Items to include in this newsletter
Ensuring Healthy Schools in San Mateo County
Check out this video to learn more about the work we do to ensure we have Healthy Schools in San Mateo County.
Number of Local Pediatric Vaccinations
So far in the month of January 2022, San Mateo County Health and the San Mateo County Office of Education have coordinated a total of 12 school-based vaccine clinics and have administered a total of 1295 pediatric first doses and 630 pediatric second doses.
Boards and Commissions Vacancies
City of San Bruno: Applications are being accepted for one vacancy on the Traffic Safety and Parking Committee. This short-term seat will expire on October 31, 2024. Apply here.
Join the Next Emergency Medical Services Corps Co-ed Spring 2022 Cohort!
Don’t forget to apply to join the nationally renowned Emergency Medical Services Corps Program’s Spring 2022 Co-ed Cohort!
City and School Partnerships to Advance Safe School Travel!
East Palo Alto, Daly City, San Mateo, Redwood City and South San Francisco have been selected for the School Travel Fellowship program rolled out by the San Mateo County Office of Education to foster city-school partnerships to make active school travel safer for students. The interdisciplinary fellowship teams include a representative from city’s public works, transportation planning and/or engineering department, an elected official, school or school district personnel, community member, neighborhood association, and/or other local stakeholders.
A Great Local Example of Farm-to-School Connection
Ravenswood City School District continues to work with CalFresh Healthy Living staff and farmers to include local or regional fruit and vegetables in school meals. For years, Food Service Director, June Richardson, has hosted monthly cafeteria promotions, or taste surveys to introduce local or unfamiliar produce to about 3,000 low-income students. These promotional farm-to-school efforts also help to reduce food waste.
The Importance of In-Person Learning
School closures can have adverse health effects on students as reviewed by Viner et al. (2022) in “School Closures During Social Lockdown and Mental Health, Health Behaviors, and Well-being Among Children and Adolescents During the First COVID-19 Wave.” For this current school year, San Mateo County schools have remained open for in-person learning. San Mateo County, like others across the State of California, is experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases
Expanding Options for Testing and Vaccination during COVID-19 Surge
The highly transmissible Omicron variant is fueling a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases throughout the County. Test positivity rates countywide (17.3%) and in the Health Equity Quartile census tracts (24.4%) have increased in the latest 7-day lagged data that goes through January 12th. During this surge, the County has administered more tests than any other time since the pandemic began. This heightened demand for COVID-19 testing during the surge has been outstripping the capacity of healthcare providers, pharmacies, and County-sp
Building Capacity to Operationalize Equity
The SMC Planning Equity Cohort, which includes County staff from the Health Policy and Planning team, Office of Sustainability, City/County Association of Governments, and the Planning and Building Department concluded a nine-month training to operationalize equity in climate resilience efforts and foster cross-departmental equity efforts. The training was in partnership with the North Fair Oaks Community Alliance, which is working on organizing and training residents to be better prepared for climate hazards.
Fresh Produce Available at Fair Oaks Clinic
This year, the San Mateo County Medical Center (SMCMC) has prioritized addressing food insecurity experienced by their patients. Staff at SMCMC have worked with internal and external partners to identify opportunities for the medical staff to refer patients to food resources and to address any barriers partners may have providing patients with easy access to healthy foods.
South San Francisco Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Training for Out of School Time Providers
Through the Shared Vision Out-of-School Time grant from the California State Library, South San Francisco Library is planning to host a series of trainings for out-of-school time providers on social emotional learning, mental health, and self-care for staff. This effort will help address some of the top needs identified in the SSF CCCS Neighborhood Action Plan: lack of mental health supports and lack of connection to supportive adults. If you are an out-of-school time provider serving youth in SSF and would like more information,&n
City of East Palo Alto and Opportunity to Purchase Act
The East Palo Alto City Council has been studying the adoption of the Opportunity to Purchase Act (OPA). OPA ordinances are an effective policy tool to advance the preservation of naturally affordable housing and reduce displacement of low-income residents.