Lompoc Valley Community Healthcare Organization

BOP network assured access to care for inmates; during the last year over 2,000 inmates received services through the network.

Community Health Improvement Program efforts including: Building off the previous eight years' projects, the organization continued partnership with county-wide agencies to grow the Caring Together Santa Barbara County campaign and network, aimed at strengthening the safety net for the aging and family caregiver population. In 2020 the LVCHO managed and completed a capital campaign to renovate the track and field at Huyck Stadium in Lompoc. The school district-owned stadium is now open for community use and the LVCHO is working to ensure robust utilization of the facility for recreation and physical activity. The LVCHO has facilitated the oversight committee for the track and field to ensure quality maintenance and highest and best utilization of the facility. LVCHO is in the process of hiring a bilingual cultural advocate and program coordinator to better connect with the Spanish-speaking Lompoc community. This staff person will attend local events to conduct health education and outreach. After the LVCHO completed a three-year strategic plan in 2019, COVID created a delay in implementation, however work to fulfil the plan is still ongoing. The LVCHO completed its partnership with Route One Farmers Market to implement a buffering services grant to patients at the Lompoc Health Care Center and Youth and the Lompoc Family YMCA. Recipients of the program learned about healthy coping mechanisms and healthy eating habits through the lens of trauma informed care. The LVCHO continued to support Route One and their mobile farmers market to create a placed-based solution to increasing healthy food access to underserved communities. Also in partnership with Route One, the LVCHO created a "food access resource list" so Lompoc residents are aware of where to find support in accessing food. The LVCHO continued to implement a new program entitled Wellness Empowerment for Lompoc Leaders (WELL), which has provided a common language around trauma for local leadership and has fostered a network of compassion and understanding around mental health. The LVCHO has mentored and supported Savie Health Free Health Clinic in Lompoc to increase access to healthcare services to uninsured Lompoc residents. The organization, and its community coalitions, continue to host meetings, foster connections, and distribute a monthly newsletter in an effort to fulfill the mission and further embed Health and Wellbeing into the local culture. Provided funding for low income and uninsured individuals to receive needed prescription medications; presented healthy living workshops to multiple community organizations upon request; staffed Healthy Lompoc Task Force to assure broad community participation in community health decision-making; recommended to Lompoc City Council that the city become a HEAL (Healthy Eating and Active Living) community; accepted responsibility for developing HEAL implementation plan; Developed grade appropriate curriculum for K - 12 regarding bike safety; curriculum accepted by LUSD and incorporated into the classrooms at all LUSD K-8 schools; enhanced enforcement of traffic laws around school zones at beginning and end of school day; Conducted a community needs assessments around caregiving and senior issues; coordinated collaborative partners to implement a collaborative program to strengthen the safety net for seniors and caregivers; Supported the opening of a Family Caregiver Support Network; Managed campaign to raise awareness and self-identification of caregivers; Grew local caregiver initiative to county-wide Caring Together Santa Barbara County network and initiative. Facilitated the installation of creative crosswalks to promote art, economy and health; Facilitated the Healthy Lompoc Coalition and supported member agencies with their health efforts; developed a HEAL outreach team to educate the community about the benefits of HEAL; Established a HEAL Advisory Cabinet to further imbed HEAL into the culture of leadership in Lompoc; purchased and installed community bicycle repair stations; Helped secure grant funds for refrigerated and filtered water bottle refill and water fountain stations; promoted the use of electronic benefits transfer at local Farmers Markets; Facilitated discussion about opening a third Farmers Market for the Lompoc community; Helped to open a new Farmer's Market in the Lompoc Valley; Increased food literacy and healthy food access through the new Farmer's Market in the Lompoc Valley; Secured funding for mobile farmers market and for a CalFresh bilingual Market Navigator; Partnered on purchase of the county's first mobile market as a place-based solution to increasing healthy food access to underserved communities; Contracted with the CA Office of Traffic Safety to promote pedestrian and bicycle safety; Planned and implemented Lompoc's first and second annual Open Streets event to promote active transportation; Raised funds for local disaster relief; Initiated and completed fundraising for a capital campaign and public awareness campaign around the renovation of local track and field facility for athlete, student and community use; raised funds and installed a community exercise zone at the track and field facility; Facilitated the expansion of the Healthy People Healthy Trails program into Lompoc; Helped identify isolated seniors in need during the COVID-19 pandemic to get them connected to needed services; Secured funding for COVID-19 vaccine promotion in the Lompoc Valley; Published monthly informational e-newsletter to distribute local partner health information; Facilitated effort to increase participation in the 2020 Census particularly in the hard-to-count neighborhoods in Lompoc; Acted as Lompoc voice for numerous county-wide initiatives.