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Maternity Honor Roll Status recognizes Ventura County Health Care Agency

From Well Woman Exams and pre-conception counseling to natural delivery options within a hospital setting, The Ventura County Health Care Agency’s Baby-Friendly Designated hospitals: Ventura County Medical Center (VCMC) and Santa Paula Hospital (SPH), are leaders in providing comprehensive services to support the community’s obstetrical, gynecological, and midwifery care needs.

Each of the past six consecutive years, the California Health and Humans Services Agency and Cal Hospital Compare have named both Ventura County Medical Center and Santa Paula Hospital to the Maternity Honor Role in recognition of low cesarean section rates. This award is a testament to the team’s holistic approach to childbirth and the strong relationships built with patients throughout pregnancy.

For expectant mothers, this Maternity Honor Role status means that the likelihood of having a successful vaginal delivery at VCMC or SPH is among the highest in the state of California.

From family centered prenatal care through a nationally acclaimed Family Medicine Residency Program and Family Physicians, to care provided by board-certified Obstetricians and Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialists, or by Certified Nurse Midwives at Ventura County’s only hospital-based birth center, VCMC and SPH offer a wide variety of options for prenatal care and delivery.

In addition, multi-lingual resources, such as free pregnancy and childbirth classes, along with traditional Women’s Health Specialty Services are offered.

The Health Care Agency is honored to be recognized and proud of the tremendous work that is done every day by the team of physicians, midwives, nurses, and support staff who deliver exceptional obstetrical care to the community.

For more information on services and classes, or to meet our providers and book an appointment, visit: https://www.venturacountywomenshealth.com/.

For background on the Maternity Honor Roll recognition visit: https://calhospitalcompare.org/programs/.

VCTC in the news

Bus riders in Ventura County are now able to use a single, touch-free system to pay for fares on any of the county’s regional buses, making it easier to use public transit to travel to work and appointments, to run essential errands and to simply get around.

The Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) has launched VCbuspass, a contactless fare collection system that allows passengers to pay for fares on any of eight Ventura County regional bus systems.

With VCbuspass, riders can buy bus passes online and use them directly from their mobile devices or use a reloadable smartcard when boarding buses. In addition to purchasing passes online, riders may visit one of the many transit pass ticket counters located across the county and load products onto their cards or mobile phone accounts using cash. Beginning this November, riders can go into any CVS drugstore to load value onto their account, with more stores to follow.

In December 2020, VCTC awarded a contract to Cubic Transportation Systems Inc. for the new regional countywide system. The VCbuspass system is powered by Cubic’s Umo Mobility app. The Umo Mobility app is available for both Android and Apple devices.

To begin using the system and to purchase a pass, passengers can download the Umo Mobility app, go to goventura.org/vcbuspass or visit a transit pass ticket location. An account is not required to use the system; however, riders are encouraged to register to receive alerts and take advantage of other customer features. Riders who choose not to use VCbuspass can still use cash to pay fares when boarding.

The VCbuspass system is installed on over 160 vehicles across eight transit operator fleets, including Camarillo Area Transit, Gold Coast Transit District, Moorpark City Transit, Ojai Trolley, Simi Valley Transit, Thousand Oaks Transit, Valley Express Bus, and VCTC Intercity transit service. Passengers may buy 31-day passes or add “stored value” that lets riders pay as they go.

“The VCbuspass system gives transit riders all across the county, from Ventura to Simi Valley, greater convenience to buy passes online, and improved safety with faster, contactless boarding at the farebox,” said VCTC Commissioner and Oxnard Mayor Pro Tem Bryan MacDonald.

More information about VCbuspass, including Frequently Asked Questions and sales locations, can be found on the VCTC website at goventura.org/vcbuspass.

VCTC invites public to meetings on unmet transit needs

The Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) invites the public to attend an online Unmet Transit Needs community meeting or public hearing to let local government leaders hear ideas about how to improve bus service in Ventura County. The meetings are an opportunity for community members to tell VCTC what can be done to improve transit and to help local residents get where they need to go. Those unable to attend can share input at www.goventura.org/unmet-transit-needs.

“Each year, the annual Unmet Transit Needs process provides an opportunity for residents to share input to improve public transit in Ventura County,” said Martin Erickson, VCTC transit director. “This year, as we continue to grapple with the challenges of the coronavirus, your input can help local transit operators to offer the most essential transit service to passengers.”

The community meetings and public hearing are scheduled to be held on the following dates and times:

Virtual Community Meetings (links available at www.goventura.org/unmet-transit-needs):
Wednesday, Jan. 12 from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 25 from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 3 from Noon – 1:00 p.m.

