Cancer doesn’t stop for COVID-19. It’s still important to maintain healthy habits to reduce your risk of cancer even if you spend more time at home to prevent transmitting or catching the coronavirus.

Whether or not you’ve previously faced a cancer diagnosis, it’s important to pay attention to changes in your body and symptoms that may indicate a need for medical intervention.

“The risk today to go to a doctor’s office or diagnostic center for a cancer screening is very low,” said Dr. Thomas Fogel, a radiation oncology specialist and member of the CMH staff. Dr. Fogel advises people to talk to their doctor to learn which screenings they are due or overdue for, which screenings they need now, and which screenings can wait. Routine screenings include mammograms, pap smears, colon cancer screenings, PSA tests, general physical exams, blood tests and annual skin cancer exams.

“The bottom line is engaging with the health system is safe,” Dr. Fogel said. “Everyone is taking the necessary precautions. In addition to screening the patients, we are screening the staff. The best thing to do is have a consultation with your doctor which can be done through telemedicine in a phone call or video conference.”

To share the latest clinical recommendations for preventing cancer during the pandemic, Community Memorial Health System is hosting a free virtual presentation at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 11. Medical experts leading this free virtual presentation on Zoom will share:

Whether routine cancer screenings should be continued or postponed during the pandemic.
The importance of early detection.
Alternative testing options that may be available.
Screening done safely, such as wearing a mask and asking the screening facility about precautions they have taken to protect patients.
The role of diet and physical activity in cancer prevention.

This virtual presentation is free but registration is requested. Please register at this link: cmhshealth.org/rsvp. The event is sponsored by the Community Memorial Healthcare Foundation, https://www.cmhfventura.org/.

With flu season in full swing and COVID-19 continuing to threaten our health and way of life, vaccines have become a hot topic. Are vaccines safe? Can you get sick from getting one? Are they guaranteed to work, and who should get vaccinated?

Community Memorial Healthcare System seeks to inform the public about vaccines at this crucial time. Join CMHS for a free virtual seminar that will separate fact from fiction, explain the science behind vaccines, and give you the knowledge you need to stay healthy.

CMHS is hosting a free public seminar at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 18, called, “Should You Trust Vaccines? Understanding the Science of Prevention.” The seminar, moderated by Dr. James Hornstein, CMHS’s chair of the Bioethics Committee, and featuring expert physicians, is part of CMHS’s 2020 Ethics in Healthcare Speaker Series Online. To RSVP for this free online seminar hosted by the Community Memorial Healthcare Foundation, visit www.cmhshealth.org/rsvp.

The County of Ventura Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved a COVID-19 Hospitals Assistance Program for local not-for-profit hospitals, in the amount of $10 million to be funded by the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund, to provide financial support to local hospitals for COVID-19 costs. 

“During this extraordinary event, local hospitals have experienced economic hardships and unreimbursed costs due to surge preparation, the assistance for COVID patients and loss of business from decreases in elective surgeries and emergency room visits,” said County Executive Officer, Mike Powers. “The hospitals have also partnered in our effort to care for COVID positive non-acute Long-Term Care Facility residents. These efforts have helped our entire community slow the spread of COVID-19. They have saved lives and worked tirelessly to serve the community. We hope that this assistance will provide relief for their dedicated service.” 

In order to mitigate the devastating economic impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency, the Board of Supervisors has approved programs for businesses, renters, seniors and homeless persons by utilizing a portion of the $147 million in funding the County received from the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund under the CARES Act. The not-for-profit hospital industry is another sector that is in need of financial support. These hospitals have been vital partners with the County in addressing the pandemic by providing beds and health care for COVID-19 patients. 

“I have seen firsthand how State and County governments have worked in harmony with health care providers throughout the State. We have together successfully curtailed the spread of COVID more than other State’s our size. We have also witnessed unprecedented cooperation,” said Gary Wilde, President and CEO of Community Memorial Health System and Chair of the California Hospital Association. “Locally, the coordination has been incredible. The assistance program will certainly help our local hospitals.” 

