Believe in Resilience

This month, we share the results of our recent COVID-19 webinar, and describe how Alliance Medical Center is adapting to the pandemic.

Dear Supporters,

If you attended our Health, Well-Being and What’s Next online conversation last week, you heard infectious disease expert Dr. Gary Greene share that we’re in the middle stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the initial panic has eased off with more access to testing and increased hospital capacity, it still feels like we have a long way to go before a vaccine or life returns to a new normal. In this dynamic time, telemedicine is emerging as the critical innovation, and it is here to stay. Let’s embrace it and make sure that everyone has the tools they need so patients can communicate with their doctors and receive healthcare from home.

We’re in the thick of it, and yet there are still so many bright moments. In this community we support one another, in good times and in bad, and we’re once again seeing incredible acts of generosity and kindness. Thank you to all our donors who helped us meet our match from the Talon Creek Foundation to raise $40,000 for our front-line medical providers. We’ve distributed funds to Alliance Medical Center, Alexander Valley Healthcare and Reach for Home to help them ramp up telemedicine and provide food for their patients and clients. We are continuing to raise money for the Emergency Fund so that we can deploy these funds throughout 2020. We are focused on the most vulnerable, including frontline workers, the newly uninsured, and the housing insecure community members among us. Thank you for your continued support.

So while this feels like the middle of a marathon, we want to share with you and celebrate some of what we and our partners are doing right now. We hope you are staying safe and healthy!

Kim Bender
Executive Director

Connecting With the Experts

We were thrilled to bring together local health experts and state leaders for a conversation about the next steps for our community as we continue to fight COVID and ease some restrictions. Watch the whole illuminating Health, Well-being and What’s Next discussion here. Our panelists even shared some streaming television tips if that’s what’s keeping you mentally healthy right now!

Helping Our Partners Pivot

As we Shelter in Place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, front-line medical providers are having to rethink the way they provide the regular care that patients need whether there’s a pandemic or not. Our Emergency Healthcare Fund is supporting the transition to telemedicine at Alliance Medical Center and their medical director, Susannah Labbe, shared with us how video conferencing, a text platform and personal blood pressure devices are all helping her team treat their patients who can no longer come into the clinic for regular visits.

Susannah shared the story of how a mother called in hysterical after her toddler had fallen while practicing walking and cut its lip. She says she was able to complete a full examination of the injury by video, confirm that the baby did not need stitches and calm the mother down. It was hard to end the call, she says, because by then the baby had taken the phone and was completely transfixed by the video of Susannah! You can read more about what telemedicine looks like for Alliance and its patients in our blog post here.

Save the Date!

Believe in Our Future
A Virtual Gala
Saturday, August 29, 2020
A Live Streaming Event kicking-off our 20th anniversary year

Featuring musical performances, guest appearances and other surprises. Stay tuned for sponsor and table host information, coming soon!

Supporting Our Supporters

Many of our business supporters are facing unprecedented challenges and also adapting to new conditions. Now is a great time to buy a gift card for later or order something for delivery or pick up from one of our supporters. Check out and give your love to Baci Cafe & Wine Bar, Comstock Wines, Valette, Mateo’s, Costeaux French Bakery, Noble Folk Pie and Ice Cream Bar, and more. As always, Big John’s is open and well-stocked. They’ve even extended their senior discount to Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and you can arrange curbside pick-up by emailing linda.mercado@bigjohnsmarket.com or calling (707) 433-7151.


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