The Clinton Health Matters Initiative (CHMI) is making significant progress, thanks to the united efforts of numerous Valley organizations and non-profit groups. One of the primary groups within the initiative is the Healthy Eating and Food Quality Workgroup whose goal is to enhance nutritional education and access to healthy food for all members of our… Read more »
Community Health
Good health is a conscious choice often brought on by a strong passion for change. Choosing to go into health care often starts with the same passion, but is directed at helping others. And with the many changes and challenges facing today’s health care system, launching into medicine with that sincere passion and purpose is… Read more »
We often meet people who consider themselves ‘conscious eaters,’ but rarely do we meet someone whose passion is converting others. In her own personal effort to address America’s obesity issues, Registered Dietitian Sarah Gaete is teaching the value of nutrition to as many people as she can. She is passionate about getting others to make… Read more »
Desert Health® was recently honored with the Clinton Foundation’s Clinton Health Matters Initiative (CHMI) Official Pledge Maker Seal for their efforts to increase the number of doctors and practitioners volunteering at Coachella Valley’s Volunteers in Medicine (CVVIM). The Desert Health® pledge supports the CHMI goal of increasing access to health care for members of our… Read more »
Let’s face it. We drink a lot. It’s part of the pleasure – and often the perils – of living in a resort community. The numbers speak for themselves. According to HARC’s 2010 survey, the Coachella Valley has a higher prevalence of people who binge drink than the national benchmark. Surveys show that 21.3 percent… Read more »
We are lucky to have a variety of fun and inspiring opportunities here in the Coachella Valley to get healthy, or to remain so. Sometimes it is more fun, and often more successful, to participate in an activity as part of a group working together to achieve a shared goal. Studies support the many benefits… Read more »
Inspired by the federal government’s Healthy People 2010 program, which encourages fitness and disease prevention, the Desert Healthcare District built The Wellness Park at the corner of Via Miraleste and Tachevah Road in Palm Springs. The beautiful 5-acre park offers a quarter-mile walking/jogging loop with drinking fountains and benches at regular intervals, five exercise/fitness stations,… Read more »
This season, over 200 of the world’s top athletes competed in Valley events for close to $20 million in prize money. World class competitions including the HITS Horse Show (Thermal), USA’s Modern Pentathlon (Palm Springs), Humana Challenge (La Quinta), Kraft Nabisco (Rancho Mirage) and the BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells) attracted athletes from 50+ countries… Read more »
The Coachella Valley is coming together in the name of good health and longevity. We accepted the challenge from the Clinton Foundation to serve as the first model city for the national Clinton Health Matters Initiative (CHMI) and action steps are underway. The mission of the CHMI is to improve the well-being of our nation’s… Read more »
In one of our earlier issues, I wrote a piece on Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine, the Valley’s only free medical clinic. VIM is a national organization and our local chapter opened in 2010. I interviewed founding members Ron Hare, MD, and Roy Pitkin, MD, both retired physicians who after successful careers wanted to give… Read more »
Two and a half years ago, Kate Porter of the Critter Coalition picked up an abandoned puppy, filthy and starving, wandering the streets of Joshua Tree. It was a miracle that the pup was still alive, or that some automobile or wild predator hadn’t polished him off. As he lay panting and trembling in her… Read more »
At the Clinton Health Matters conference in January, Ryan Sistare of HEI Hotels & Resorts presented his company’s employee health and wellness program. Desert Health is pleased to share his story to serve as an inspiration for the Coachella Valley’s large hospitality industry. HEI Hotels & Resorts is a privately held company with 45 hotels… Read more »
According to Jennifer Mieres, M.D., American Heart Association (AHA), “to get heart-healthy benefits, you need to get your heart rate up.” Whether it is a structured exercise program or just part of your daily routine, all physical activity adds up to a healthier heart. Our desert, especially this time of year, provides a large variety… Read more »
Answering the call for a healthier America, the Clinton Foundation launched the Clinton Health Matters Initiative aimed at improving the well-being of our nation’s population and reducing health care costs associated with preventable disease. And they are doing it one community and one person, at a time. The Coachella Valley is one of the first… Read more »
As a student at College of The Desert, I notice a lack of healthy food on campus. It is a struggle to find healthy food that will support my mind and body throughout ten-hour school days. After speaking with students and administration, I realized that I was not alone in wanting healthier food choices on… Read more »
The Desert Healthcare District (DHCD) recently made a significant investment in the new School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside. This investment will pay enormous dividends for the Coachella Valley in expanded access to primary medical care and new programs to improve health outcomes in underserved communities. The decision to grant “preliminary accreditation”… Read more »
Quality versus quantity has always been a dilemma for physicians, but even more so in today’s medical environment. Health care providers now have major decisions to make which will have long and far-reaching effects for how you, the patient, will be treated. A primary care physician’s practice serves approximately 2,000 to 4,000 patients. A doctor… Read more »
Desert Regional Medical Center has launched an expansion of its stroke program which includes new technology and a new medical fellowship program. “Desert Regional Medical Center has crossed the Rubicon in stroke care for our community,” said neurosurgeon Javed Siddiqi, MD PhD, medical director for the hospital’s Institute of Clinical Orthopedics and Neurosciences. “Desert Regional… Read more »
Do you ever wonder how many local people share your medical condition? Or are you a non-profit validating the need for your services for a grant application? Are you a teacher or student researching the socioeconomic profile of our local population? Or are you an employer wondering how the health of your employees stacks up… Read more »
Directors of the Desert Healthcare District approved two grants to the Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD) and Cielo Vista Charter School (CVCS) for nutrition and fitness programs designed to encourage parent involvement and spur healthier lifestyles for nearly 3,000 Valley students. The District awarded $803,626 to PSUSD to fund its Nutrition Education and Physical… Read more »