Public Hearing
Friday, Feb. 4 at 9 a.m.
Camarillo City Council Chambers, 601 Carmen Drive, Camarillo, CA 93010

The purpose of the meetings is to identify transit needs that are not currently being met and are reasonable to meet in Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Santa Paula, Thousand Oaks and adjacent areas of unincorporated Ventura County.

The Ventura County Transportation Commission is the regional transportation planning agency committed to keeping Ventura County moving. Program information is available at goventura.org.

Weather events December 2021

by Tom Johnston

The following weather report is based on weather stations data located near Ventura College campus beginning 1964 or 57 years of record. The weather events during this December 2021 have for the most part been beneficial and interesting to study. There were 15 days of measurable rainfall for a total of 10.2 inches. Two days each had two inches of rainfall. This month’s rainfall was the highest December amount on record.

With all of this rain a person would think the current drought is over. Yes it was beneficial. The demand for irrigation has decreased somewhat but the lakes, the water aquifers (ground water), wells and springs will need several years of above normal rainfall to fully replenish. Another subject is how much of this heavy rainfall is due to climate change. Probably some but I will let the experts answer that one.

The meteorologists with the National Weather Service located in Oxnard have done an outstanding job of forecasting this weather. Their warnings of hazardous conditions on the highways, on the waters, sky and snow has saved the injury and even death of a number of persons and, yes, animals.

As for the air temperatures the daytime temperatures were several degrees below normal due to thick clouds blocking the sunrays. The average daytime temperature was 61 degrees while the average night time lows was 44.5 degrees. The highest monthly temperature was 69, night 38 degrees.

Other weather-related events you may have missed. Depending on where you were located you may have seen snow on the Topa Topa mountain range north of Ojai. On the night of December 24 a weak thunderstorm made it presence known by brief thunder and lightning. At colder inland locations a few mornings had light frost. As for the wind there were 5 windy days with highest gust 34 mph.

Tom Johnston became interested in the weather at age twelve.
He is now a retired Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Vol. 15, No. 08 – Jan 12 – Jan 25, 2022 – Mailbox

Dear Sheldon,

Thank you for publishing The Power of Kindness by Visit Ventura in the Dec 29 – Jan 11 issue of the Ventura Breeze. And thank you to the author for the extra light and joy your article brought to my day. It feels like an invitation to choose kindness, something we all can do.

Carrie Calvert

Breeze:

I posted on Next Door my praise for the intense rain we have had in our area after years of severe drought. We got close to 8 inches in two weeks in two bog storms. It has struck a chord with people who also feel elevated by the rain, though it will not end the drought. It has helped lift my mood, maybe yours too.

This rain and wind and cold may be the results of an erratic Atmospheric River streaming over our area. And others want to assure us it’s not a drought buster. OK, I get it.

But do we all get how wonderful this rain is, with gutters and curbs running with water, the barrancas roaring, creeks and rivers flowing, the slick weighted trees bending from the wet, the puddled lawns and gardens and the drenched hillsides and mud-covered roads through them, with the wild animals wet and happy?

This will perk up every living animal and plant, and it perks up me and I hope you too. We will get a spring wildflower bloom, new sprouts of everything, and revived trees and softer ground for the barrage of gophers.

It does not wash away the gloom of 2021, but this river of rain clouds lifted a mood cloud from me, and I am looking out our windows and not worrying that the dry hot winds may never stop.

They have for now, as this uplifting crescendo drowns out the drone of woes, at least for a spell. Hail glorious rain, we welcome you!

Robert Chianese, Ph.D., Emeritus Prof. English, CSU Northridge

website: https://islandviewmedia.net

New Year Reflection

Our coastal light that turns crescent,
Gestures, the clouds to daydream on the moon,
The tide gathers to push out the fog,
An evening drizzle leaves a mist on New Years.

Proceeds to create a lunar calendar,
The moon is overshadowed  with damp skies,
Our suns early douse of golden colors,
Rinses it clear on a Ventura Morning.

The ocean reflection is New Years best view.

by Jeff Russell

Are you an amateur cartoonist? Send your cartoon to
[email protected].

You can’t love your country only when you win.
~ President Joe Biden

Vol. 15, No. 08 – Jan 12 – Jan 25, 2022 – Harbor Patrol Blotter

Wednes 12/22

 8:15am, contacted by a surfer who locked his keys in his vehicle. Officers were able to contact roadside assistance for the individual and he gained access to car.

11:15am, observed a semitruck successfully drive over the median near the VYC

Thursday 12/23

 12:48pm, dispatched to a male complaining of abdominal pain in Ventura Marina Community. Officers responded with VFD/AMR to the call.

9:08pm, officers emptied the rain gauge, it recorded 2.63 inches of rain today.

Friday 12/24

 7:00am, while on patrol, officers observed Santa Clara River flowing steadily.

