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With the celebration of American Heart Month underway, it’s the perfect time to talk about the benefits that eating fish can have on reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Lompoc Valley Medical Center joins the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department and the California Department of Public Health in recognizing the importance of protecting adolescents from dangerous diseases.

Kara Pitou has stepped into a newly created volunteer role at LVMC – she’s working in the acute hospital’s Nutrition Services Department. Supervised by Director of Nutrition Services Julie Chudak, Kara is volunteering at LVMC to gain more experience in dietetics as she moves toward a career in that field. A native of Colorado, Kara earned her bachelor’s degree in Dietetics from the University of Northern Colorado in 2016.

The origin of the popular saying “It takes a village to raise a child,” will likely be debated forever. Some say it’s an ancient African proverb, and others contend it’s a Native American saying. No matter its origin, the saying is astute in its recognition of how many hands, eyes, and ears are required to care for a child. But really, the same can also be said for any person who is in need of care.

Lompoc attorney Sharon L. Martinez is the newest member of the five-person Lompoc Valley Medical Center Board of Directors. Martinez was appointed in late January by the current board to serve out the remaining months of the term left vacant by the death last December of Linual White Jr. White, who had served on the board since the fall of 2014.

It’s that time of year again, time to sign up for the 27th annual Flower Valley Golf Classic on May 18. Set amid the rolling, oak-dotted landscape of 309 acres at the Mission Club, the tournament is a fun-filled day of golf, food, camaraderie, a competitive silent auction and a rousing live auction.

Our online tools take complex medical information and make it simple and easy-to-understand.  Our free educational programs can help you prepare for an upcoming procedure or manage your chronic condition. Have you ever sought advice about coping with heart disease? Or wondered how house dust and smoke impact your asthma? Perhaps you’ve considered undergoing a sleep study, but don’t know what it involves.

It is widely known that whole grains should compromise most of the grains consumed daily, but many people may find this a hard goal to achieve – largely because of the flavors associated with whole grains. 

When many pregnant women picture their future babies, they imagine being able to breastfeed their infants to provide them nourishment and to keep them healthy and growing. Unfortunately, breastfeeding issues can arise for many reasons, such as food allergies in the baby, milk supply issues in the mother, and health issues in the baby or mother. One roadblock to breastfeeding that is increasingly being recognized is that of tongue tie and lip tie.

Friday, May 18, 2018, at the Mission Club

Join us for fundraising, golfing and more. Your entry fee of $150 per player includes a tee prize, a free lunch, your round of golf, a cart, a buffet dinner (at the Mission Club) and an array of prizes. Bring a guest for the buffet awards banquet for an additional $25 per person. This tournament is limited to only 144 golfers. We recommend early registration.

Learn more about the Golf Tournament.

Every year, there are annual reminders we must acknowledge -- gentle nudges to change the batteries in your smoke detectors when the time changes or get your finances and tax forms in order before April 15. Here's one from me: Don't forget your annual physical. As a family medicine practitioner, I treat patients at LVMC: Physician Services from infancy to the elder years.

As a child, Lydia Valdez’ father called her his “little nurse. Little did he know that the loving nickname was to chart a course for her life – she’s now a registered nurse in LVMC’s Perinatal Services Department, or Labor and Delivery. The nickname was apt, as Lydia cared for her father, Ray, during his final stages of congestive heart failure, prior to his death at age 45.  She was 12 when he died, and was his preferred caregiver.

Lompoc attorney Sharon L. Martinez has been appointed to fill a vacancy on the Lompoc Valley Medical Center Board of Directors. By unanimous vote during a special board meeting on Monday, the board chose Martinez from among a highly qualified slate of candidates. She will fill the seat held by the late Linual White Jr., who died in last December. The term expires in November, with a general election for a full four-year term occurring on Nov. 6.

After 20 years leading Lompoc Valley Medical Center as its Chief Executive Officer, Jim Raggio on Thursday announced his retirement. Raggio will end his extensive healthcare career on June 30. He has held the top leadership role for the healthcare district since 1998 and was first employed at Lompoc hospital in 1980. Raggio said in a message to the LVMC Board of Directors that it was with the “utmost sense of pride and gratitude” that he was announcing his retirement.

For the second year in a row, Lompoc Valley Medical Center was recognized for surpassing a federal goal aimed at reducing Cesarean births for first-time moms with low-risk pregnancies. LVMC was among the 111 California hospitals that met or surpassed a federal target for that goal, according to the California Health and Human Services Agency.