Tag archives: healthcare

Vintners Give Back: Biennial Auction Raises Money for Direct Relief and Local Health Services
By Gabe Saglie   |   November 19, 2024

The MJ had a seat at the table, and we witnessed the power of giving back. The Santa Barbara Wine Auction was back at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Goleta this past weekend, drawing hundreds of oenophiles who dressed up, showed up and raised their paddles up. This is a biennial party put on by the […]

Insomnia: Is It Keeping You up at Night?
By Deann Zampelli   |   August 13, 2024

The first rays of dawn can be the most depressing sight in the world for an insomniac, as it means any hope of a good night’s sleep is officially gone. As someone who has often struggled with insomnia for the better part of a decade, I know only too well the frustration; the tossing and […]

Connecting Doctors to Underserved Communities and Career Fulfillment Across the Globe
By Steven Libowitz   |   April 23, 2024

World Telehealth Initiative had a very lofty goal when the nonprofit began in 2017: use modern medical robotics and engage volunteer physicians to make an impact in healthcare disparity across the globe. With half of the world’s population lacking access to essential health services, statistics show that nearly nine million people die every year from […]

Medical Self-Advocacy: Why it Is More Important Than Ever
By Deann Zampelli   |   March 12, 2024

A few months ago, I had a diagnostic test for some G.I. issues. Just to clarify, that was not referencing a broken romance with a soldier on leave, but gastrointestinal issues. A little less sexy.  I was introduced to my doctor about ten minutes before the procedure. As I always have a million questions, I […]

VNA Health
By Steven Libowitz   |   October 31, 2023

November is special for many in the home healthcare field as the month is recognized as National Home Care Month, National Hospice & Palliative Care Month, and National Family Caregiver Month. But there’s an extra emphasis for Santa Barbara’s Visiting Nurse Association (VNA), which celebrates its 115th anniversary of caring for the community.  Founded as […]

Sansum Clinic Merger
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   October 10, 2023

A press conference was held last Friday to announce an exciting partnership between Sansum Clinic – our area’s oldest and largest not-for-profit outpatient healthcare provider – and Sutter Health, another not-for-profit system of associated clinicians, employees, and volunteers that supports more than three million patients in diverse communities across two dozen counties. The partnership will […]

Savie Health
By Steven Libowitz   |   September 13, 2023

Savie Health opened its doors in June of 2022 as Santa Barbara County’s first and only free health clinic for the uninsured. The goal was to serve the needs for those who aren’t eligible or can’t afford health insurance, might fall through the cracks of government programs, and find even the sliding fee scale of […]

Cottage Hospital Foundation Receives Massive Gift 
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   September 5, 2023

Visionary philanthropists Mary and Richard Compton recently increased their gift to the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Foundation, for a total of $65 million to support medical excellence and innovation at Cottage Health. Adding to their prior $15 million gift, a new commitment of $50 million is the largest single gift in Cottage’s 135-year history and […]

Sansum Clinic and Sutter Health in Talks for Partnership
By Montecito Journal   |   May 8, 2023

On May 5, 2023, Sansum Clinic and Sutter Health announced they have entered into exclusive discussions with each other, with plans to sign a non-binding letter of intent this week to enter into a strategic partnership. The two organizations have begun “exclusive discussions with each other” with the partnership expected to be formalized in the […]

World Telehealth Initiative
By Steven Libowitz   |   February 28, 2023

It took a little while to reach Sharon Allen of the World Telehealth Initiative (WTI) to arrange an interview last week. That’s because the cofounder and executive director of the barely 5-year-old nonprofit was over in Ukraine, in the midst of a week-long visit to the war-torn country as part of a special expansion of […]

Urgent Care Opens on Coast Village Road
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   November 15, 2022

Just as the roundabout construction gears up, a new business has opened on the prominent corner: Cottage Health opened its newest Cottage Urgent Care Center at 1298 Coast Village Road in Montecito this past Monday, with the goal of providing complete care within 45 minutes. The new Urgent Care Center is open from 8 am […]

No Skeletons, Just Angels in VNA Health’s Loan Closet
By Steven Libowitz   |   October 25, 2022

As five-year-old Sky finished a run down from the top of Mammoth Mountain on a recent December morning, an adult snowboarder unexpectedly crashed into him leaving the youngster unable to stand. An X-ray at the local Emergency Room indicated that he had a spiral fracture in his tibia and would need a cast to immobilize […]

Sansum Clinic
By Steven Libowitz   |   October 11, 2022

Sansum’s excellence in imaging stands out in October October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual effort to raise awareness about the impact of the disease on women, their families, and their communities. Breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in women in the United States, with approximately one in eight women […]

Learning from Other Countries?
By Robert Bernstein   |   June 28, 2022

“We live in the greatest country on Earth!” So said a caller on Bill Maher’s Real Time on the eve of the unprovoked U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. Maher asked the caller how he knew this. “Because I have lived in the U.S. my entire life.” Maher tried to explain the illogic of this, […]

Sansum Diabetes Research Institute
By Steven Libowitz   |   May 17, 2022

Less than three weeks after this issue of the MJ hits newsstands, Sansum Diabetes Research Institute will mark an incredible milestone: 100 years since its founder, Dr. William Sansum, administered the very first injection of insulin in Santa Barbara to Charles Cowan, the first U.S. patient to receive the lifesaving shot. Prior to the discovery […]

Planned Parenthood Birds and Bees Bash
By Lynda Millner   |   May 10, 2022

The Rotunda at the Hilton Beachfront Resort was rocking when Planned Parenthood held its Birds and Bees Bash beginning with cocktails on the third level. The blowing wind led to some interesting photos. Then down to ground level for a sumptuous dinner at the tables. The three co-chairs who organized this fête were Mary Blair, […]

Ridley-Tree Cancer Center Brings World-Class Treatment to Our Community
By Zach Rosen   |   March 29, 2022

Virtually everyone knows someone who has had, or is being treated for, cancer. This disease has become a prevalent threat in our everyday lives. For those who have been around the treatment process, it can be a scary and challenging time for both the individual and their loved ones. At Ridley-Tree Cancer Center, the entire […]

Exploring ESP
By Ann Brode   |   February 15, 2022

Most people haven’t thought much about the connection between their body’s sensory awareness and extra-sensory perception. They consider ESP extra-ordinary and practiced only by adepts or frauds. But, it’s actually available to anyone who pays attention to their inner senses. Although we’re well acquainted with the externals, sound-sight-taste-touch-smell, the internal senses often get overlooked. In […]

Comprehensive, State-of-the-Art Cancer Care
By Steven Libowitz   |   January 20, 2022

The Cancer Center of Santa Barbara was founded 73 years ago based on the simple concept that a city that is one of the most desirable places on Earth to live should also have state-of-the-art cancer care available locally. The name, locations, and internal structure has changed over the years, but the nonprofit’s goal has […]

Putting the Focus on Treating People
By Steven Libowitz   |   December 9, 2021

Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics operates eight clinics in Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Isla Vista, largely located in neighborhoods where healthcare is most needed by an underserved population. The buildings themselves aren’t glamorous even though they’re located in a town with a gleaming new cancer center and a gorgeously re-designed front entrance to the main hospital. […]