10-year Report to the Community

This recently published 10-year anniversary special report highlights the diverse program approaches and strategies the Community Health Trust has employed over the past decade. ... available online

2008-2009 Request for Proposals

The Trust is pleased to announce a Request for Proposals (RFP) for organizations serving the health care needs of the Pajaro Valley.  The downloadable RFP packet (Zip file with PDF and Word docs) includes information on our grantmaking along with specific steps for preparing and submitting an application. This year, the Community Health Trust is issuing one RFP in our responsive grantmaking category. The RFP is a continuation of the Trust’s commitment to the area of healthy lifestyles for Pajaro Valley youth. These grants are intended to complement the grants made in the previous five years in this area, while also supporting other community efforts to encourage healthy eating and physical activity for youth in our community.  Please browse the Grants Program pages for more information, or call (831) 761-5639.

Rather Awards ... Human Race ...

Details on the Events page.

2007 Annual Report Published

The Trust's 2007 Annual Report has been published and is available online to view or download.

Survey Confirms Health Disparities for Pajaro Valley Residents

A recent quality-of-life survey commissioned by the Community Health Trust and conducted as part of the Community Assessment Project (CAP) confirms that disparities exist between the quality of life in the Pajaro Valley and that of the rest of Santa Cruz County. View or download (PDF) ...

• Pajaro Valley CAP oversample data
• CAP Executive Summary

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)