Clinical psychologist and author Sue Johnson once wrote, “To be human is to need others, and this is no flaw or weakness.” At Providence, this belief is at the heart of the CARE Network, a Mission-driven program designed to support individuals facing the greatest barriers to health and stability.
The CARE Network provides intensive, community-based medical and psychosocial care management for some of the most vulnerable residents of Sonoma, Humboldt and Napa counties. Offered at no cost, the program helps reduce barriers to care, supports recovery beyond hospital walls and assists patients in navigating the complex realities of managing their health at home.
Composed of Providence registered nurses, social workers and community health workers, the CARE Network team partners with patients for up to a year, helping stabilize lives and build pathways to long‑term wellness.
“Once basic needs, like food and housing, are met, it’s much easier to manage a chronic disease,” said Dana Codron, senior director, community health.
For more than a decade, the CARE Network has made a profound and lasting impact across Sonoma County. One powerful example is that of an elderly woman who entered the program after more than 20 years of homelessness. Years of instability, schizophrenia and substance use led to repeated hospitalizations and, ultimately, discharge to a skilled nursing facility.
Through advocacy and coordination provided by the CARE Network’s Enhanced Care Management program, her care team helped transition her to a recuperative care center. There, with consistent access to primary care and supportive services, the team identified and diagnosed bladder cancer.
During an overwhelming and uncertain time, the CARE Network remained by her side, ensuring continuity of care, coordinating treatment and connecting her to critical resources throughout surgery and recovery.
Today, she is cancer‑free and thriving in her own studio apartment within permanent supportive housing. Her journey is a powerful reminder that needing others is not a weakness, it is a deeply human truth.
