SANTA BARBARA – Cottage Health, a not-for-profit healthcare system serving the California Central Coast, is proud to be CertifiedTM by Great Place To Work® for a sixth time. The certification is based on what current employees shared in confidential surveys about their experience working at Cottage Health. This year, Cottage Health’s employee survey scores were 24 points higher than the average U.S. company.
SANTA BARBARA — Cottage Health invita a los miembros de la comunidad a ayudar a moldear el futuro de la atención a salud en el condado de Santa Barbara al participar en el Consejo Asesor para Pacientes y Familias, en español.
SANTA BARBARA — Cottage Health is pleased to announce the launch of the Cottage Women’s Heart Clinic, the first of its kind in Santa Barbara County. The specialty care clinic is designed to address the unique needs of women with cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular disease stands as the leading cause of death in women, responsible for one in three deaths each year, according to the American Heart Association.
SANTA BARBARA — To bolster local blood supply and contribute to the community’s well-being, Cottage Health, in partnership with Vitalant, is hosting two blood drives in February.
The blood drives are scheduled in Goleta and Santa Barbara on the following dates:
SANTA BARBARA — Cottage Primary Care presents a FREE Virtual Meet the Doctor event on Thursday, February 29, from 4 – 5 p.m., featuring primary care physicians, Dr. Yana Gristan and Dr. Arielle Kanner, who will discuss the importance of primary care in maintaining overall health and managing chronic conditions.
Drs. Gristan and Kanner will share insights into the role of primary care in wellness and preventative care, early detection of health conditions and personalized care and treatment plans. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage in meaningful conversation with the physicians.
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Trauma Services, along with several local agencies, is hosting a FREE drive-up child car seat and booster check event. No prior registration is necessary.
SANTA BARBARA — Cottage Center for Orthopedics presents a FREE Virtual Meet the Doctor event on Thursday, May 2, from 4 – 5 p.m., featuring orthopedic surgeon Dr. Rivka Ihejirika-Lomedico, who will provide valuable insights on optimizing bone health, focusing on osteoporosis and orthopedics.
SANTA BARBARA — The Cottage Heart & Vascular Center presents a FREE Virtual Meet the Doctor event on Thursday, July 18, from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m., featuring interventional cardiologist and structural heart specialist Dr. Joseph Aragon, MD, FACC, FSCAI who will provide valuable insights on advances in valve replacement.
Dr. Aragon will discuss how advances in valve replacement have significantly improved the diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life for patients with heart disease. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), the MitraClip procedure for mitral valve repair, and the latest breakthrough in valve repair, the TriClip.
The session will conclude with a Q&A segment, providing participants with the chance to have their questions answered by Dr. Aragon.
SANTA BARBARA — Cottage Health is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2023 Physician of the Year Award, an annual recognition honoring physicians on the Medical Staff for their exemplary performance.
2023 Physician of the Year Award Recipients:
Paul DiModica, DO, Emergency Medicine at Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital
Bryan Goldberg, MD, Emergency Medicine at Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital
·Miriam Parsa, MD, Chief Pediatric Medical Officer at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital
·Chase Warren, MD, Psychiatry at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital
SANTA BARBARA — Cottage Health, in partnership with physicians Christopher Birch, MD; Erin Haggerty, MD; Michael Kenly, MD; Asher Kupperman, MD; Eli Kupperman, MD; Amit Nathani, MD and Amy Wickman, MD, is announcing plans for a new ambulatory surgery center in northern Santa Barbara County.
Upon opening, the new surgery center, which is co-owned by the independent community physicians and Cottage Health, will increase access to convenient, high-quality orthopedic surgical services and pain management. It will serve as a cost-effective point of care for patients throughout the region from Solvang to Paso Robles. The state-of-the-art, 12,000 square-foot center also will be licensed to expand its scope to additional specialties.
SANTA BARBARA — Cottage Health is expanding access to healthcare with a new, primary care clinic, Cottage Primary Care – Santa Barbara – Oak Park. The new clinic, located at 2329 Oak Park Lane in Santa Barbara is now open and accepting new patients.
Yana Gristan, MD and Arielle Kanner, DO, both of whom completed residency at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, are the lead physicians offering in-person and virtual medical care to adult patients at this new location.
Drs. Gristan and Kanner understand the importance of building strong patient-physician relationships and look forward to providing personalized care and treatment plans for wellness and prevention, early detection and management of health conditions.
SANTA BARBARA — Cottage Health was honored to welcome world-renowned global media leader, producer, actress, author and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey as the keynote speaker at its Annual Medical Staff Dinner. Winfrey delivered a compelling address on the profound impact of the human connection between healthcare professionals and their patients.
