2008-2011 Sonoma County Needs Assessment

The 2008-2011 Sonoma County Needs Assessment was completed collaboratively by Kaiser Santa Rosa, St. Joseph's Health System, Sutter Medical Center, and the Sonoma County Health Department Division of Prevention and Planning. All members contributed time and expertise to research, consult with numerous community representatives, and craft the final document. This document differs from past needs assessments because it focuses exclusively on children's health. The rationale is that the hospitals and health department are uniquely positioned to bring attention to children's health issues by media and policy makers. In crafting this assessment, we used The Spectrum of Prevention, an important public health model. It acknowledges that a broad range of factors affect health—in addition to individual choice—policies, legislation and organizational practices are powerful influences. It calls out four specific areas:

• Children's Oral Health
• Childhood Obesity, Nutrition and Fitness
• Youth Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Use
• Prenatal Substance Use—Alcohol and Other Drugs

Read the entire 89 page Needs Assessment document or browse by section below.

• Community Health Needs Assessment Introduction
• Children's Oral Health
• Childhood Obesity, Nutrition, and Fitness
• Youth Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Use
• Prenatal Substance Use - Alcohol and Other Drugs

Executive Summary

What is the Community Health Needs Assessment 2008?

The Needs Assessment 2008 is a collaborative effort by Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa, St. Joseph Health System – Sonoma County, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center – Santa Rosa and the Sonoma County Department of Health Services to spotlight the health, well-being and future of the children of Sonoma County. These partners have joined forces in the past in their joint needs assessments to address a number of significant community health issues – prevention of dangerous falls by seniors, the lack of diversity in the health care workforce, and the need for immunization clinics. As these needs assessments have highlighted important issues in the past, Needs Assessment 2008 searches out “Windows of Opportunity” to prevent serious children's health problems and to bring the community together to envision and realize a "Lifetime of Health" for our children.

Why Focus on Children's Health?

Children are the treasure and the responsibility of our entire community. Through providing health care services to children in Sonoma County and working with community efforts to address children's health issues, the hospitals have become increasingly concerned by several problems that appear to threaten the future of our community and our children. These are the epidemics of children's oral disease, childhood overweight and obesity, and alcohol and other drug use by teens and pregnant women. Shining a spotlight on issues that keep our children from reaching optimal health and taking steps together to improve children's lives are common goals shared by the region's hospitals and the Sonoma County Department of Health Services.

The Assessment's theme - Windows of Opportunity, a Lifetime of Health - embraces the notion that there are multiple opportunities to intervene and make positive change to address problems that affect children. But this requires taking action during windows of opportunity – the unique times in life when children are growing and their brains and bodies are developing. By seizing these opportunities, the whole community benefits as children become healthy community members, workers and parents of the future. It is by giving children what they need now to live healthy, productive lives, we steer the future of Sonoma County onto a steady course. Read More

Community Health Needs Assessment - Introduction

The Community Health Needs Assessment for 2008 shines a spotlight on children's health. There is good reason for this. New research continues to show that what we do for our children in their first days and early years of life can have significant impact on their development and long term health.

This report is a tool to inform the community's work on child health issues. Each section of this report contains recommendations for positive change along The Spectrum of Prevention. Improving the health of a community must be part of a broader effort addressing the problem from many different angles. The Assessment searches for the windows of opportunity in our community and encourages us all to focus on our children. Read More

Children's Oral Health

Good oral health is linked to a child's ability to engage in an active social life, and to attend and concentrate in school. It is linked with a child's overall health and promotes normal development of a child's language and communication skills. A healthy mouth allows a child to eat a nutritious diet and to grow strong. Sadly, for many children in Sonoma County who are not reaping the benefits of good oral health, their future overall health and success will be compromised. Read More

Childhood Obesity, Nutrition, and Fitness

Obesity rates have more than tripled among children and adolescents, making today's youth the most inactive generation in American history. This generation could be the first to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents due to the rapid rise in childhood overweight.

In this section, chilhood obesity, nutrition, and fitness are defined and discussed as one of the most important medical and public health problems of our time. Read More

Youth Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Use

Alcohol and other drug (AOD) use among Sonoma County teens is a major public health issue. The dangers of alcohol and drug use are extensive, pervasive and lasting for teens and yet the social pressures for teens to drink and use drugs are enormous. In a recent survey, Sonoma County youth identified alcohol as the leading health problem for teens, with more than 40 percent noting the widespread availability of alcohol. These teens said that the prevalence of alcohol and drugs made the county an "unhealthy place to live," and local statistics appear to prove them right.¹⁰⁰ Read More

Prenatal Substance Use - Alcohol and Other Drugs

The rate of substance use during pregnancy is significant in Sonoma County. As many as 14 percent of pregnant women use alcohol or other drugs (AOD) during pregnancy, a rate higher than both the state and national averages. By conservative estimates, a minimum of 600 babies are born AOD exposed each year in Sonoma County. Experts estimate that 70 to 80 percent of children in California placed in foster care are there because of parental AOD use.¹³⁷

Because of these trends, preventing prenatal AOD use was identified as one of the top five priorities in a recent comprehensive Maternal and Child Health needs assessment conducted by Sonoma County.¹³⁸ Similarly, First 5 Sonoma County, a commission dedicated to improving the lives of children 0 to 5, has made prenatal AOD treatment a major priority. Read More

• Appendix I: Tables of Indicators
• Appendix II: Glossary of Terms
• Appendix III: Resources and Information

For questions or comments about the 2008-2011 Needs Assessment, please contact:
Andrea Michelsen
Community Benefit/Community Health Manager
(707) 571-3867