CenCal Health (SBRHA) Hosts Childhood Obesity Summit

CenCal Health, formerly the Santa Barbara Regional Health Authority (SBRHA) is hosting a Childhood Obesity Summit in Santa Maria on Tuesday, January 29th, 2008.

This is an opportunity for health professionals and community advocates to network and learn about promising programs, exciting new media campaigns, and community resources available to address childhood obesity in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

Program Features:
"Messages that Make a Difference:
How to Talk About Obesity"

Keynote Speaker: Ann Yelmokas McDermott, PhD, MS, LN
Associate Professor, Cal Poly Kinesiology Department, Director of the Developing Center for Obesity Prevention & Education, & Adjunct Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine

Dr. McDermott is a research scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University Lipid Metabolism Laboratory, studying the effects of exercise and diet on health, weight, and body composition (fat, lean and bone). Her interests have spanned healthy aging, athletic performance, HIV, with her current work focused on obesity, weight loss, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Panel Discussion: local experts will share program components and strategies they have used to promote obesity prevention with children, teens, new moms and infants, in school settings, and the Latino population.

Childhood Obesity Summit
Tuesday, January 29th, 2008
4:00pm – 7:00pm

Summit held at the Radisson Hotel - 3455 Skyway Drive, Santa Maria, CA 93455

Registration: $28/person - includes dinner and materials.

Contact Paula Michal at (805) 562-1020 to reserve your space. Payments can be mailed to CenCal Health, attn: Paula Michal, 110 Castillian Drive, Goleta, CA 93117.

2007 Christmas Party Loads of Fun

Click on the photo slideshow to order prints from the gallery page.


Attendees of the annual CHC Christmas Party certainly had reason to celebrate, given the tremendous year that was 2007. This year’s event was held on Saturday, December 8th, at the Embassy Suites ballroom in San Luis Obispo, CA. Staff and their guests filled the ballroom to capacity with close to 400 revelers. Celebrants enjoyed mingling and reconnecting during the cocktail hour, followed by a sumptuous buffet dinner, topped off with a decadent dessert table.

One memorable un-scheduled moment in the evening was a pre-dinner fire alarm that forced all hotel guests into the cold December air. Everyone waited patiently outside for 20-plus minutes, many taking advantage of the blankets offered by Embassy Suites staff. The fire turned out to be a neglected bag of microwave popcorn that caught fire – no doubt reminding certain CHC staff of similar events at work!

An impressive assortment of raffle prizes were handed out this year by the Employee Relations Committee (ERC). Lucky winners walked away with amazing gifts like a Flatscreen TV, Digital Camera w/ printer, mobile GPS units, a surround-sound stereo system, a Roomba robot vacuum, movie tickets, and a variety of cash gifts.

After dinner, the DJ revived people from their food-comas and enticed them out onto the dance floor. Francisco Ramirez from Paso Robles Pediatrics was a fixture on the boards, dazzling his many dance partners, including new CHC Pediatrician Dr. Laura Herzberg, who seemed to have little problem keeping up. Francisco kept everyone dancing when he jumped up on stage and demonstrated his DJ skills to the delight of the crowd.

Another force to be reckoned with on the dance floor was QI Director - and Master of Ceremonies - Vince Surra. Having knocked himself unconscious only weeks before during a pick-up football game, Vince showed no signs of injury when throwing himself at the ground in order to “bust a move”, showing off some impressive break-dancing skills in the process. Not only did he do a wonderful job executing his MC duties, Vince proves that Italians’ CAN dance!

Special thanks to the Employee Relations Committee (ERC), who did a tremendous job orchestrating this year’s event. Committee members are Barbara Allen, Bernadette Alexander, Cindy Alarcon, Cynthia Vigneron, Debra Martin, Gloria Aragon, Jim Sweredoski, Juanita Tutson, Lisa Silva, Marie McKenzie, Patricia Sly, Roxanna Gavilanes, Sandy Sanchez, Shannon Royster, Victoria Valdiviezo, Yolanda Estrada, and Yolanda Guerrero.

Thanks to CEO Ronald Castle, CHC's Board of Directors, and everyone at CHC who made such a memorable evening possible!

CHC Can Help You Quit Smoking

Donna Freeman | TOBACCO CESSATIONMonthly Tobacco Cessation Classes Offered to Employees & Patients

Do you have a patient, friend or relative that needs help to stop smoking? How about you? Could you use some assistance? In November of 2006 the CHC Clinic on Santa Maria Way began to offer tobacco cessation services. In April we added a Spanish speaking facilitator so we could offer services to our Spanish speaking population.

We offer monthly classes in both Spanish and English and also offer some individual sessions on a case by case basis. We offer Nicotine replacement therapy at no cost to those that qualify and also offer reimbursement for Chantix, Zyban and Wellbutrin to qualified participants. These classes are open to the public. Participants must be 18 years of age.

We offer a combination of education, process group and support. You can contact me, Donna Freeman, or Jose Nevarez at (805) 938-0935 x619 (the extension may change in the near future, we will keep you posted)

There are referral forms available at the clinic. Classes are held in the CHC Human Resources conference room, at 2801 Santa Maria Way, Suite C, Santa Maria. There is a series of seven classes per month with a suggested one-time donation of $20.00.

(There is no charge to the Spanish Speaking population)

We will be happy to e mail you a monthly schedule of our classes. E-mail me at dfreeman@chccc.org and request a schedule of classes.

Santa Maria "Parade of Lights" A Rousing Success

Photos by Nathan Appel. ©2007 All rights reserved.
Click on slideshow to view gallery and order prints online.

Steve Smith | MARKETING

The 2007 Santa Maria Christmas Parade of Lights was by all accounts a rousing success. This year's parade featured 110 entries, including local businesses, churches, charities, schools and social groups. Both sides of Broadway were brimming with spectators, estimated at over 25,000 onlookers, a big increase over last year's turnout.

Four Rotary clubs - Santa Maria Breakfast, Santa Maria South, Santa Maria Noontime and Nipomo - organize the parade. In keeping with the theme, “The Joy of Giving,” spectators and parade participants brought in almost 5,000 pounds of nonperishable food items to donate to the Salvation Army food pantry.

This year's CHC procession was presided over by our Honorary Head Cheerleader, Lisa Silva. Lisa led the pack -- pop-poms waving -- and kept everyone in good spirits with her infectious cheer. She led the kids in CHC chants, and impressed us all with her acrobatic high kicks. As always, we could not have pulled off this year's entry without Parade Volunteer Coordinator Irma Mejia, and Transportation Queen Patty Starr. Special thanks to everyone who arrived early to help with decorating the Mobile Medical Unit, which looked beautiful. Even our photographer Nathan Appel put down his camera long enough to help trim the van with lights. This year our team handed out 3000 CHC brochures in English and Spanish, which included a "Healthy Holidays" refrigerator magnet, highlighting the two Santa Maria health center locations.

KCOY and FOX11 both featured live coverage of the parade. CHC's entry can be viewed here: CHC Parade Coverage
After the commercial, CHC is position #69, at minute 13:47 in the video clip

I have to take a moment to thank all the kids who participated. During the hours before the parade, and during the procession itself, I never once heard a single word of protest from these little troopers. They were all smiles and waves, and so helpful with handing out brochures, while spreading CHC's special brand of holiday cheer. My hats off to them, and to their parents for raising such well-mannered and enthusiastic youngsters!

Many, many thanks to all the volunteers for braving the chilly weather -- you are CHC's Ambassadors to the communities we serve.

Healthy Holidays!