El Camino Hospital Announces $5.2 Million in FY2010 Community Benefit Grants

Majority of Funding Targets Unmet Needs of Underserved Populations
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
The El Camino Hospital District Board of Directors announced approval of the
FY2010 Community Benefit Plan, identifying $4.9 million in grants to be funded
from District tax receipts. The board also approved a contingency fund of
approximately $200,000 for additional projects and sponsorships.

The board approved a further $265,000 in Community Benefit grants and
sponsorships from non-hospital district funds to be spent in the area served by
the newly-acquired El Camino Hospital Los Gatos.

In 2008, the El Camino Hospital Board of Directors substantially increased its
Community Benefit grant commitments, announcing it would allocate approximately
$5 million annually from district tax receipts to Community Health Improvement
grants for projects in the area that comprises the El Camino Hospital District.
(These grants are only one component of the hospital's total community benefit,
which last fiscal year totaled $71.5 million*.)

In selecting Community Benefit initiatives, El Camino Hospital chose programs
that expand access to care and preventive services for underserved children and
adults; strengthen and extend the continuum of care to better manage chronic
illness; expand capacity for existing health services and programs; focus on
collaboration to enhance program effectiveness and avoid duplication of
services; and emphasize extended commitments to partners that ensure maximum
impact. The initiatives are targeted to address the unmet needs of underserved
populations.

"In the history of our hospital district, there's never been a greater need for
us to reach out to underserved populations," said Wes Alles, chairman of the El
Camino Hospital Board of Directors. "With state and local funding for social and
health services being cut drastically, agencies and non-profit organizations are
struggling to meet ever-increasing needs. We feel a strong commitment to support
and expand initiatives that reach those who otherwise might not have access to
care."

In light of those unprecedented conditions, the hospital's community benefit
grants include a significant partnership with Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
to support new services at its Sunnyvale Clinic, including adult primary care,
dental services, pharmacy, lab and radiology services. This $1.2 million
investment is the largest grant for FY2010.

"El Camino Hospital's community benefit grant makes it possible for Valley
Medical Center to implement our innovative, award winning, patient centered care
model," said Margo Maida, Director of Primary Care Services for Santa Clara
Valley Health and Hospital System, "It will provide a medical 'home' for low
income people who are underinsured and living in the El Camino Hospital District
service area, providing them with increased access to primary care services
integrated with behavioral health and dental care. Given the severe cutbacks in
funding at all levels, launching this program would not have been possible
without their generous funding."

Barbara Avery, Director of Community Benefit for El Camino Hospital, said, "The
current economic downturn has heightened the economic distress felt by so many
in the county, where almost half of all households earned less than was needed
to be self-sufficient. It's against this backdrop that we developed our FY2010
Community Benefit plan, with the goal of making a significant and lasting
improvement in the health of our constituents."

The following organizations were approved as 2010 Grant Recipients:

* Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (www.scvmed.org) to develop an innovative
model to provide integrated primary care, dental and behavioral health services,
and ancillary services for underserved and low-income people in Sunnyvale.
* Santa Clara County Children`s Health Initiative (Healthy Kids)
(http://www.chikids.org/)toprovide comprehensive health insurance for children
in low-income families otherwise unable to access affordable coverage.
* Mobile Adolescent Health Services Program
(http://www.lpch.org/clinicalSpecialtiesServices/ClinicalSpecialties/MobileHealthClinics/aboutTeenVan.html)
to support a safety net of primary and preventive care services as well as
social and educational programs for homeless and uninsured adolescents at the
Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District.
* RotaCare Clinic (www.rotacarebayarea.org/)to support primary and specialty
health care for the uninsured and to enhance mental health services.
* Mountain View/Whisman School District (www.mvwsd.k12.ca.us/) to support two
fulltime school nurses and an aide.
* Sunnyvale School District (www.sesd.org)to support two fulltime school nurses
and an aide.
* Cupertino Union School District (http://cupertino.ca.campusgrid.net/home)to
support a full-time nurse and needed medical supplies and equipment.
* Campbell Union School District (www.campbellusd.k12.ca.us/) tosupport a new
full-time school nurse.
* MayView Community Health Center (www.mayview.org/) to fund primary care
medical staff and vaccines for low income and uninsured families and
individuals.
* Healthy Workers Program to provide first-year funding for an employer-based
health insurance program offering an affordable, comprehensive health plan for
small businesses and uninsured Santa Clara County residents through Santa Clara
Family Health Plan (www.scfhp.com/).
* Community Services Agency (http://www.csacares.org/)to increase capacity to
offer intensive case management for Mountain View seniors with chronic diseases.