5:02pm, officers assisting VPD with a trespassing call at the fuel dock. A search of the docks, vessels and office was conducted but no trespasser was found.

8:27pm, monitoring VPD with a suicidal subject on Spinnaker Dr. VPD was able to convince the individual to seek help and deescalate the situation.

Saturday 12/25

 9:45pm, observed a strong storm cell moving through harbor, 30kts of South wind and extreme rain fall. Power outage for a few minutes.

11:10pm, observed 0.86 inches of rain in the gauge from yesterday and recently.

Sunday 12/26

 11:33am, dispatched to cardiac/respiratory arrest on a vessel in VWM B-dock. Officers responded by and assisted VFD, VPD and AMR with the call. The patient was deceased for some time, resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.

4:30pm, received request for assistance from TowBoat US with removing a sinking panga towed from Goleta. The vessel was placed on a trailer.

Tuesday 12/28

 5:40am, observed the National Weather Service issued a Small Craft Advisory for Northwest winds gusting to 25kts later. Officers raised warning pennants.

3:31pm, received report of personal watercraft operating recklessly near Seaward. Officers met with the operators at the launch ramp and issued warnings for violations and educated on ordinances and state laws.

Wednes 12/29

 7:25pm, received report of two commercial fishing vessels listing and or sitting low in the water. Officers investigated and found the vessels as reported. The owners were contacted and mitigated the issues.
Thursday 12/30 8:34am, dispatched to Holiday Inn for a fire alarm. Officers responded with VFD and determined the call was false after investigation.

11:33am, observing high flow of murky water from the barranca with debris.

9:30pm, dispatched to a medical in the Ventura Marina Community. Officers responded with VFD/AMR to assist a patient with her Oxygen generator.

Friday 12/31

 12:23pm, while on patrol in Rescue B17, observed 3 novice kayakers impede & force a large crew boat to take evasive maneuvers operating in the main channel of the harbor. Officers contacted the group, educated them of “rule-of-tonnage.”

Saturday 1/1/22

 8:00pm, received report of a sailboat that sank in its slip at VWM D-dock. Officers responded, determined no hazards, advised TowBoat US & Marina.

10:50pm, dispatched to an assault at 1583 Spinnaker Dr. Officers responded and assisted VFD, AMR and VPD with a family dispute. Eventually the revelers were able to calm down, get a ride home. A lot of alcohol involved, no medical.

Sunday 1/2/22

 1:50pm, received report of broken dock at “Big Beach” in the keys. Officers investigated, found that the dock is city property and advised them of the issue.

9:30pm, dispatched to a sick person in Portside apartments. Officers responded and assisted VFD/AMR with the call. Patient transported to local hospital.

Monday 1/3/22

 4:33am, while on patrol, observed 13 semi-trucks on Spinnaker waiting 4 squid.

 

 

Vol. 15, No. 08 – Jan 12 – Jan 25, 2022 – Police Reports

by Cindy Summers

Police reports are provided to us by the Ventura Police Department and are not the opinions of the Ventura Breeze. All suspects mentioned are assumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Fatal Hit and Run Collision

On January 7, at approximately 5:00 am, the Ventura Police Command Center received a 911 call of a subject down in the roadway on Harbor Bl., between Sanjon Rd. and Vista Del Mar Drive.

Responding officers arrived on scene and found an unresponsive male subject laying in the eastbound lane of Harbor Boulevard. Fire and paramedic personnel rendered immediate medical attention, but the victim succumbed to his injuries as a result of the collision.

The ensuing investigation revealed a vehicle had collided with the victim on Harbor Bl. and that vehicle failed to stop. At this time, we have not located the vehicle involved in this fatal collision and traffic investigators are gathering evidence.

Anyone with any information is requested to contact Traffic Investigator Kyle Halverson at 805-477- 3767. The identity of the victim is being withheld pending next of kin notification by the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Each year on the third Monday of January we observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and reflect on the work that still needs to be done for racial equality. This January 17, make the holiday more than just a day off and take time to reflect and take action on civil rights issues across the globe.

Martin Luther King Day is observed every year on the third Monday of January.

King was an influential civil rights leader — best known for his work on racial equality and ending racial segregation in the United States. His life and achievements are remembered and celebrated on this day.

The concept of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a holiday was promoted by labor unions. After King’s death, U.S. Representative John Conyers and U.S. Senator Edward Brooke introduced a bill in Congress to make King’s birthday a national holiday. The bill first came to a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1979; however, it fell five votes short of the number needed for passage. Two of the main arguments mentioned by opponents were that a paid holiday for federal employees would be too expensive and that a holiday to honor a private citizen would be contrary to longstanding tradition, as King never held public office. At the time, only two other figures had national holidays honoring them: George Washington and Christopher Columbus.

