Registration Opens for Diabetes Health Forum

The Seventh Annual Diabetes Forum is scheduled for Friday, March 26, 2010. Keynote speaker will be Dean Schillinger, M.D., Chief of the California Diabetes Program, Professor of Medicine at USCF, and Director of the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations. This year’s theme is Shining the Light on Social Determinants of Diabetes Prevention and Control. Info and registration (PDF)

Phil Rather Award Nominations Due by March 4

The Phil Rather Award for Leadership in Health Care was created by the Community Health Trust of the Pajaro Valley to annually recognize and honor individuals, businesses and organizations whose contributions of time, effort and/or funding help make a difference in the quality of health care for Pajaro Valley residents. The full announcement and downloadable nomination form are available on the Rather Award page.

2009 'Evening of Wine and Roses' Raises $64,000 forCommunity Health Care

The Board of Directors and staff of the Community Health Trust send warmest thanks to all who supported and/or attended our 26th Annual Evening of Wine and Roses. The night of November 6, 2009, was a fun-filled festive fundraising evening. Read more

Sugar Shock: Santa Cruz County Has High Rates of Obesity, Diabetes Among Children and Adults

Read the Good Times Santa Cruz interview with Diabetes Health Center Director Raquel Ramirez Ruiz. Go

Many Show Their Support for Diabetes at the Human Race Walkathon 2009

Some 40 volunteers walked and ran for “Team Diabetes Health Center” on Saturday, May 9th, during the annual Human Race. Full story

Health Care Leaders Address 'New Horizons in Diabetes Education and Self-Management' at Sixth Annual Diabetes Forum

On Friday, April 17, some 75 physicians, nurses and other health care professionals attended the Sixth Annual Diabetes Forum, hosted by the Regional Diabetes Collaborative (RDC), a program administered by the Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust (Health Trust).  The annual gathering was held at the Health Trust’s community conference space in Watsonville to engage local and regional health care leaders in a day-long dialogue to explore such topics as patient-centered approaches to diabetes care, the role of education in chronic disease management, the importance of understanding health literacy in diabetes education, and more. Full story

Free Screenings and Prevention Info Offered at Diabetes Health Fair

On Friday, May 15, volunteers from the Regional Diabetes Collaborative (RDC), a program of the Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust (Health Trust), gathered at the Watsonville City Plaza to provide diabetes prevention education and blood glucose screenings to local residents attending the Watsonville Certified Farmer’s Market. Against a backdrop of music and sunshine, local residents turned out in high numbers to enjoy the many activities provided. Full story ...

Health Trust Announces Winners of 2009 Phil Rather Award for Leadership in Health Care

At the May 20th 2009 Phil Rather Award for Leadership in Health Care event, the Board of Directors of the Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust (Health Trust) proudly recognized two winners of the prestigious Rather award. The honorees were Mary Solari, Ginny Solari Mazry and the Richard and Mary Solari Charitable Trust and Jovenes SANOS (Healthy Youth), a group of students who work to encourage healthy lifestyle choices among youth in the Pajaro Valley. Full story ...

View the Trust Video Online

Use the following links to view a 12-minute video that provides a brief history of the Community Health Trust and a description of our health care programs and services for Pajaro Valley residents.

• Video for high-speed connections
• Video for dial-up connections

Wellness at Work Program

The Wellness at Work Program, established by Trust employees, was created to promote healthy eating habits and increased physical activity among Trust staff.  As the first anniversary of this program approaches, we are pleased to see that the Wellness Program has indeed encouraged employees to make positive lifestyle changes and focus more on their eating and exercise habits.

Wellness Program activities accomplished in the first year were as follows:

• We kicked off the program last spring with a 10-Week session where staff monitored their exercise progress in preparation for the Human Race 10K walk/run.  Upon completing the walk, the Trust awarded Teresa Martinez for “Most Minutes Walked During Work”.  This incentive program/competition was set up to encourage staff to use their lunch and break times to walk/run.

• During the summer, we held our first Fitness Relays with staff and board members competing in a variety of fun-filled activities and races.

• In the fall, we reinstated a 10-Week training period to prepare for the Big Sur Half Marathon or 10 Mile Walk held in November 2007.  Happily, six Trust employees participated in and finished the event.  The Trust awarded Martha Quintana “Most Improved” for increasing her exercise minutes by the highest percentage over last spring’s 10-Week session.

• A holiday incentive was enacted to encourage all staff to monitor stress, eating habits and continue to exercise during the two-week holiday period.  Raquel Ramírez was awarded by the Trust for being the “Most Consistent” with her healthy holiday routine.

• More recently, the Trust Wellness Committee has been offering staff yoga classes during lunch periods to increase flexibility and balance and to learn better breathing and relaxation techniques.

If your place of work is interested in finding out more information on how to start a Wellness at Work Program of your own, please contact Kathleen McCarthy, Trust Program and Grants Manager, at either 761-5639 or info@pvhealthtrust.org.

Trust Recognized for Promoting Diabetes Resources

The Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust was honored to receive an Award of Excellence at a ceremony held in Sacramento on Tuesday, August 14, 2007, from the California Diabetes Program for the Trust’s leadership in utilizing and promoting the Diabetes Information Resource Center (DIRC) ... full press release (PDF)