Community Health Centers of the Central Coast began operation in 1978 – in a small, modest building in Nipomo, California. Back then, the mission was simple and still holds: To enhance the health status of all people in the Central Coast of California, with particular emphasis on the medically underserved. Today, Community Health Centers of the Central Coast, Inc. remains a ‘safety net’ provider, with over 31 state-licensed facilities/clinics. CHC provides over 450,000 medical visits annually and cares for nearly 150,000 individual patients, from the Lompoc flower and wine valley to the picturesque coastal community of Cambria.
CHC provides essential healthcare services to the working poor, migrant and seasonal farmworkers, individuals and families experiencing homelessness, school-based populations, and the uninsured. CHC understands the need to be mobile to reach vulnerable and underserved special populations while at the same time removing barriers to care. In its commitment to delivering quality healthcare to all residents, CHC created the Community Health Outreach Program, which includes a fleet of state-of-the-art mobile medical and mobile dental units. Patients are cared for by a diverse team of highly experienced healthcare professionals who are culturally and linguistically sensitive to their health and social needs.
Agriculture is the largest industry in Northern Santa Barbara County, with its workforce quite literally on the ground. The COVID-19 pandemic could have sparked a major disruption of this vital supply chain, undoubtedly a tragic crisis – not only for Santa Barbara County but the entire world. Close to 80,000 acres of fruits and vegetables are grown and harvested in Santa Barbara County and exported to over 34 countries.
In the early days of the pandemic, CHC mobilized its Education and Outreach teams to visit migrant and public housing and the agricultural fields to provide in-person safety education to farmworkers about COVID-19. This early intervention protected our larger community population and likely avoided a serious disruption of the local food supply chain.
CHC partnered with agricultural support organizations, including the Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation, Grower-Shipper Association of Santa Barbara County, farm labor contractors, and local growers to ensure COVID-19 education, free “COVID Care Kits,” PPE, and access to medical treatment were readily available.
Once vaccines became available, CHC immediately joined forces with the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department to vaccinate employees in essential roles, including the vast majority of frontline agricultural workers. Today, as a safety-net healthcare provider, CHC vigilantly works hand-in-glove with county and community partners to ensure there is access to COVID-19 education, testing, and adequate vaccines for all agricultural workers on the Central Coast.
CHC is proud to be a principal resource for the vaccination efforts county-wide. A significant portion of the agricultural worker population received their COVID-19 vaccinations by CHC staff in early 2021, allowing these dedicated, tireless frontline workers to keep fresh food flowing from their fields to our tables worldwide.
Given to date by CHC in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties
Eligible Santa Barbara county residents
(5+ years old)
Eligible San Luis Obispo county residents
(5+ years old)
Community support is vital to CHC’s mission of delivering the best health care possible. Contributions enable us to provide the most advanced medicine to our patients close to home, sparing them and their families the time and expense of traveling long distances to receive top medical care. We’ve been able to do all this and more with the generosity of our donors. A contribution of any amount will have a direct and immediate impact by helping us continue our work to create healthy and vibrant communities in San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara counties.
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Your tax-deductible receipt will be sent electronically or in the mail.
Donations paid by check can be made payable to CHC and addressed to:
CHC – SBV Gifts
2050 S. Blosser Rd
Santa Maria CA 93458