Local Farming Company Recognized for Workplace Wellness OXNARD — Laguna Farms, berry grower in Ventura County and affiliate of Reiter Affiliated Companies, will receive the ‘Health Champion’ award on March 7, 2017 at the Board of Supervisors meeting for their commitment…
Category: Health
Ventura County Go Red For Women Luncheon Raises Awareness About Women and Cardiovascular Disease
“Life is Why” Sponsor Dignity Health Central Coast Helps Raise $236,000 to Fight Heart Disease & Stroke WESTLAKE VILLAGE — The American Heart Association (AHA) hosted its annual Ventura County Go Red For Women Luncheon on Friday, February 24, 2017, at the…
Santa Barbara Go Red For Women Luncheon Raises Awareness About Women and Cardiovascular Disease
SANTA BARBARA — The American Heart Association (AHA) hosted its annual Santa Barbara Go Red For Women Luncheon on Friday, February 24, 2017 at the Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort with the goal of raising awareness about the risk of cardiovascular…
Heal Your Heart: Can a Gift Help Prevent Heart Disease?
SANTA BARBARA — What goes into maintaining a healthy heart? Is it just the physical heart muscle and circulation that matters, or is there an active emotional component? Can the simple act of conveying your best wishes and intentions make…
CenCal Health Thanks Primary Care Providers Across the Region
SANTA BARBARA — CenCal Health hosted appreciation dinners across the region in December to thank the providers who work with the agency to provide medical care for low-income residents of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. More than 260…
State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson introduces bill to create ‘California Trusts Women’ pro-choice license plate
SACRAMENTO – With reproductive rights and funding being threatened by the Trump Administration and the Republican-controlled Congress, Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) has introduced a bill to create a specialized reproductive freedom license plate, with proceeds benefiting reproductive health care services…
Volunteers to be Honored at Wish Night 2017 Gala
CENTRAL COAST — Two volunteers will be honored by Make-A-Wish® Tri-Counties at the 8th Annual Wish Night gala on March 3 at the Hyatt Regency in Westlake Village. Meredith Garofalo/KEYT News Channel 3 has been named community partner of the…
San Luis Obispo Wear Red Day Luncheon Raises Awareness About Women and Cardiovascular Disease
SAN LUIS OBISPO — The American Heart Association (AHA) hosted its annual Wear Red Luncheon in San Luis Obispo on Friday, February 3, 2017 at the San Luis Obispo Country Club with the goal of raising awareness about the risk…
Guest commentary: SMILE! It’s National Children’s Dental Health Month
Dear Friends, February is National Children’s Dental Health Month and United Way is proud to advocate for increased services on behalf of 100,000 children in Ventura County who qualify for Dent-Cal and do not have access to a dental…
Mental Wellness Center Welcomes Two New Board Members
SANTA BARBARA — The Mental Wellness Center is proud to announce the appointments of Ned Emerson and Vickie Gonzales to its Board of Directors. Ned Emerson brings over four decades of business and sales experience to the Mental Wellness Center’s…
8 Ways to Make Resolutions Stick in 2017: Santa Barbara Family YMCA offers tips to make lasting change
SANTA BARBARA — Making resolutions is a tradition for millions of Americans. However, while choosing a resolution is easy, sticking to it can be impossible. A 2014 YMCA survey found that less than a quarter of respondents kept their resolutions.…
CenCal Health Pilot Project to Help Eligible Seniors Receive At-Home Assistance
CENTRAL COAST — To ensure that vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities continue to receive at-home medical services, CenCal Health is launching a pilot project with DASH (Doctors Assisting Seniors at Home) to serve its members. DASH is a program…
CenCal Health Rated in Top 10% of Nation’s Medicaid Plans
CENTRAL COAST — This year, CenCal Health rated in the top 10 percent of Medicaid plans nationally for nine areas of care in the most recent state quality measurement ratings. This marks CenCal Health’s best overall performance over the 15 years…
Gold Coast Health Plan Signs Contract with New Pharmacy Benefit Manager
Ventura County’s Medi-Cal Plan to Begin Partnership with OptumRx in 2017 CAMARILLO — Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) has finalized its contract with OptumRx to manage the prescription drug benefits for the Plan’s more than 207,000 members. Starting next year, the Minnesota-based…
CenCal Health and Community Action Commission Partner to Tackle Rising Senior Hunger Rates and Reduce Effects of Malnutrition and Isolation
SANTA BARBARA — CenCal Health executives and staff recently spent time with local seniors at the Goleta Valley Community Center, one of 11 sites across the county where the Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara County (CAC) provides a nutritious meal…
Montecito Family YMCA: 7 Healthy Habits for Your Family to Help Solve Childhood Obesity
California now ranked No. 1 in percentage of children considered overweight or obese; Childhood obesity has more than tripled during the past 30 years MONTECITO – September is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, and while the dangers of childhood obesity are…
Mental Wellness Center Extends Family Advocate Hours for Community Members
