County of Marin Department of Health & Human Services
Read how the County of Marin’s Department of Health & Human Services partners with Marin Community Clinics to improve the health of our community.
If there is one word that characterizes the relationship between Marin Community Clinics and the County of Marin’s Department of Health & Human Services, it’s “synergy.”
Just ask Matt Willis, MD, MPH, the County of Marin Public Health Officer and Lisa Santora, MD, MPH, the Deputy Public Health Officer. As leaders of our county government’s public health division, they know how vital collaboration with all of Marin’s community clinics is to improving Marin’s health. Both share our belief that health care is a universal right and have front-line experience working with underserved populations.
“Marin Community Clinics is a role model and a key partner in elevating everyone’s health status. It’s one of the most important investments people can make.”
Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County Public Health Officer
A partnership to elevate the community’s health status
“Marin Community Clinics is a true public health provider,” explained Dr. Willis. “We provide funding to the Clinics for special projects, but our relationship goes well beyond that. Marin County may be rated as the healthiest county in the state, but we have great disparities when it comes to race and economic status.”
“The Clinics truly sees the whole person and the whole family,” said Dr. Santora. “It’s a health home — meeting people where they are and addressing the social determinants of health. The Clinics touches people who don’t always touch the rest of the system. It makes important linkages and helps the County understand real life needs.”
Collaboration goes beyond funding
In 2018 alone, the County provided $850,000 in funding to support a variety of Clinics programs; this year, $1.2 million is anticipated.
Here are just a few examples of recent collaborations:
- Addressing the opioid addiction epidemic
- Responding to immigration issues that affect access to care
- Conducting screenings and providing Whole Person Care to homeless individuals
- Transferring infectious disease patients from the County to the Clinics to ensure integrated care
- Addressing key gaps such as food insecurity and physical activity through Health Hubs and the Marin County Parks Prescription Program
What would Drs. Willis and Santora say to potential donors?
“The Marin Community Clinics goes ‘above and beyond’ for its patients. With visionary leadership, adequate resources, and donor support, the Clinics has successfully managed tremendous growth in the number of patients and scope of services. It’s one of the most important investments people can make.”
