Good news twins for local Women’s Center

In a press release on Friday, the Sonoma Valley Hospital announced discussions with the University of California at San Francisco to collaborate with the “CJSCWHW” in order to bring UCSF physicians and surgeons to Sonoma for clinics and surgery locally. The acronym stands for the “Carolyn J. Stone Center for Women’s Health and Wellness,” founded in May 2006 and the recipient of over one million dollars in donations and grants in the 18 months since.
Dr. Patricia Brooks, Chief of Clinical Services at Sonoma Valley Hospital and director of the women’s center, met with Ms. Dixie Horning, Executive Director of the UCSF Center of Excellence for Women’s Health, to develop the relationship between the two organizations. “This SVH/UCSF collaboration,” said hospital CEO Carl Gerlach, “is a giant step forward in everyone’s desire to bring quality healthcare to the women of Sonoma Valley.”
That is expected to include a four-part community healthcare educational series in 2008, sponsored by UCSF, which has also offered guidance in the job description and training for a Program Coordinator/Nurse Navigator at Sonoma. The Stone Center plans to purchase digital mammography equipment, a bone density scanner, a portable ultra sound, and several pieces of equipment for the birth center.
Joining Brooks at the meeting were Karen Collins and Donna Halow. They and the 40-member Community Advisory Broad, including Carolyn J. Stone, for whom the center is named, are responsible for having developed the resources for the center.