The funding will be distributed to Community Memorial Hospital, Ojai Valley Community Hospital, St. John’s Regional Medical Center, St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital and Adventist Health Simi Valley. 

“This has been a truly remarkable event in how we have worked together in partnership to support one another. We appreciate the coordinated efforts and ongoing support,” said Darren Lee, President & CEO, St. John’s Regional Medical Center and St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital, Dignity Health.

Food Share of Ventura County is honored to have been selected as a 2020 California Nonprofit of the Year by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin. Food Share, the largest hunger relief organization in the county, is one of over a hundred nonprofits that will be honored by their state senators and assembly members for their outstanding contributions to the communities they serve.

“The pandemic and shelter-in-place orders of the last few months have put nonprofits

(usually hidden in plain sight) in the spotlight,” explained Jan Masaoka, CEO of the California Association of Nonprofits (CalNonprofits).

“California Nonprofit of the Year is an opportunity for our elected officials to celebrate the good work they see nonprofits doing in their districts, and for everyone to appreciate the collective impact of nonprofits in our communities.”

Commenting on her reasons for selecting Food Share, Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin commented,

“Food Share has been leading the fight against hunger in Ventura County for over 40 years, but they have truly proven the power of their mission through meeting the increasing demand of hungry families brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.” She added, “Their work in distributing food to nearly 750,000 individuals since the start of the pandemic has played a vital role in holding our community together during our greatest hour of need. For that I am happy to designate them the 44th Assembly District’s 2020 Nonprofit of the Year.”

Monica White, President & CEO of Food Share said, “Thank you to Assemblymember

Irwin for this wonderful honor. I’m so proud of the team here at Food Share and our network of community partners who have all worked tirelessly to ensure that no one in our community goes hungry.”

Food Share accepting applications for board of director positions

The Board of Directors of Food Share of Ventura County is accepting applications to join the board of Ventura County’s largest hunger-relief organization. Food Share was recently named a CA Nonprofit of the Year by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin. Closing date for applications is October 31, 2020. Applications can be made through Food Share’s website at foodshare.com/join-our-board-of-directors/

Board members provide strategic and financial direction to the food bank’s leadership team, and actively participate in fundraising and networking activities. The minimum term of service is three years, and board members typically commit three or more hours per month to the role.

Monica White, President & CEO of Food Share outlined the importance of the Board of Directors in shaping the future of Food Share, saying, “We are looking for community members who are passionate about helping us lead the fight against hunger in Ventura County. Our board members have an incredible opportunity to learn more about hunger in our community, while helping our organization feed more people, operate more efficiently and make an even bigger impact on the lives of those in need.”

For more information about Food Share, visit www.foodshare.com. Find us on Facebook , Instagram, and Twitter.

NAMI Ventura County has launched a new pilot program designed to empower and encourage participants to actively address mental health using skills based in awareness, self-care and communication.

Like all the non-profit’s program offerings, the Community Cares program is free to participants and available exclusively in webinar format through Zoom. The Ventura County affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness created the program locally to help counteract the mental-health related fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Community Cares includes information on mental wellness, stigma, diagnoses, treatment, suicide prevention, self-care and communication. Participants receive, electronically, a 34-page participant workbook filled with information building on the course topics as well as exercises aimed at building awareness and practicing useful skills.

“This is an exceptional program for anyone in the community who is not aware of the signs of mental illness,” said Roberta Griego, Director of Operations, Community Outreach & Development. “Anyone who attends Community Cares will come away with a new perspective and renewed focus on wellness.”

The two-hour webinar is facilitated by two volunteer presenters who are either family members or peers living in recovery and trained to share their experiences with participants.

Many trained presenters are both family members and peers giving them valuable, unique insight into mental health and wellness.

What’s the new program’s bottom line? Caring for ourselves as individuals is fundamental to caring for our communities.

Community Cares attendees are already praising the webinar.

“I don’t think I do well in the self-care area of my life as I am always taking care of others first,” said one participant. “I enjoyed the area in the presentation and workbook on self-care. I intend to do more self-care of myself after hearing that reminder.”

People who live or work in Ventura County can register for an upcoming Community Cares webinar at www.namiventura.org/community-cares.