National Campaign Celebrates the Key to Healthier Communities
SANTA BARBARA — On Monday, August 14th Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics (SBNC) will hold a “Pop Up” Clinic where William Sansum Diabetes Center will provide free blood pressure and hemoglobin A1c screenings. The screenings will take place today at the Faulding Hotel, located at 15 East Haley St from 4:00-7:00 pm thanks to a partnership with the Housing Authority of Santa Barbara, known as the Health Access and Care Coordination Program or HACC.
On Tuesday, August 15th, from noon until 3:00 pm SBNC will be onsite at La Cumbre Junior High School, located at 2255 Modoc Road to provide vaccines to all students in the community. The Tdap vaccine, which is required for students entering 7th grade, will be available along with other vaccines. Free vaccines are available for those with no insurance.
“This event highlights the important role collaborations play to ensure the best possible care”, said Dr. Charles Fenzi CEO and CMO. “Having collaborative partnerships with other community providers is just one of the reasons that community health centers are well positioned to meet the diverse needs of the most vulnerable residents of our community.”
Events around the country are planned as part of National Health Center Week (NHCW). The national campaign runs August 13th-19th with the goal of raising awareness about the mission and accomplishments of community health centers like SBNC, which provides vital medical, dental and behavioral health services at six locations throughout Santa Barbara, Goleta and Isla Vista. SBNC serves over 20,000 members of our community and has many partnerships that support the medical and social needs of the most vulnerable members of our community.
One of the bright spots in America’s health care system, community health centers serve more than 25 million Americans, a number that continues to grow along with the demand for affordable primary care. They have compiled a significant record of success that includes:
- Producing $24 billion in annual health system savings;
- Reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and unnecessary visits to the emergency room;
- Treating patients for a fraction of the average cost of one emergency room visit;
- Maintaining patient satisfaction levels of nearly 100 percent.
In California, over 6.2 million people, roughly a third of the State’s population, receives health insurance through Medi-Cal. Community health centers serve over half of these Medi-Cal recipients at a fraction of the cost of other providers.
Health centers not only prevent illness and foster wellness in the most challenging populations; they produce innovative solutions to the most pressing health care issues in their communities. They reach beyond the walls of conventional medicine to address the factors that may cause sickness, such as lack of nutrition, mental illness, homelessness and opioid addiction. Because of their long record of success in innovation, managing health care costs, and reducing chronic disease, health centers have a proud tradition of bipartisan support in Congress.
For more information about SBNC, please visit www.sbclinics.org. To see more information about our National Health Center Week Events, visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sbclinics.