North Bay Business Journal

A Sonoma County-based nonprofit and several others with ties in the North Bay are among 48 organizations across the state to share in $37 million in outreach and education grants from Covered California, the state’s online health exchange developed under health care reform.

Petaluma-based Redwood Community Health Coalition received $830,000. Catholic Charities of California, which has a presence in Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties, received $859,000. California Rural Indian Health Board, which has a presence in Sonoma and Mendocino counties, was given $300,000. The California NAACP, which has locations in Sonoma and Solono counties, received $600,000 and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center in Solano County received $100,00.

The California Health Benefits Exchange, now known as Covered California, selected Pedro Toledo to serve on its marketing, outreach and enrollment assistance advisory groups. …

Aaron Poole has accepted the position of Mendocino regional controller for Howard Memorial Hospital and Ukiah Valley Medical Center. …

The Petaluma Health Center added four new members to its board of directors: Pedro Toledo, Gloria Robinson, Joe Tambe and Georgina Warmoth. …

Stephanie Cunningham joined Sonoma-based Bolt Staffing, where she will take over responsibility for sourcing and placing candidates for clients looking to bring experienced new people into their organizations. …

Schweiger Vineyards in St. Helena announced the promotion of James Eyer to general manager. …

David Sandri has joined Compliance Connection in Santa Rosa as a compliance specialist. …

The McWilliams family, owners of Arista Winery in Healdsburg, appointed Matt Courtney as winemaker. …

PETALUMA — Redwood Community Health Coalition was awarded $1.2 million in federal funds to help expand use of health information technology.

PETALUMA — Redwood Community Health Coalition recently took part in a pilot project testing a mobile health application that enrolls patients in public assistance programs, a potentially pivotal development for the public health sector. The accelerating convergence of mobile technology and health care will likely open new avenues of access to underserved populations, which could in turn help states with implementing key pieces of health care reform, officials said.

A handful of health centers in and near the North Bay received grants totaling $11.8 million as part of a national program under the health care reform law, it was announced today.

As part of an investment of more than $5.1 million by Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California Community Benefit, four local organizations received funding to increase access to chronic disease management, enhance health screenings, and improve prevention of heart disease and stroke.

SANTA ROSA — Santa Rosa Community Health Centers received a federal grant of $850,000 that will enable it to establish a residency program for nurse practitioners, which could help the federally qualified health center address an anticipated shortage of primary care providers.

SONOMA COUNTY — Two of Sonoma County’s federally qualified health centers celebrated grand openings this month. Another announced the award of federal funds to expand services, while a broader coalition of such centers held a conference highlighting the services they provide, even amid the threat of diminishing public funds.

PETALUMA — Mary Maddux-Gonzalez, a 22-year veteran of Sonoma County public health, has joined the Redwood Community Health Coalition as the nonprofit’s new medical director.

PETALUMA – Redwood Community Health Network, a subsidiary of Redwood Community Health Coalition, has hired Lori Sklar as its new chief executive officer.

The Sebastopol Community Health Center has doubled in size over the past two years and has added two specialists as it continues to expand.

The original location for one of the fastest-growing community health centers in Santa Rosa recently expanded yet again.

NORTH BAY — Two North Bay members of Congress are seeking nearly $10 million in funding earmarks for the region’s community health centers across the region.

Listed alphabetically in Sonoma and Marin counties and Napa County

SONOMA, NORTH BAY – The North Bay’s coalition of community health centers is expected to assume management of the children’s health coverage and enrollment program Healthy Kids Sonoma County.

SONOMA COUNTY – Local health care stakeholders have long protested the exclusion of parts of Sonoma County from the state’s medically underserved list, and this month officials will commence an effort to earn the designation that includes better reimbursement rates and added funding for physician recruitment.

SONOMA COUNTY – The council responsible for the recent launch of the iWalk initiative received funding this month for the creation of at least six more programs to transform the local primary care delivery system.

Redbud Community Hospital of Lake County changed its name to St. Helena Hospital Clearlake last month after forming a joint operating partnership with St. Helena Hospital in Napa.