About Us



General Information \| Board of Directors \| Executive Director

About The Northern California Center for Well-Being

Mission

To promote the well-being of the whole person
by empowering people with the knowledge, skills and spirit
to take responsibility for personal, family and community health.

	We are a non-profit organization providing health education, wellness and prevention services to Sonoma County and beyond.
	The Center offers educational programs designed to help people with chronic illness manage symptoms, enhance well-being, and prevent further disability.
	Education and movement programs are provided for people with diabetes, coronary heart disease and congestive heart failure, high cholesterol, asthma, arthritis, and other diagnoses.
	General wellness programs that stress the mind-body connection are also offered to the community, including stress management, exercise, meditation, and weight management.
	A full schedule of movement and exercise programs are offered at our two locations, 365B Tesconi Circle and 3536 Mendocino Avenue, both in Santa rosa.
	Programs include up-to-date information on disease and disease processes, tools for self-care, and skills for lifestyle modification. Participants are motivated to set goals and make real life changes.
	The core staff includes registered nurses, registered dietitians, health educators and exercise physiologists. Other contract personnel include respiratory therapists, mental health practitioners, gerontologists, and physicians.

General Information

The Northern California Center for Well-Being is an independent 501(c) (3) non-profit health education and wellness center serving the entire county of Sonoma and adjacent areas since 1996. Center staff works with people with chronic disease (diabetes, heart disease, arthritis) and/or with risk factors for chronic disease (obesity, high cholesterol, sedentary lifestyle), and their families, in small, multi-session groups targeted to address a specific diagnosis or risk factor. These groups inform, motivate and support people toward better self-care. Our empowerment education model draws from stages of change, self-efficacy, and adult learning theories. Special program initiatives outreach to the Latino community for diabetes self care education and family and pediatric nutrition.

Center programs are based on a biopsychosocial model of illness, and use an empowerment education model. Programs include up-to-date information on disease and disease process tools for self-care, skills for lifestyle modification, and understanding of and support for the connections between mind and body. Participants are motivated to set goals and make real life changes in lifestyle practices. Family members of people with chronic illness are also encouraged to attend the programs as support people or on their own. Center staff follows up with program participants through written communication and telephone contact, and track program outcomes. Outcome studies use established quality of life instruments for specific diagnoses, medical symptom checklists, and behavioral change follow-up phone interviews.

The Center has helped over 25,000 people and their families take positive steps toward greater health, and empowering many of our program participants to reach out to others through their involvement in the Center. Programs have helped participants to improve health and to experience improved quality of life. Some of the outcomes for our programs are as follows:

Diabetes - Participants in the Center for Well-Being's Diabetes Wellness Series average a 1.0 decrease in their HbA1c values six months after completing the class.

Note: The Diabetes Wellness Series is accredited by the American Diabetes Association

Cardiovascular Health - Participants in the Center's HeartWorks programs have statistically significant improvements in aerobic capacity; flexibility; and strength within 3 months of adherence to program recommendations.

HeartWorks Exercise Programs - Participants have a documented decrease in body fat composition of 4-6% as compared to their program start date.

Smoking Cessation - Approximately 40% of people completing the Smoking Cessation class have successfully quit 6-9 months after completing the program.

Leadership for the Center is provided by its Board of Directors of physicians, other health and businesss professionals, community leaders and advocates.

Board of Directors
Rebecca LaLonde, MBA, RN, President

Jim Adams, MA, RN, President-elect

Reed Walker, MD, Secretary
Pat Kilkenny, Treasurer

Alanna Brogan, RN, MA, Past President

Nick Anton, MD

John Beilharz, Ph.D.

Sandra De Bella Bodley, Ed.D, RN

John Fitzpatrick, MBA

Toni Griffin, LLP

Ezbon Jen, PhD

Andrea Learned

Chris Rogers, MBA

Executive Director
Alena Wall, MA, CHES has been Executive Director of the Center for Well-Being since April 2007. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist with a Masters' degree in Holistic Health Education, a BS in Health Science, and over a decade of experience designing and administering health education programs.

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