Winfrey set the tone for an evening of reflection and appreciation for the significant role physicians play in the lives of patients with a powerful quote on doctoring by physician and professor Francis Peabody, who once said, “For the secret of the care of the patient is in caring for the patient.”
SANTA BARBARA — Cottage Health is opening a new Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic to serve the community. The new clinic will create additional access to women’s healthcare, with a strong focus on a high-quality patient experience.
The new Cottage Ob/Gyn Clinic will be centrally located in Santa Barbara at 2416 Castillo Street, Suite A. The outpatient specialty clinic builds on Cottage’s existing services to provide patient-centered care for women at every stage of life.
Cottage Ob/Gyn Clinic is now accepting new patients. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 805- 324-9400.
SANTA BARBARA — Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital (SBCH) and Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital (GVCH) have earned a five-star rating, the highest rating possible, on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 2023 quality star rating report.
SBCH and GVCH are among 10 percent of surveyed U.S. hospitals that received five stars, the highest rating.
SANTA BARBARA – Cottage Health has received two American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines® achievement awards for demonstrating a commitment to research-based guidelines for the treatment of stroke, leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital.
SANTA BARBARA — Cottage Health is the first health system on the California Central Coast to offer Focal One’s noninvasive Robotic Focal High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) treatment to patients with localized prostate cancer. HIFU, an outpatient procedure, is today’s most advanced technology for precisely targeted ablation of diseased prostate tissue. Dr. David Laub, urologist with Cottage Health, performed the first three procedures on June 23, 2023, at Cottage Outpatient Surgery Center.
SANTA BARBARA – Following a national search, Cottage Health has appointed Andrew Brown as the new Vice President of Advancement. In this role, Mr. Brown will lead fund development operations and work closely with the foundations providing critical fundraising support for Cottage Health.
Mr. Brown brings more than 20 years of experience in advancement leadership. Most recently, Mr. Brown served as Vice President of Advancement at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, where he successfully led The Macalester Moment fundraising campaign, a 4-year, $100 million fundraising initiative that exceeded its goal by 26%. While at Macalester, he also implemented community-centric fundraising strategies and doubled total annual fundraising.
GOLETA – In a display of community support and celebration of mothers everywhere, the 4th annual Miles for Moms 5K run/walk drew an impressive 550 participants. This event, held on the eve of Mother’s Day, paid tribute to the selfless dedication of mothers while also raising $100,000 to benefit Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital (GVCH).
Cottage Health is now accepting applications for the 2023-25 Behavioral Health Initiative Community Partnership Grants. The grant opportunity is open to organizations working to address behavioral health needs for children and youth and their families in south Santa Barbara County. Using evidence-based interventions, grantees in the initiative will collaborate on community-based work to increase access and use of behavioral health services and to improve the health and quality of life of adolescents and their families.
After a two-year pause, the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Foundation recently welcomed more than 400 guests to its annual black-tie gala, the Tiara Ball, held March 25, 2023, at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Goleta. This year’s event raised over $500,000 to benefit emergency, trauma and critical care services at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
Organized by a 15-member committee of community volunteers and hospital staff, the event designers converted the resort ballroom with metallic spheres and dance floor, a celestial gold and blue color-theme, and ethereal floral arrangements. Heather Hambleton and Lisa Iscovich co-chaired the event, also known as The Party of the Year.
Following a national search, Cottage Health has named Lorenzo Olivarez Jr. to the role of Vice President of Finance.
Olivarez most recently served as Division Chief Financial 0fficer/Sr. Vice President at Baptist St. Anthony’s Health System in Amarillo, TX, where he oversaw financial management of multiple medical centers, clinics and physician groups and was recognized as Ardent CFO of the Year.
“We welcome Lorenzo to Cottage Health and Santa Barbara,” Kristin Tufvesson, Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, said. “His extensive knowledge of healthcare finance and proven leadership experience will be instrumental in providing oversight and strategic direction to ensure Cottage Health’s fiscal responsibility and continue strong financial stewardship to help grow programs and services for the community. We are very fortunate to have him in this important leadership position.”
Eric Seale has joined the volunteer Board of Directors for Cottage Health, a not-for-profit leader in providing advanced medical care to California’s Central Coast region.
Seale is a managing partner at Accufy Analytics, a financial software firm specializing in renewable energy financing structures. He holds a master’s degree in finance from the MIT Sloan School of Management in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science from Princeton University in New Jersey.
To help increase access to care, Cottage Health is excited to announce that Cottage Virtual Care is now offered in Spanish. Launching today for California residents, Cottage Virtual Care – Spanish is always open, offering 24/7 coverage for virtual care visits.
