Staff Spotlight

Michele Hunt was hired in March as the new Activities Director of the Comprehensive Care Center. She has lived on the Central Coast since 1994. Michele earned a Bachelor's degree with a major in Cultural Anthropology and a minor in Spanish from the University of Western Ontario. 

This year, we are periodically spotlighting its employees who volunteer their time and talents to help our community. Anabel Quintanar, MSN, RN-BC, PHN has been with LVMC since 2004. She first started as a travel nurse for three years. She also worked as an Emergency Department charge nurse before becoming a House Supervisor.

Hongxia (Helen) Tong is Infection Prevention and Control Nurse at our Comprehensive Care Center. She has been with LVMC since July 2007.

Clarissa Van Cura is an admissions discharge nurse at the Comprehensive Care Center. She was hired in 2012 to work in the Medical/Surgical department at LVMC and moved to the CCC in the fall of 2013. She earned Employee of the Quarter honors in 2017.

Lorena Martinez is a Certified Nursing Assistant at the Comprehensive Care Center. She was hired as an Environmental Services technician in August 2015. Last year, she was accepted to – and passed – the CCC’s CNA class.

Maria Manzanarez has been employed as an Environmental Services technician at the Comprehensive Care Center since last August. She has lived in Lompoc for about eight years.

Maria Dealba is a Patient Accounting Representative at LVMC and was hired in 1999 as a Certified Nursing assistant, working at the Comprehensive Care Center and the Medical/Surgical department. She has also worked as a receptionist in Physical Therapy and admitting. She has worked in Patient Accounting since 2002. 

Emily Bertsch is a Nurse Practitioner at our Lompoc Health &emdash; Hematology-Oncology Center.  She was hired in July 2017 but previously worked for LVMC from 2010-2013.

Will “Buck” Sharp has been a pharmacist at Lompoc Valley Medical Center for nine years. A native of Hollister, CA, he previously owned Valley Rexall pharmacy for 30 years and sold it in 2005.

This year, LVMC is periodically spotlighting its employees who volunteer their time and talents to help our community. Ramon Hernandez has been with us for 8 ½ years and works as a Plant Operations Assistant. He currently volunteers his free time as a Court Appointed Special Advocate and Jr. Giants Baseball coach.

Pa Nhia Lee is a registered nurse at the Comprehensive Care Center. She earned her RN in 2008 from Allan Hancock College and was hired at the CCC 10 years ago. She is the mother of three children, ages 10, 5 and 9 months.

Karen Koppes, BSN, RN, CMSRN, is the Lompoc Valley Medical Center nurse educator. She was hired in May 2018, coming to the acute hospital from Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. She was previously a surgical trauma unit nurse, charge nurse, cardiac rehab unit nurse and clinical instructor for Santa Barbara City College’s School of Nursing.