LVMC Community Update, June 4, 2021

This week our CEO updates the community on the County's tier, new testing requirements, COVID-19 vaccinations, and much more.

Dear Lompoc Valley Community: 

What happened on this date in history? 

• 1919 – The Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which gave women the right to vote, was passed by the Senate, two weeks after being approved by the House of Representatives; the amendment was ratified the following year.
• 1937 - The world's first shopping carts were introduced at Humpty Dumpty grocery stores in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
• 1984 – Columbia Records released "Born in the USA", the 7th studio album by Bruce Springsteen; His biggest commercial success topped the charts in 11 countries and sold over 30 million copies, worldwide.

Quote of the Week

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.”       --Mark Twain

COVID-19

• Although this is no time to become complacent, all signs point towards a return to normalcy. In Santa Barbara County, the number of new Covid cases is down from the prior two-week average. The number of active Covid cases is down, and there has not been a Covid related death during the month of May and so far in June.
• Being in the Yellow Tier (the best tier) has little practical impact, as California prepares to “open-up” on June 15. Nonetheless, Santa Barbara County now easily meets the Yellow Tier requirements.  The county’s positivity rate is 0.7% versus the Yellow Tier benchmark of < 2%.  The Health Equity Index is 1.2% versus benchmark of < 2.2%. The Adjusted Case Rate is 1.3 per 100,000 population versus benchmark of < 2. (However, since the Adjusted Case Rate has only bettered the benchmark for one week, rather than two, the County is not actually in the Yellow Tier.)   
• The number of hospitalized Covid patients in the county remains flat, at 8, which is a very low number.  LVMC currently has 1 Covid inpatient. That patient was admitted on May 9, which shows how the number of hospitalized patients can be considered a lagging indicator. To further illustrate, if new Covid cases entirely went away today, there would still be Covid patients being treated in the hospital.   
• There continues to be no Covid positive residents at the CCC. 
• Based upon new guidance from the Santa Barbara County Public Health Officer, a Covid test will not be required of fully vaccinated patients prior to having an elective procedure or surgery at LVMC (just one more reason to get vaccinated).

Vaccinations

• Next week we will be holding vaccinations clinics at LVMC on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Appointments may be scheduled on MyTurn.  Although we much prefer that appointments be made, we will accept walk-ins during vaccination clinic hours.
• The demand for vaccinations throughout the county, state, and country has declined. Many stakeholder organizations in the county are working diligently and collaboratively to make a strong, last push to get as many people in the county vaccinated as possible. LVMC is part of that effort, and we will assist other organizations any way we can.
• 63.7% of the eligible county population (12+) has received at least one vaccine dose. 53.9% of the entire county population has received at least one dose. 52.3% of the eligible county population has been fully vaccinated. 44.2% of the entire county population has been fully vaccinated.
• At 57.13%, California ranks fourteenth in the country regarding the percent of the population that has received at least one vaccine dose. That compares to 52.3% for Santa Barbara County.
• North and Central County continue to lag South County regarding the percent of the population that are fully vaccinated.  The figures are:  North=36.1%; Central=36.7%; South 53.5% 

LVMC Potpourri

• Congratulations to Jared Clodfelter RN, from our Medical-Surgical Unit, for being selected as LVMC’s newest recipient of The DAISY Award. The DAISY award is an international program that recognizes excellence in nursing.  Well done, Jared!  
• Based upon the soon to be released, Hospital Inpatient Mortality Indicators for California, 2019, the LVMC mortality rate for each medical condition reviewed was statistically rated as “not different” than state averages.   However, several of the actual LVMC mortality rates were far superior to the state averages. The report considered mortality rates for the following medical conditions:  
  1. Acute Myocardial Infarction
  2. Acute Ischemic Stroke
  3. Gastro-Intestinal Hemorrhage
  4. Heart Failure
  5. Hip Fracture
  6. Pneumonia

Thank you for your continued support, and as always, please feel free to contact me at popkins@lompocvmc.com or (805) 737-3301.  Until next time, be well and stay safe!

Steve Popkin
Chief Executive Officer