Anyone can visit cottagehealth.org/atencion-virtual using a smartphone, tablet or computer to start a visit in Spanish. Patients start by creating an account and entering their symptoms and health information. Choose from an online interview or have a video consultation with a Cottage Health provider. Within an hour, users receive a treatment plan, and – if needed – prescriptions are automatically sent to a pharmacy of choice.
Cottage Health has appointed Dr. Miriam Parsa, a board-certified pediatrician and pediatric rheumatologist, to the role of Chief Pediatric Medical Officer.
As Chief Pediatric Medical Officer, Dr. Parsa will continue to help advance the development of pediatric services and community partnerships. She will also provide leadership in maintaining Cottage’s high standards of clinical quality and patient experience.
Dr. Parsa joined the Medical Staff of Cottage Health and the Cottage Children’s Medical Center in 2013 and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Rheumatology.
SANTA BARBARA — The Cottage Center for Orthopedics will present a free Virtual Meet the Doctor event on Thursday, June 29, from 4 – 5 p.m., featuring Dr. Chris Birch and Dr. Danielle Thomas, orthopedic surgeons affiliated with Cottage Health, who will discuss how to keep joints healthy.
Doctors Birch and Thomas will provide information on joint pain relief, joint replacement, joint preservation surgery, and partial knee replacement. They will also review causes and symptoms, strategies for prevention and treatment, advanced treatment options as well as offer a Q&A session.
SANTA BARBARA — Cottage is seeing a significant increase in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases and urges the community to take precautions to protect those most at risk, especially infants and adults over 65 years of age, as holiday gatherings…
Cottage Health has announced its 2022 Physicians of the Year Awards, which recognize physicians on the Medical Staff for exemplary performance.
Cottage Health staff members submit nominations every year to the Physicians Reward and Recognition Team. The selection of award honorees is based upon the most nominations in four criteria: dedication to the profession and patients, respect and courtesy, collaborative practices, and efficient use of resources.
“Nominations for the awards come from staff who work closely with the physicians,” said Dr. Ed Wroblewski, Vice President of Medical Affairs & Chief Medical Officer at Cottage Health. “All four physicians honored have earned high praise for the care and respect they give to patients and colleagues. They always strive to collaborate with staff to do what’s best for the patient.”
Following a national search, Cottage Health has promoted Kristin Tufvesson to the role of Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
Ms. Tufvesson began her career at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in 1991 and has held several key positions at Cottage Health over the past three decades.
Since early 2022, she has been serving as interim Senior VP and CFO, and was previously Vice President, Finance & Controller. Her prior roles included Director of Financial Services and Director of Financial Planning & Decision Support.
Cottage Health and Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, along with several other community organizations, are partnering to improve the well-being of Santa Barbara County residents. To better understand the needs and strengths of the entire community, and the many diverse groups within it, the collaborative is asking residents to participate in a Community Health Needs Assessment.
Sepsis is not an infection. It is not contagious. Sepsis is the body’s reaction to an infection.
More than 1.5 million people in the United States develop sepsis each year, and at least 270,000 Americans die from sepsis annually.
Normally, the immune system fights and controls infections, but for unknown reasons, this process breaks down during sepsis. As sepsis progresses, the immune system stops fighting the infection and becomes overactive, which can lead to severe sepsis, and even septic shock.
This can result in irreversible tissue damage, organ failure, and even death. Like a stroke or heart attack, sepsis is a medical emergency that requires rapid diagnosis and treatment with fluids and antibiotics.
The Cottage Heart & Vascular Center will host a free virtual Meet the Doctor event presented in Spanish on heart disease prevention featuring cardiologist Dr. Alejandro Garcia-Revilla, on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, from 4 -5 p.m.
This virtual Spanish presentation will include an English interpreter.
During his presentation Dr. Garcia-Revilla will discuss caring for your heart and vascular system, from prevention to intervention. There will be a question and answer session following the presentation.
SANTA BARBARA — United Way of Santa Barbara County (UWSBC) and Cottage Health employees teamed up to ensure 30 elementary age students all had gifts to unwrap for the holidays. Cottage Health employees contacted UWSBC in the fall to arrange…
SANTA BARBARA — Thanks to Santa Barbara City College’s Career Skills Institute and their Health Professionals Institute program and partners, dozens of local healthcare employees are now poised for career advancement. The SBCC Career Skills Institute created its Health Professionals…
VENTURA — The United Way of Ventura County will present CSU President Richard R. Rush with a Lifetime Achievement Award during its 11th annual Spirit of Community Partnership Awards on Sept. 17. For the first time in the 70-year history…
