Our mission: To connect community stakeholders to improve health outcomes, grow the health sector economy and workforce and enhance quality of life in Sandoval County.
The Sandoval Health Collaborative (SHC) formed in 2016 under the umbrella of the Sandoval Economic Alliance (SEA), which acted as the organization’s home and fiscal agent during its formative years. Both organizations aligned around dual goals of growing the health sector workforce and economy. In 2018, the Collaborative formed its own nonprofit under New Mexico law and selected the New Mexico Community Foundation as its new 501c (3) fiscal agent to receive donations and oversee the Collaborative’s financial reporting.
Currently, the Collaborative’s board is comprised of members representing health, education and economic development sectors of our community. SHC maintains strong links with community organizations and health providers that align with our mission.
Since 2017, SHC has focused its efforts to improve health outcomes around children and families. Our signature initiative to promote healthy behaviors is 10×10: Ten Things Every Child Should Know about their Health by Age 10. In 2021, 10×10 booklets of messages and activities became available in both printed and online, age-appropriate editions (1st through 4th grade) with a 5th grade booklet expected by 2022. 10×10 also includes a Parents Health Resource Guide specific to Sandoval County and tribal communities here. The Guide shares helpful tips on navigating the local health system and where to find free and low-cost health resources.
More than 10,000 print booklets have been distributed free of charge through instructors at schools, local tribal and after school youth programs in Sandoval County and Albuquerque Boys and Girls Clubs. These donations have been made possible through grants from the Presbyterian Center for Community Health, the Sandoval County Health Council, the NM Dept. of Health and private individuals. Pre and post surveys and interviews with kids, instructors and parents contribute to metrics SHC uses to evaluate 10×10’s impact and continuously improve the content. CNM’s Digital Media Lab co-partnered with SHC and the Health Council to produce the new online versions, complete with audio, animation and interactive content designed to engage children.
SHC’s goal is to license the copyrighted 10×10’s to other counties and school districts in and outside New Mexico. Fees would replace reliance on grants to refresh content and sustain donations of booklets.
Other SHC projects include:
- advocating for broadband upgrades and greater use of telehealth in Sandoval County
- ongoing presence on local health and community boards
- authoring an online community survey to see if local consumers would like and use a web and smartphone portal to help them navigate a complex health system.
To showcase Rio Rancho’s City Center, the Collaborative sponsored a 4-minute animated video highlighting the Center’s existing and future health academic and clinical offerings.
The Future: The Collaborative seeks opportunities to lend its community voice to the transformation of our local health system in ways that promote health equity and upstream, preventive care.
