The Ventura County Health Care Agency, promotes a philosophy of well-being and providing care that is patient-centered, comprehensive, coordinated, accessible, and focused on quality and safety. The benefits to our community provided by the Health Care Agency are far reaching – from the hospital replacement wing project at Ventura County Medical Center (VCMC) to the first and only Public Health Department in our state to be accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB), to a thriving and proactive Behavioral Health Department, and even our county’s Animal Services Department.
The 180-bed VCMC hospital has a rich history of providing access to high-quality, compassionate care to all residents in our county, including the underserved, often referred to as the safety-net population. In 2013, VCMC launched the largest construction project in the history of the county with the groundbreaking of the new hospital replacement wing, slated for completion by summer of 2017.
Also under the umbrella of HCA are the Public Health and Behavioral Health Departments, both providing a wealth of healthy living information for the citizens of Ventura County. At www.healthmattersinvc.org, a valuable collaboration tool is available for anyone to review our county’s health data, demographics, comparison indicators, funding opportunities and even tips for improving one’s health and quality of life. If you are interested in health, healing, and wellbeing, then you may want to kickstart your own healing by searching for a new career in coaching, you can do this by looking at catalyst14. A new career with regards to health will be extremely rewarding!
The Behavioral Health Department created a separate website, www.wellnesseveryday.org, which provides an abundance of information and resources to help individuals make the right choices to lead a healthy and balanced life in body and mind. The site provides valuable information on bullying, mental health, suicide prevention, positive parenting, and more.
Some mental health professionals may recommend alternative treatments of the natural variety if all other traditional medicines have failed. The natural way has been applauded as a better method in fighting mental health struggles like anxiety and depression, using such things as b plus mushroom or medical marijuana to help combat these issues have proven useful in scientific studies. Use the above website to get the assistance you need and talk with a doctor about how you would like to see how alternative medicines could possibly help.
Many in our community don’t realize that Ventura County Animal Services is a division of the Health Care Agency. While it may seem an unlikely alliance for a health care system, studies show that there is almost nothing as good for one’s mental health as having a pet. Information on adopting a pet can be found at www.VCAS.us.
With 24 primary care medical clinics, 11 specialty care medical clinics, 8 urgent care medical clinics, 2 public health clinics, 10 behavioral health clinics and 2 county animal shelters, the Health Care Agency is committed to keeping you and your family healthy. Your public healthcare system is pleased to be taking part in the 11th Annual Summerfest, a free community celebration of healthy living presented by Ventura Education Partnership, the Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) and the City of Ventura.
Please come visit our HCA clinic, hospital, behavioral and public health outreach teams. We will be providing information on everything from car seat and helmet safety to smoking cessation to getting fit through nutrition and exercise and so much more.
