Submitted by SJC Public Hospital District No. 1.
During San Juan County Public Hospital District No. 1’s July board meeting, Commissioners approved a grant request from the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center for $30,000 in annual funding for the next two years. Funding from the District will be used to promote healthcare and wellness programs operated by the Family Resource Center.
The three main programs the District’s funding will support include:
• Health Equity Program: this program works with individuals who have difficulty accessing basic healthcare services due to a lack of health insurance or language barriers. Services offered through the Health Equity Program include basic health education, CPR and first aid classes in Spanish, and wellness checkups.
• Island Neighbors: this program works with seniors in our community to provide mental health support and care by delivering groceries, offering companionship, and more.
• The Infant and Toddler Cooperative: this program was created to help parents with infants and toddlers access childcare, a service that is severely under-provided on the Island. As a cooperative, participating parents are required to spend time in a Cooperative Preschool class through Skagit Valley College and work a weekly shift at the coop in exchange for childcare and parent education support.
All these programs work with the Island community to ensure that preventative care needs are met and that barriers to healthcare do not prevent people from seeking care for the physical, emotional, and mental health they may need.
Anna Lisa Lindstrum, Chair of the Board of Commissioners, stated that, “The main purpose of the grant for the Family Resource Center is to ensure that the District supports preventative care initiatives on San Juan Island, not just emergency care or elder care. Grants provided by the District to the Family Resource Center and Planned Parenthood ensure that residents of our Island, regardless of barriers, have equal access to healthcare resources to address a medical concern before it’s a health crisis.”
Jennifer Armstrong, Director of the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center, noted, “funding from the District aligns with the Family Resource Center’s goal of creating and sustaining a health community for all regardless of age, income, or background.
The District is looking forward to supporting the Family Resource center’s goal of providing quality preventative health and ensuring equity in access on San Juan Island over the next two years.
San Juan County Public Hospital District #1 operates San Juan Island EMS and the Village at the Harbor. It also pays a large subsidy to support clinic and hospital services at PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center.
