May 2006

When Palo Alto Medical Clinic (PAMC) co-founder and pediatrician Esther Clark started the Children's Health Council in the 1950s, she left a legacy far beyond providing services for children with learning and other disabilities -- she cemented PAMC's mission of reaching out and giving back to the community. Today, PAMF remains dedicated to helping the community stay healthy.

"While providing community benefit is a core tenet of our status as a not-for-profit foundation, PAMF has always participated in a wide range of outreach activities designed to improve the lives of those in our community," said Janet Lederer, R.N., MSN, vice president of PAMF's Education Division.

PAMF offers health promotion classes, support groups, health and wellness lectures, and health information resources to the community. For example, the Education Division provides a pre-diabetes class for individuals with high-glucose levels who are at an increased risk for developing diabetes. The class teaches how to delay or prevent the onset of diabetes through lifestyle changes including diet and exercise.

Among its numerous community partnerships with local schools and agencies, PAMF is collaborating with the Palo Alto Unified School District and other school, community and parent organizations to help reduce alcohol, drug and tobacco use among middle and high school students. PAMF is also partnering with the San Carlos School District and the San Carlos Educational Foundation to present a series of six free parent education workshops on topics ranging from healthy eating to establishing family traditions.

"We understand that creating a healthy community goes beyond seeing the doctor," said Lederer.

PAMF also collaborates with local organizations that provide care to the underserved. The foundation recently announced a contribution of $150,000 to Ravenswood Family Health Center (RFHC) in East Palo Alto to help the RFHC hire and train new staff, provide electronic health records support and improve quality, planning and efficiency.

"The collaboration represents PAMF's financial contribution to RFHC, but also our commitment to work closely with Ravenswood administrators and staff as they work to meet the health care needs of the community," said Francis A. Marzoni, M.D., president of PAMF's Palo Alto Division.

"Through the relationships PAMF has developed with local organizations, we're able to impact people beyond our clinic walls and show we care about their health and well-being," added Lederer.

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