making process is protected from undue influence from parties with self-interest.

Financial Stewardship: The Trust will manage its assets to assure long-term growth of the endowment as well as to make effective allocations from its endowment's annual proceeds.

Racial and Economic Equity: The Trust will strive to overcome racial and economic barriers to health care to assure that all people have equal access to a full range of quality health care services.

Operating Principles

Broad Definition of Health: The Trust will adhere to a broad definition of health that includes basic personal health, wellness and prevention and psychological, social and economic well being, in order to address both the symptoms and root causes of the health care issues in our community.

Cultural Competency: The Trust will support programs and initiatives that provide solutions to health care issues through service and delivery systems that recognize the community's cultural diversity.

Leadership: The Trust will become a leader in the evolution of the regional health care system through its participation in larger planning efforts, its support for innovative, high-leverage projects, and its dissemination of ideas.

Impact: The Trust will focus on achieving healthy outcomes and results from its grants and programs which are measured through regular goal setting and self-assessment.

Collaboration: The Trust will participate in and support productive partnerships and mutually beneficial planning within the community in order to maximize resources and leverage funding.

Courage in Issue Debate: The Trust will aim to achieve a reputation for taking courageous, responsible positions to benefit the public's health.

Innovation: The Trust will look for innovative solutions to systemic problems by taking a proactive role.  We will engage in activities that stimulate growth and positive change in the health field. We will encourage relationships that give our community the information, assistance and resources they need to develop effective approaches to crucial health issues, take calculated risks, and set benchmarks for progress.