Mountain View, CA - October 26, 2009 - Thirty individuals have been selected to serve two-year terms on the Community Advisory Board for the Women’s Hospital at El Camino Hospital. The board's purpose is to advise hospital administration on the development of an innovative and comprehensive women's health service line, and to identify community and corporate alignment opportunities.
"We're extremely pleased with the quality and breadth of representation on our board," said Michele van Zuiden, Executive Director of The Women's Hospital. "Seven decades of women are represented. We have both corporate and community leaders, all representing the diversity of Silicon Valley--Hispanic, Vietnamese, Caucasian, Chinese, Japanese and South Asian. And, we made a point of insuring that all ten communities in our service areas have a voice, including our newest constituency in Los Gatos."
In addition to the 25 community representatives, the board includes five hospital staff members, including the hospital's CEO, Chief Clinical Operations/Chief Nursing Officer, the Women's Hospital Executive Director, and the executive director of the El Camino Hospital Foundation. Additionally, a member of the Women's Hospital Medical Advisory Board will sit on the Advisory Board.
Van Zuiden said that one of the most important roles of the board, which will meet at least quarterly, is to review and advise the Women's Hospital on how to prioritize new and established program and service initiatives in light of the many competing demands and needs. "It's critical to insure that all our stakeholders feel their interests are being addressed," she said. "One way to do that is to identify opportunities to partner with other organizations. By serving as ambassadors in the community, our board can help us identify and work with those partners."
"The group is going to help us also with outreach into the communities and to improve the health of women in the Silicon Valley through sponsorship of health screenings, health education series for women and providing special health services for women," Van Zuiden added.
The Women's Hospital at El Camino Hospital has a free-standing, three-story maternal child health pavilion as its centerpiece, and encompasses not only prenatal, maternity and neonatal services, but a comprehensive range of clinical services focused on the health needs of women throughout their lifetimes. Both the hospital and its service line are designed and staffed to meet the unique needs and preferences of women, who represent 65 percent of patients who receive care at El Camino Hospital.
El Camino Hospital is considered a leader in women's health services, and is the only hospital in Northern California to receive HealthGrades' Women's Health Excellence Award three years in a row; the only one in the region to be 5-star rated for Women's Health Services; it is ranked first in California (two years) for the percentage of women who begin breastfeeding after birth (97 percent); and has more than 5300 births annually on its two campuses. Independent marketing studies say it is preferred for maternity services by a factor of nearly three to one over other local facilities.
The hospital has even pioneered a unique Maternal Mood Services Outreach program, the most comprehensive program in the western United States, with culturally sensitive resources not found anywhere else in Northern California. In the past year it has partnered with Spirit of Women Hospital Network to enhance its educational offerings and best practices.
“Our commitment is to make this one of the premier women’s hospitals, not just in California, but also the United States," said van Zuiden. "Our outstanding new advisory board will help us reach that goal." For local editors: The following are newly appointed advisory board members:
Alviso Nancy Kato
Atherton Betsy Dawes, Katie Morganroth
Cupertino Naomi Nakano-Matsumoto, Dolly Sandoval
Los Altos Tracey Downing, Bernis Kretchmar, .Ginny Lear, Daphne Luong, Donna Shoemaker, Pamela Taft
Los Altos Hills Donna Whitney
Los Gatos Michele Bolton
Menlo Park Sepideh Agah
Monte Sereno Darlene Yaplee
Mountain View Jean Hollands
Palo Alto Elisha Finney, Geneva Strom
San Jose Bree Connally, Deepika Goyal, Anu Mahal, Nivisha Mehta
Saratoga Cynthia Chang
Sunnyvale Jayshree Athma, Kranti Atiuri, Johanna Schmid