* Sunnyvale Community Services (http://www.svcommunityservices.org/)to provide
funding for medical supplies and medication for low-income families and seniors
and the disabled.
* West Valley Community Services (www.wvcommunityservices.org/)to staff "Raising
A Healthy Eater," a programoffering low income parents and children the
resources to learn about and practice healthy eating habits, and to support the
Food Pantry.
* Community Health Awareness Council (CHAC) (www.chacmv.org/)to expand the Teen
Talk group program and counseling services for at-risk children and adolescents.

* Columbia Neighborhood Center to enhance mental health resources for low income
elementary school children in the Sunnyvale School District.
* RoadRunners Program
(www.elcaminohospital.org/About_El_Camino_Hospital/Volunteering/Road_Runners/)to
provide reliable transportation services for medical and other essential
appointments for underserved and senior residents of the community.
* Medical Respite (Hospital Council of Northern and Central
California)(www.hospitalcouncil.net) to collaborate with other local hospitals
on post-discharge medical care and social services for homeless individuals.
* New Directions (Hospital Council of Northern and Central California)
(www.hospitalcouncil.net)to support Emergency Department intensive case
management for under- or uninsured patients who are frequent users of hospital
emergency departments.
* Sports4Kids (now called Playworks) (www.playworksusa.org/) to increase
school-based physical activity and youth leadership programs in low income
elementary schools.
* Alzheimer`s Association "Caregiver University" (http://www.alz.org/norcal/) to
provide free multi-ethnic workshops for caregivers of patients with Alzheimer`s
or other dementia-related disorders.
* Chronic Disease Self-Management Program which provides culturally and
language-appropriate community health workshops targeting low income residents
suffering from chronic illnesses.
* El Camino Hospital Immunization Program
(www.elcaminohospital.org/Programs_and_Services/Community_Health_Services/Immunization_Program/)to
provide free vaccines and tuberculosis testing for underserved individuals.
* South Asian Heart Center (www.southasianheartcenter.org)to support early heart
disease detection services for South Asian residents.
* Community Education and Screenings to enhance detection of disease risks and
referral to community health resources; to expand community access and
professional staffing for the Health Resource Center/Health Library; to support
community wellness lectures and multi-lingual educational materials; and to
provide free health and Eldercare consultations.

About El Camino Hospital

El Camino Hospital, ranked among the top five percent of hospitals nationwide
for clinical excellence by HealthGrades, is an acute care, not-for profit and
locally-governed organization with campuses in Mountain View and Los Gatos,
Calif. Key medical specialty focuses include cancer care, heart & vascular,
neuroscience, genomic medicine, orthopedic & spine and women`s health.

El Camino Hospital has delivered the highest level of medical services to the
communities of Silicon Valley for more than four decades. The hospital is also
recognized as a national leader in the use of health information technology to
promote patient safety, including computerized order entry, electronic medical
records and wireless communications.

To learn more about El Camino Hospital and its services in Mountain View and Los
Gatos, visit our Web site at www.elcaminohospital.org. For a physician referral,
visit our web site or call the El Camino Health Line at 800-216-5556.

(*Due to new community benefit guidelines, the unpaid costs of Medicare will no
longer be counted in future totals. Adjusted for these guidelines, last year's
community benefit would have totaled $36.1 million.)

For El Camino Hospital
Hatti Hamlin, 925-872-4328
hattihamlin@aol.com
Judy Twitchell, 650-988-7767
judy_twitchell@elcaminohospital.org

Copyright Business Wire 2009