The Desert Sierra Health Network Committees

DSHN members formed the Youth and Family Wellness and Workplace Wellness Committees in order to place special emphasis on the school and workplace environments. Communications Committee was developed to promote the Desert Sierra Health Network as a leading force for healthy change and reducing health disparities within our communities. Research Committee supports the work of the Communications and other committees by providing information that can be the basis for their activities. For more information, or to join one of the committees, please contact:

Pam Sit, MSPH, DSHN Coordinator
San Bernardino County Department of Public Health
(909) 382-3913
psit@dph.sbcounty.gov

Josette Quinn, Program Coordinator
Riverside County Department ob Public Health
(951) 358-5985
jharris@co.riverside.ca.us

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee is composed of the Desert Sierra Health Network chair and vice chair and the all chairs, co-chairs and coordinators from each of the following committees: Youth & Family Wellness, Worksite Wellness, Communications, Research, and Mini Grant. The Steering Committee’s primary purpose is to facilitate communication and cooperation between committees:

	Direct meeting content and activities so that they are in alignment with DSHN objectives and goals
	Act as spokespersons to the community and media
	Identify potential resources and opportunities

Communications Committee

Communications Committee establishes the Network as the primary resource and clearinghouse for nutrition and physical activity information and policy:

	Oversees relations to mass media, including newspaper, radio, and TV
	Develops consistent protocols for approaching the media
	Maintains a media contact database
	Act as media spokespersons for the Health Network
	Develop and maintain the Media Assist Request Form

Mini Grant Committee

DSHN offers mini grants, $500 to $4999 per grant, for short-term, creative projects reaching low-income populations that work toward obesity reduction. The Mini Grant Committee oversees the DSHN Mini Grant Program and all associated procedures:

	Develops the Request for Proposal
	Prepares bidders information package
	Oversees selection process

Resource Committee

Resource Committee collects, develops and conducts the annual member survey and tabulates its results. This committee also provides legislative updates during quarterly meetings and maintains the membership database. Future plans include designing a member blog site for the Desert Sierra Health Network.

Youth & Family Wellness Committee

The Youth & Family Wellness Committee (YFWC) counters childhood overweight and obesity through improved nutrition and increased opportunities for physical activity:

	Creates opportunities for networking and shared resources
	Provides health and nutrition education
	Provides resource referrals

Worksite Wellness Committee

The Worksite Wellness Committee encourages business leaders and individuals to adopt healthy nutrition and physical activity wellness policies at the workplace:

	Developing and maintaining the Worksite Wellness Toolkit
	Conducting periodic training sessions to secure the effective implementation of the Toolkit
	Providing technical assistance to employers and employees to increase the implementation of worksite wellness programs
	Conducts follow up evaluations

Worksite Wellness Toolkit was designed to assist companies and other organizations that are interested in the well-being of their employees and dedicated to improving health at the workplace. The two part toolkit, Create a Healthier Work Environment: Encourage Healthy Choices folder and the Create a Healthier You: Make Healthy Choices resource binder contains tools to assist management in creating a healthier work environment for their employees, as well as provides hands on nutrition and health education materials for employees.