Soon after, the King Center looked for support from the corporate community and the general public. The success of this strategy was cemented when musician Stevie Wonder released the single ‘Happy Birthday’ to popularize the campaign in 1980 and hosted the Rally for Peace Press Conference in 1981. Six million signatures were collected for a petition for Congress to pass the law and is considered the largest petition in favor of an issue in U.S. history.

President Reagan originally opposed the holiday, citing cost concerns. But on November 2, 1983, Reagan signed a bill, proposed by Representative Katie Hall, to create a federal holiday honoring King. The bill had passed the Senate by a count of 78 to 22, and the House of Representatives by 338 to 90. The holiday was observed for the first time on January 20, 1986. It’s observed on the third Monday of January rather than directly on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday because it follows the guidelines of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.

All boat operators must take an approved boating safety course

Recreational boating safety and education will be taught. Photo by U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary

Beginning January 1, 2022 all recreational boaters 45 years of age or younger are required to obtain the California Boater Card. The card is issued by the California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways. All boat operators must take an approved boating safety course prior to applying for a Card. If you are interested in an exciting, in depth boating safety course approved by the State of California and the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, check out the Boat America boating course taught online by the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary (USCGA).

The 8 -hour online conference course will be held on Saturday January 29, 2022, 8:30am. Boat America is a boating certificate class that offers an in-depth and interesting boating safety course, and provides the knowledge needed to obtain the Boater Card. Taught by certified instructors from the Ventura County division of the Auxiliary, the class covers

Introduction to Boating, Boating Law, Boat Safety Equipment, Safe Boating practices, Navigation, Common Boating Problems, Trailering, Storing and Protecting Your Boat, guidelines for Fishing, Water-skiing and River Boating.

Many boat insurance companies will offer discounts on boating insurance to boaters who successfully complete Boat America. The USCGA is the uniformed volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard. The main mission of the Auxiliary is assisting in marine safety and environmental protection, recreational boating safety and education, while acting as a force multiplier in support of Coast Guard authorized missions. The January 29, 2022 class costs $25.00, which includes textbook and USCGA Certificate. For more information and to register contact Patrick Newburn, Flotilla Commander [email protected] or (818) 388-2796

Vascular dementia

Abnormalities in the brain that can be seen on MRI scans.

Vascular dementia refers to changes to memory, thinking, and behavior resulting from conditions that affect the blood vessels in the brain. Cognition and brain function can be significantly affected by the size, location, and number of vascular changes.

Symptoms of vascular dementia can begin gradually or can occur suddenly, and then progress over time, with possible short periods of improvement. Vascular dementia can occur alone or be a part of a different diagnosis such as Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. When an individual is diagnosed with vascular dementia, their symptoms can be similar to the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

What causes vascular dementia?

Vascular dementia is caused by different conditions that interrupt the flow of blood and oxygen supply to the brain and damage blood vessels in the brain.

People with vascular dementia almost always have abnormalities in the brain that can be seen on MRI scans. These abnormalities can include evidence of prior strokes, which are often small and sometimes without noticeable symptoms. Major strokes can also increase the risk for dementia, but not everyone who has had a stroke will develop dementia.

Other abnormalities commonly found in the brains of people with vascular dementia are diseased small blood vessels and changes in “white matter” — the connecting “wires” of the brain that are critical for relaying messages between brain regions.

Researchers are investigating how these changes in the brain — and their underlying causes — are involved in the onset and progression of dementia. Research has shown a strong link between cardiovascular disease, involving the heart and blood vessels, and cerebrovascular disease, involving the brain, and subsequent cognitive impairment and dementia. This area of research is referred to as “vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia,” or VCID. It is helping researchers better understand this connection and whether the methods used to prevent and treat cerebrovascular disease and heart disease could also help prevent dementia.

Researchers investigating VCID are exploring diverse conditions that affect blood flow to and within the brain, including infarcts (an area of dead tissue resulting from a lack of blood supply), hemorrhages (bleeding from ruptured or damaged blood vessels), cerebral hypoperfusion (reduced blood flow), and small vessel disease in the brain such as that thought to be associated with white matter hyperintensities (white patches seen on brain MRI scans), and stroke.

Because many different disease processes can result in different forms of vascular dementia, there may not be one treatment for all. However, vascular dementia is often managed with medications to prevent strokes and reduce the risk of additional brain damage. Some studies suggest that medications that are used to treat Alzheimer’s might benefit some people with an early form of vascular dementia. Treating modifiable risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and problems with the rhythm of the heartbeat can help prevent additional stroke. Living a healthy lifestyle is important to help reduce the risk factors of vascular dementia.