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County public-health team asks East Palo Alto to cocreate social determinants strategy
Summary
County public-health staff presented the Community Health Improvement Plan and urged East Palo Alto to align local policies with social determinants approaches including housing, complete streets and guaranteed-income pilots.
A San Mateo County public-health team presented a Community Health Improvement Plan to the council, urging city officials to consider policies that address social determinants of health such as housing stability, complete streets and access to green space. Rafael Evendano, co-chair of the county working group, said the county's approach centers on three priorities: social determinants of health, access to health care and mental health. "We're here to talk about advancing a shared vision to improve health and equity countywide," Evendano said.
Dr. Sharon DiPiero, a pediatrician working with Ravenswood Family Health Center, described the evidence base tying living conditions and institutional inequities to health outcomes and noted that medical care alone accounts for roughly 20% of health outcomes while social and environmental factors account for the rest. County staff highlighted programs in the county that touch on social determinants: a guaranteed-income pilot that gives 200 families $300 per month for newborns, an economy-leveraging "anchor institutions" policy, free park passes for low-income residents through Mariposa, and expanded access through the ACE program for those without other insurance.
Council members asked detailed operational questions about how county programs and data would be shared and how the county would coordinate with local clinics and community organizations. Veena Ragavan, management analyst with San Mateo County Health, said county health can collaborate on data requests, and the county has communication channels and a survey/outreach toolbox that could be tailored to East Palo Alto. Council members suggested aligning the county's indicators with the city's strategic priorities and the general plan's health and equity element.
The county asked the council to identify how it would like to engage ' either by joining working groups, receiving quarterly briefings, or by collaborating on measurable policy indicators tied to future city planning and budgeting work.
The council thanked the delegation and signaled interest in deeper collaboration on integrating health indicators into land use, library funding discussions and parks planning.
