LVMC Community Update, April 29, 2022

This week our CEO updates the Lompoc community on COVID-19 hospitalizations, vaccination clinics, vaccination/booster statistics, and the LVMC Café Open for Educational Forums and Public Dining.

Dear Lompoc Valley Community:

What happened on this date in history?

• 1852 – 1^st edition of Peter Roget’s Thesaurus was published in Great Britan.
• 1937 – Symbolic “Golden Rivet,” completing the Golden Gate Bridge connecting San Francisco and Marin County, was driven (later replaced with a more structurally sound steel version).
• 1992 – Jury acquitted Los Angeles Police Department officers on charges of excessive force in the beating of Rodney King; the decision sparked massive riots in the city.
• 2004 – Oldsmobile built its final car, ending 107 years of production.
• 2020 – World record for the longest single lightning flash of 477 miles across the states of Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, according to World Meteorological Organization.

Quote of the week

“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible”--Francis of Assisi

COVID Comments

Hospitalizations

• These days, Covid hospitalizations are the primary barometer of the state of Covid in a particular geographic area. Fortunately, the number of Covid hospitalizations in Santa Barbara County remains low. As of yesterday, there were 9 Covid hospitalized patients in the county, with only 1 receiving ICU care. Of the 9 hospitalized patients, 1 is at LVMC (non-ICU). We had a period of about two weeks where there were zero Covid hospitalized patients at LVMC, before it went up to 1 earlier this week.
• California currently has a Covid hospitalization rate of 3 per 100,000 population. Among the 50 states, this is a tie for 7^th lowest, with 8 other states. The median rate for the country is 4 hospitalizations per 100,000 population. The states with the lowest rate, at 1 per 100,000 are Wyoming and Louisiana. The highest rate is Delaware, at 14 per 100,000. At 2 per 100,000, the Santa Barbara County rate is lower/better than the California statewide rate.

Vaccination Clinics/Boosters

• Our vaccination clinics continue each Friday from 4:30pm to 6:00pm. All eligible individuals may receive a vaccination at this time. The demand at our vaccination clinics has increased about 30% since the second booster dose became approved. Appointments are available at myturn.ca.gov, and walk-ins are welcome.
• At our vaccination clinics we offer second booster doses (in addition to all other doses). Second booster doses are recommended and approved for individuals ages 50 and older. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are being offered.

Vaccination/Booster Statistics

• The percent of eligible persons in Santa Barbara County age 5+ having received at least one vaccine dose continues to creep up. It is currently 80.6% versus 80.1% three weeks ago.
• In California, 50.7% of individuals who are fully vaccinated have also received at least one booster dose. This ranks California tied for 16^th among the 50 states. The countrywide percentage is 45.7%. The state with the highest rate of booster vaccination is Vermont, at 60.2%. The state with the lowest rate is North Carolina, at 26.4%.

LVMC Café Open for Educational Forums and Public Dining

As the state of Covid in the Lompoc Valley, and beyond, has improved significantly, we carefully weigh the risks and benefits of returning certain functions to a state of normalcy.

We have made the decision to re-open our hospital café area for public educational forums. Pre-pandemic, our Lompoc Hospital District Foundation provided a series of seminars aimed at improving the health of our community. These educational forums will start again, as will educational forums provided by some of our community partners.

Pre-pandemic, there were members of our community who regularly met at our café to enjoy a meal and enjoy each other’s company. Beginning Monday, May 2, they will be able to do so again, as we are opening the café to public dining. Social distancing and masking while not eating or drinking will still be required, but I think everyone has figured out how to do this and still enjoy themselves. Breakfast and lunch will be served during “normal hours.”  Dinner hours are limited to 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm. (Occasionally, the café closes for special events.)

Thank you for your continued support, it is very much appreciated. 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