June 24, 2010
SEQUOIA HEALTHCARE DISTRICT’S ANNUAL COMMUNITY
REINVESTMENT NEARLY $9 MILLION IN 2010
REDWOOD CITY — Final budget balancing shows Sequoia Healthcare District’s community reinvestment in healthcare will total nearly $8.6 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, using only $7.4 million in tax revenues, an accomplishment made possible by judicious use of investment income and revenue generated by a profit sharing agreement with the operator of Sequoia Hospital.
Total administrative costs were less than 8 percent of total program spending. All administrative spending was financed through use of reserves and profit sharing.
The new 2010–11 fiscal year budget projects more than $9 million in 10 program areas for the fiscal year ending June 30, using only $7.2 million in tax revenues,
Sequoia Healthcare District is a 60 year-old public agency that reinvests property tax revenues in a variety of health and wellness initiatives, from nursing education to school health, medical/dental clinics to placement of public defibrillators.
Don Horsley, president of the publicly elected board of directors that manages Sequoia Healthcare District, said the balance sheet shows the district follows through on its mission statement to improve residents’ access to quality healthcare.
“This $9 million commitment for the coming yeaer provides funding to our local school districts to help them retain physical fitness programs and school nurses, funds the nurse training program at Cañada College to address the shortage of nurses in our community, funds community clinics in North Fair Oaks and Belle Haven that provide primary medical care for families and supports dozens of community-based organizations that provide health-related programs for children, adults and older adults,” Horsley said.
“The budget shows we are fulfilling our mission.”
Sequoia Healthcare District operated Sequoia Hospital until 1997, at which time it turned over operations to a major healthcare provider, Catholic Healthcare West (CHW). The district continues to fund pension obligations for employees who worked for the hospital up to that date, but under the transfer agreement passes through an annual payment from CHW that completely funds that obligation. CHW’s pass-through payment is $2.85 million annually, a figure not included in these income and expense figures.
Administrative cost figures for the next fiscal year would be less were it not for the November election of three board members. The County of San Mateo conducts the election and bills each political jurisdiction for its appropriate share of the cost, which in the district’s case is $250,000. Board members Horsley, Arthur Faro and Jack Hickey are up for reelection.
The coming year’s budget boosts spending on healthy youth and school health programs to $1.5 million from about $350,000 last year. The new School Health Initiative will help four school districts partially restore school nurses, wellness and fitness programs and physical education activities in 34 district schools for kindergartners through high school.
The school districts are Belmont-Redwood Shores, San Carlos, Redwood City Elementary and Sequoia High School.
Healthcare grant amounts for next year are unchanged from last year for: Children’s Health Initiative ($1.35 million; nursing education and training ($1 million); Samaritan House ($570,343); North Fair Oaks children’s and adults’ clinics and Willow Clinic ($2 million); Ravenswood/Belle Haven clinic ($250,000) and HeartSafe (public defibrillators, $250,000).
A matching challenge grant to the nonprofit Sequoia Hospital Foundation to assist it in fundraising for new medical equipment at Sequoia Hospital and a new Women’s Health Center is $1.25 million.
Grants to 36 community nonprofit healthcare organizations is budgeted at $1 million, the same community grant program funding as before after taking out items that have been reallocated and enhanced under the School Health Program.
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