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Health Care Agency announces new Chief Deputy Director

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Timothy R. Patten joins Ventura County Health Care Agency.

Ventura County Health Care Agency Director Barry Fisher has announced the appointment of Timothy R. Patten as Chief Deputy Director; he assumes the position following the retirement of Meloney Roy in July 2015. Patten comes to the Health Care Agency from HealthSouth Corporation, where he has been Regional President in the North East Region, overseeing 17 hospitals in six states, three home health agencies and numerous outpatient programs.

Previous to his role at HealthSouth Corporation, he was with Vibra Healthcare, Promise Hospital in San Diego, and Paradise Valley Hospital/Adventist Health, where he served as CEO. He was COO and Vice President of Operations at Simi Valley Hospital/Adventist Health, from 1989 – 1998, where he was responsible for the daily operation of over 300 employees and an annual budget of $40 million.

He has a Master’s of Business Administration with an emphasis in Healthcare Management, from Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan; his career spans 30 years in health care operations and management.

“After a nationwide search to fill this important role in our Agency, I am looking forward to working with someone of Tim’s caliber and experience,” said Barry Fisher, Health Care Agency Director. “He will be a tremendous asset to us.”

Patten will help oversee a workforce of approximately 2,700 employees.

 

Jennifer Willis-Teacher of the Month

Teacher at De Anza Academy of Technology and the Arts receives recognition

The Ventura Commerce and Education Foundation (VCEF) named Jennifer Willis — science teacher and Associated Student Body advisor at De Anza Academy of Technology and the Arts (DATA) as Teacher of the Month.

Willis was recognized for her involvement in, and commitment to, providing above-and-beyond educational experiences for DATA’s students. In addition to developing innovative projects to support key learning outcomes, including a biotechnology-focused project and she also coordinates school dances, carnivals and spirit days.

“Jennifer is a highly effective and engaging teacher who truly cares about all of our students,” said DATA’s principal, Hector Guerrero. “She works tirelessly to create a safe, healthy and fun learning environment that enables students to grow and thrive.”

Along with actively supporting the growth of her students, Willis also continuously pursues her own professional development through participation in conferences hosted by the California Association of Directors of Activities (CADA) and the California Science Teachers Association (CSTA).

Teacher of the Month nominees must be credentialed teachers and display certain qualities, such as outstanding commitment to students, service to school or district committees, involvement in projects on their own time and/or participation in youth-focused activities in the community. For more information about the Teacher of the Month program, please contact Pattie Braga, chair of the Teacher Appreciation Committee with the VCEF, at [email protected] or 477-4052.

 

Ventura College expands schedule, offers Saturday Classes

This January, Saturday classes return to the Ventura College schedule, as the college continues to give students new options to access learning conveniently, as increasing student access and attracting working adult students are priorities for the college.

“We are here to serve students and the community, so we’re delighted to offer Saturday classes as a way to give busy people a way to further their education and careers,” said Kim Hoffmans, Ed.D., vice president of academic affairs.

Most courses begin on January 16 and meet for 18 weeks. Course offerings include introductory classes in sociology, speech communications, United States history and guitar. Also offered are courses toward certified nurse assistant, for smog license update, in intermediate guitar and in cardio machine training.

Saturday classes are an especially great option for high school seniors who want to get a jump-start on their college requirements, Hoffmans noted. “Students can apply online and receive their acceptance instantly. Then they can enroll in the class online and just like that, they’ve launched their college education,” she said.

For more information and to register, visit www.venturacollege.edu, or call Ventura College at 289-6000.

CMHS Bariatric Weight Loss Center

Community Memorial Health System’s Bariatric Weight Loss Center has achieved a Comprehensive Center with Adolescent Qualifications accreditation under the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, a joint program of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

Adolescent qualifications require the center to provide pediatric and psychiatric expertise, and also to include the very specific health needs of an adolescent. Families are an integral part of the process and are included in this major health challenge.

“Community Memorial is committed to providing our patients with the highest level of comprehensive bariatric care,” said Helmuth Billy, M.D, director of Bariatric Surgery at the Bariatric Weight Loss Center located at Community Memorial Hospital.

To earn the MBSAQIP designation, Community Memorial met essential criteria for staffing, training and facility infrastructure, ensuring its ability to support patients with severe obesity. The center also participates in a national data registry that yields semiannual reports on the quality of its processes and outcomes, identifying opportunities for continuous quality improvement.

For more information about the CMHS Bariatric Weight Loss Center call 658-5839.

 

January celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the main leaders of the American civil rights movement. A Baptist minister by training, King became a civil rights activist early in his career, leading the Montgomery Bus Boycott. His efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech, raising public consciousness of the civil rights movement and establishing King as one of the greatest orators in American history.

In 1964, he became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other non-violent means.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a United States federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around the time of King’s birthday, January 15.

King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. Martin Luther King Day was established as a national holiday in the United States in 1986. In 2004, King was posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal.

A national hero and a civil-rights figure  King summoned together a number of black leaders in 1957 and laid the groundwork for the organization now known as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). King was elected its president, and he soon began helping other communities organize their own protests against discrimination.

 

 

 

McCune Foundation awards Social Justice Grants

The ARC of Ventura County was  awarded $15,000 for The Co-Advocates of Ventura County and Project R.

Campaigns to boost educational opportunities, create safer streets, and improve working conditions for farm workers will all get a hand up with $340,000 in grants from the McCune Foundation. Fifteen groups in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties received grants in November to empower teams of parents, immigrants, youth, and other activists in promoting beneficial changes in the community.

“As the Foundation celebrates its 25th year, we recognize that more work is needed to create a just and fair society,” said Sara Miller McCune, the Foundation’s president and co-founder. “The Foundation’s grants provide resources for groups to mobilize around the important issues of today.”

Grant dollars provided by the Foundation will pay for salaries of community organizers, trainings, and other program expenses. In 2015, the Foundation awarded 30 grants and dozens of contributions totaling more than $800,000. Grassroots groups that meet the Foundation’s funding guidelines may submit a letter of inquiry by the next deadline of January 15, 2016. Details on applying for a grant are available at www.mccunefoundation.org.

The McCune Foundation was established in 1990 by Sara Miller McCune and George D. McCune, the founders of SAGE Publications.

 

 

 

Anytime Fitness gives back to community through senior fitness classes

stuff anytime fitnessKaren Terveer, the owner of Anytime Fitness wanted to give back to the community and picked The City Center Transitional Living Home, located at 837 Thompson Blvd. to receive the outpouring of canned food  and dried food donations collected at her facilities. She is shown here with Olga Hamra who is the case manager for The City Center

Their senior fitness classes even found a fun and healthy way to bring in donations.  They used canned goods as weights during their fitness class.  Anytime Fitness is proud of their members coming together and thinking of those in need during the holiday season.

 

 

Ventura Key Club Sock Drive for homeless

Photo by Ranferi Perea

Ventura Key Club is a dedicated and passionate community service club at Ventura High School. Club members have been working for several weeks on collecting socks for their latest service project -a Sock Drive to donate socks to the homeless in Ventura to help them stay warm during the winter. Group members were able to collect 90 pairs of socks. The socks were donated to Community Action in Ventura, which is an organization that helps the homeless. Thanks to Key Club members, a little warmth was given to the less fortunate this holiday season.