What's happening at Santa Clara Family Health Plan
SCFHP Honored with Gold HealthcareAD Award for Member Newsletter
This year over 4,300 entries were received, making the awards the largest and the most well recognized healthcare advertising awards competition.
A national panel of judges were engaged in reviewing all entries based on creativity, quality, message effectiveness, consumer appeal, graphic design and overall impact.
Gold awards were given to 530 entries.
SCFHP is now a proud sponsor of the San Jose Giants
Santa Clara Family Health Plan (SCFHP) is excited to be a new sponsor of the San Jose Giants for the 2023-2024 Minor League Baseball season at Excite Ballpark.
This advertising campaign is an opportunity to promote the SCFHP brand, health education initiatives, and Medi-Cal renewal with a local organization that provides affordable family entertainment to Santa Clara County residents.
The campaign will support SCFHP in achieving its organizational objectives, including leading improvement in health of communities impacted by disparities by raising plan visibility in community.
Starting this month, SCFHP is the official sponsor of Kids Run the Bases during Saturday and Sunday home games, as well as a mid-inning promotional sponsor for all home games. You can also catch our logo on display on the video score card throughout the game.
For more information, visit www.SJGiants.com.
May is Lupus Awareness Month
By Caroline Tambe, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist
An estimated 1.5 million Americans have lupus – 90% of which are women, and 15% of those diagnosed are children.
This devastating and mysterious autoimmune disease causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue instead of fighting infections. Common symptoms include extreme fatigue, painful or swollen joints, fever, butterfly-shaped facial rash, sun sensitivity, hair loss, and more.
From the time symptoms are first noticed, it takes 6 years on average to be diagnosed. Symptoms can be severe and debilitating, and can damage any organ or tissue (skin, joints, kidneys, heart, lungs).
Lupus is 2-to-3 times more common in African American, Hispanic/Latina, Asian American, Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander women than among White women. It is the fifth cause of death in Black and Hispanic women 15-24 years of age.
Despite its widespread prevalence, public awareness lags behind many other illnesses and lupus research remains underfunded.
This cruel disease is personal for me because my Filipina-American best friend was diagnosed at the age of 16, and ultimately succumbed to the illness at 27.
My friend was diagnosed soon after her symptoms began and immediately had to be home-schooled. Once she started a medication regimen that seemed to help, she came back to finish her senior year of high school in person, which she cherished more than anything. Her particular case was severe – her lupus began attacking her kidneys and she had to undergo cycles of chemotherapy in her early twenties. She met these difficult times with positivity and strength.
Not only did my friend receive her Bachelor’s degree, but she went on to become a prominent graphic designer for a hospital, and relished in her numerous creative hobbies. Looking back, her optimism and pure joy for the simple things in life continue to be an inspiration.
This one’s for you, Gretchen.
Celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Month
By Jelaine Smith
Personal Care Coordinator, Community Based Programs
This year, Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) month feels especially special to me because this month I graduate with my Master’s Degree.
Like many immigrants, this is a dream we never thought could be possible. Reflecting back to my childhood in the Philippines, I remember watching my parents struggle to find full-time work to make ends meet. At a young age, to give me a better future, my parents made the hard decision to send me to America to live with my aunt and uncle.
Today, I have two sets of parents, one in the Philippines and one in America who I am forever grateful for because of the opportunities they have provided me.
Being part of the AAPI community reminds me that we are all tied together by our own unique immigration story to America. Each story is filled with reoccurring themes like hardship and loss, as well as success and triumphs.
Every day in America, I celebrate my heritage in a once foreign land I now call “home.”
This is my immigrant story, my AAPI identity.
SCFHP honored at ARCC Luncheon
Santa Clara Family Health Plan (SCFHP) was honored to receive the 2023 Super Role Model Award from Alum Rock Counseling Center (ARCC) during their Annual Fundraising Luncheon on April 28 in San Jose.
SCFHP was recognized as collaborator, innovator, and funder of behavioral health services in Santa Clara County. We thank ARCC greatly for the recognition and we applaud their efforts toward health equity by addressing root causes of poverty, truancy, gang activity, substance abuse, and family violence within our community. Let’s continue to work together to achieve access to equitable, high-quality health care for all.
Attending the luncheon from SCFHP were, from left: Stephanie Vielma, Manager, Provider Network Operations; Jocelyn Ma, Manager, Community Outreach; Chelsea Byom, VP, Marketing, Communications & Outreach; Christine Tomcala, CEO; Carole Ruvalcaba, Director, Marketing & Communications; Magaly Fernandez, Community Outreach Specialist; Lidia Valencia, Community Health Worker, and Thien Ly, Director, Medicare Outreach.