SANTA BARBARA — The Mental Wellness Center is pleased to announce it has extended the hours of its Family Advocate, offering everyone in the community access to information, support and resources related to mental health for a family member or…
CenCal Health Launches Campaign to Educate Provider Community on Behavioral Health Services in SB, SLO Counties
CENTRAL COAST – CenCal Health, in partnership with the Central Coast Medical Association, The Holman Group, Santa Barbara County Behavioral Wellness and San Luis Obispo County Behavioral Health Department recently hosted three seminars in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and San…
Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics Awarded $11,000 to Support their Continued Leadership in Community Health Care
Foundation recognizes health center as vital member of California’s safety net SANTA BARBARA — Blue Shield of California Foundation has just awarded a grant of $11,000 in unrestricted funds to the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics in recognition of their critical role in…
Santa Barbara Heart & Stroke Walk/Run Raises More Than $210,000 to Fight Heart Disease and Stroke
CENTRAL COAST — More than 1 in 3 Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease. Santa Barbara resident and owner of Tri-County Produce, John Dixon is all too familiar with this devastating disease. He was born with heart disease and had…
Ventura County Heart & Stroke Walk/Run Raised Nearly $150,000 to Fight Heart Disease and Stroke
CENTRAL COAST — Cardiovascular diseases are the number one killer of both men and women in the U.S. – killing about 2,200 Americans each day – one every 40 seconds. To combat these statistics, the American Heart Association (AHA) hosted…
Braille Institute Offers More Than 70 Fall Classes to Help People with Low Vision Pursue Passions and Stay Active in Our Communities
Free, innovative classes build confidence and skills to help people return to activities they love SANTA BARBARA —Free fall classes at Braille Institute Santa Barbara offer life-enhancing and life-changing experiences to anyone in the tri-county area facing the challenges of vision loss. The fall…
Resolving the ‘Hispanic Paradox’ — Study co-authored by a UCSB researcher reveals Latinos age slower, neutralizing higher health risks of obesity and diabetes
By Jim Logan / UC Santa Barbara A new paper co-authored by a UC Santa Barbara researcher reveals that Latinos age at a slower rate than other ethnic groups. The findings, published in the current issue of Genome Biology, may one day…
NAMI Southern Santa Barbara County to Offer Family-to-Family Education Program for Families of Adults Living with Mental Illness
SANTA BARBARA — NAMI Southern Santa Barbara County, a program of the Mental Wellness Center, will offer its Family-to-Family Education Program for family members of adults living with mental health conditions. The free, 12-session course is designed to help all…
Gold Coast Health Plan Turns 5
Ventura County’s Medi-Cal Plan to Celebrate 5-Year Anniversary CAMARILLO — Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) is celebrating its five-year anniversary on Friday, July 29 with a fun event that will recognize the contributions of the Plan’s employees. GCHP went live on July…
Foodbank Needs Your Help to End Summer Hunger
Foodbank of Santa Barbara County Seeks Donations by June 30 to Reach $100K Matching Grant SANTA BARBARA — Foodbank of Santa Barbara County is approaching the end of its End Summer Hunger campaign, a month-long campaign to raise $100K to help feed…
Just Being Healthy in Today’s Mobile World
Just Being Healthy (JBH) will participate in the 5th annual Global Wellness Day, an international day to celebrate wellness and healthy living, by working to improve a person’s total body wellness caused by the stressors of life, and in many…
Certificate in Healthcare Interpreting available through CSU Channel Islands beginning fall 2016
CAMARILLO — CSU Channel Islands (CI) will offer classes required for a Certificate of Healthcare Interpreting beginning in fall of 2016. The Healthcare Interpreter Certificate prepares students to become English-Spanish interpreters in medical settings, a field that is exploding with opportunity. According to…
Mental Wellness Center Welcomes Andrea Carnaghe as New Board Chair
SANTA BARBARA— The Mental Wellness Center is proud to announce Andrea Carnaghe as the organization’s new board chair. The Mental Wellness Center is a private, non-profit organization providing recovery, education, and support services for individuals affected by mental illness including…
Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care Welcomes Michelle Dahlkemper and Lailain McGrath
SANTA BARBARA — Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care (VNHC) is pleased to announce the addition of Michelle Dahlkemper as Chief Operating Officer. Dahlkemper brings sixteen years of experience as a registered nurse with extensive experience in post-acute healthcare including palliative…
Gold Coast Health Plan Awards Nearly $60,000 to Support Community Health Care Programs in Ventura County
Medi-Cal Plan Issues Funds Under New Community Investment Initiative CAMARILLO — Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) is sponsoring two programs under its newly created Alternative Resources for Community Health (ARCH) initiative. The goal of ARCH is to invest in the health and…
Bilingual commentary: Cognitive Testing…What’s My Name?
Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805. By David Magallanes / Guest contributor David Magallanes…
CenCal Health Presents Dignity Health with Healthcare Innovation Award for Outstanding Care and Service
SANTA BARBARA / SAN LUIS OBISPO — CenCal Health, the health care program serving low-income residents of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, presented a Healthcare Innovation Award to Dignity Health at their board meeting on May 18. The…
May is Mental Health Month: Mental Wellness Center Offers Tips to Improve Your Mental Wellness
SANTA BARBARA — In honor of Mental Health Month in May, the Mental Wellness Center is spreading the word that mental health is something everyone should care about. The nonprofit organization is offering the community a few easy tips to…
Letter Carriers prepare to collect and carry more than 100,000 pounds of food in one day for Ventura County’s hungry
VENTURA COUNTY — On Saturday, May 14, Ventura County letter carriers will be caravanning more than just incoming and outgoing mail; and community members won’t have to venture far from their doorsteps to give back to the local hungry in…
Clinicas del Camino Real Inc. celebrates 2016 National Women’s Health Week throughout Ventura County through May 14
VENTURA COUNTY — May 8-14th, Clinicas del Camino Real, Inc. will host events in honor of National Women’s Health Week! Women throughout Ventura County can visit any of the 13 Clinicas Health Centers and participate in the FREE activities being…
VCMMCC Signals Rejection of Pharmacy Benefit Manager Selection
Commissioners to be More Active in the Selection Process CAMARILLO — The Ventura County Medi-Cal Managed Care Commission (VCMMCC) directed staff to prepare an agenda item for an upcoming special meeting formally rejecting all current bids received for the pharmacy benefit manager…
Community Discovers Future of Technology for Visually Impaired
SANTA BARBARA — Technology leaders recently shared insights on the evolution and future of technologies for the visually impaired at a Braille Institute Santa Barbara community education event titled Active Aging with Low Vision: Focus on Technology. Guests enjoyed a…
VCMRF’s Children’s Resource Program
WHY WAIT A YEAR? Protect your senses! Once a year a charitable event generously offers a free dental clinic; however, every day there is a child in pain who requires help, NOW! The Children’s Resource Program (CRP) began 31 years…
Bilingual commentary: The Vegetarian Decision
Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805. By David Magallanes / Guest contributor David Magallanes…
Gold Coast Health Plan Gets Green Light from State to Repay County Loan
Ventura County’s Medi-Cal Plan in Strong Financial Position CAMARILLO — As a continuing sign of its strong financial performance, Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) received approval from the state Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to repay a $7.2 million line…
Guest commentary: Multicultural Mental Health — Community Defined Practices
Message Therapy: The Intuitive Touch Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805.…
CenCal Health Receives Community Partners in Excellence Award, Additional Recognition from California Assembly and Senate
SANTA BARBARA — Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care (VNHC) presented CenCal Health with the “2016 Community Partners in Excellence Award” on March 8 during PHorum: Perspectives in Healthcare, a healthcare symposium hosted annually by VNHC. That same evening, CenCal Health…
Braille Institute Santa Barbara Hosts Active Aging with Low Vision Community Education Event
SANTA BARBARA — Recently, Braille Institute Santa Barbara hosted Active Aging with Low Vision: Focus on Cooking and Nutrition, a free community education event highlighting ways that people can stay safe in the kitchen as their vision changes. This event…
CenCal Health Partners with Community Action Commission of SB County and Senior Nutrition Program of SLO County to Bolster Meal Delivery Service for Seniors
SANTA BARBARA, SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTIES – CenCal Health is partnering with the Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara County (CAC) and the Senior Nutrition Program of San Luis Obispo County to support their meal delivery services for seniors. On Jan.…
Mental Wellness Center Awarded National Three-Year CARF Accreditation
SANTA BARBARA — The Mental Wellness Center, a local nonprofit that provides services to adults and families affected by mental illness, has been awarded a three-year accreditation by the International Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). “We are thrilled to…
Senior Health Professionals Learn About Aging in Place with Vision Loss
SANTA BARBARA — Recently, healthcare providers and professional caregivers in Santa Barbara County gathered at Braille Institute Santa Barbara for a Distinguished Speaker Breakfast: Aging in Place with Vision Loss. Breakfast presenters Jon K. Hayashida, O.D., FAAO, Braille Institute Clinical…
HSB and Santa Ynez Valley Union High School Partner for Student Bereavement
SANTA YNEZ — Hospice of Santa Barbara is partnering with Santa Ynez Valley Union High School to provide group and individual bereavement counseling free of charge to students on campus during school hours. Through this new partnership, school counselors will…
Bilingual report: Clinicas del Camino Real Inc. hosting dental health fair on Feb. 27 in honor of National Children’s Dental Health Month
OXNARD — February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. If you have a baby or toddler, you may have questions about thumb sucking, your child’s first dental visit or how and when to clean your child’s teeth. If so, on…
Local NAMI Chapter Offering ‘Family-to-Family’ Educational Course for Family Members of Adults Living with Mental Illness
SANTA BARBARA — The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Southern Santa Barbara County is inviting family members of adults living with serious mental health conditions to register for its upcoming “Family-to-Family” education program. The free, 12-session course is designed…