Sequoia Healthcare District

525 Veterans Blvd.

Redwood City, CA 94063

www.sequoiahealthcaredistrict.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oct. 9, 2009

Contact: Don Shoecraft, Sequoia Healthcare District, Public Information, 650-594-0556

SEQUOIA HEALTHCARE DISTRICT ADDS SCHOOL HEALTH TO GRANT PRIORITIES, INCREASES CARING COMMUNITY FUND REDWOOD CITY — Sequoia Healthcare District directors have established priorities for the district's 2009-10 Caring Community grant awards, adding school health to the list, emphasizing basic health and nutrition needs and continuing emphasis on mental health services and programs that support "healthy, active, engaged older adults."

New priorities reflect community concerns that arose last year, as cash-strapped schools appealed to the district for help in funding school nursing programs that were devastated by state and local budget reductions. Last month directors augmented Caring Community grants for school nurses within the Sequoia and Redwood City school districts, funding two.

Meeting Wednesday, directors also augmented this year's support of Samaritan House in the amount of $70,000 to erase the charity's budget shortfall. Sequoia Healthcare District is Samaritan House's largest supporter and helps fund medical and dental clinics through the North Fair Oaks clinic.

In addition to school health, directors unanimously established mental health services, programs that address basic needs and nutrition services and those supporting "healthy, active, engaged older adults" as Caring Community priorities.

The district approves its spending budget using estimates of property tax proceeds prepared by the County of San Mateo. Following prudent budgeting practices, it budgeted for $6.9 million in property tax revenues for fiscal 2009-10. Recently released property tax income figures indicate that actual revenues will be at least $7.4 million.

Property tax payments that declined less than predicted also allowed directors to increase the grants program budget by $500,000 to a total $2 million.

All told, the district's community funding program, which represents about a quarter of its annual spending, continues to exceed its income from public sources, an accomplishment made possible by low administrative overhead, use of a portion of reserves and profit sharing with Sequoia Hospital's operator, Catholic Healthcare West.

Deciding individual grants is a five-month process that will conclude next May and will fund programs in the July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011 fiscal year.

Over the last decade Sequoia Healthcare District has supported more than 100 nonprofits providing healthcare, nutrition, medical and dental services to district residents through a controlled program of giving that requires detailed applications and results monitoring.

Sequoia Healthcare District supports community-based health care initiatives in Redwood City, Atherton, Belmont, Menlo Park, Portola Valley, San Carlos, Woodside and parts of San Mateo and Foster City from Skyline to the bay. It also funds Samaritan House and North Fair Oaks free clinics, a nursing education program at Cañada College, placement of automated external defibrillators in public places and the activities of the Sequoia Hospital Foundation.

### Received on Fri Oct 09 2009 - 09:35:17 PDT