title https://www.pacbiztimes.com Proudly serving Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties Mon, 25 Mar 2024 22:43:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 Blois Construction co-founder, political activist Jean Blois dies at 96 https://www.pacbiztimes.com/2024/03/25/blois-construction-co-founder-political-activist-jean-blois-dies-at-96/ Mon, 25 Mar 2024 22:39:36 +0000 https://www.pacbiztimes.com/?p=92655 Jean Williamson Blois, one of the leading women in business and politics on the South Coast, died March 22 at age 96. Blois was a co-founder of the political movement that led to the successful effort to incorporate the City of Goleta. She served on its first city council and was instrumental in guiding Goleta Read More →

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Jean Williamson Blois, one of the leading women in business and politics on the South Coast, died March 22 at age 96.

Community West Bank President and CEO Marty Plourd, left, and longtime board member and Goleta resident Jean Blois, in 2019. (file photo)

Blois was a co-founder of the political movement that led to the successful effort to incorporate the City of Goleta. She served on its first city council and was instrumental in guiding Goleta in its earliest days.

In business, she and her late husband Bob founded Blois Construction, a firm that today is one of the largest regional companies with expertise in water and flood control projects. It also has provided countless hours of donated services CSU Channel Islands.

Blois, who graduated from UC Berkeley, was a founding member of the Community West Bancshares board, a relatively rare example of a woman serving in that capacity. Although she retired in 2021, she continued on the bank’s roster as an emeritus member.  

She was known for being an advocate for small business and for speaking her mind, something her two sons Jim and Steve reminded the Business Times of on several occasions. She had a keen eye for detail and never lost her sense of humor.

According to her son Jim, before her death, she left a file called “Jean Blois – Rest In Peace” with instructions to the family on how to handle her affairs.

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GCHP invests $75M into Ventura County’s healthcare provider network https://www.pacbiztimes.com/2024/03/15/gchp-invests-75m-into-ventura-countys-healthcare-provider-network/ Fri, 15 Mar 2024 19:15:26 +0000 https://www.pacbiztimes.com/?p=92612 By Atmika Iyer Special to the Business Times  Gold Coast Health Plan — a health insurance agency based in the city of Camarillo — announced a $75 million investment on March 6 into its provider network to recruit more providers and expand access to quality healthcare in Ventura County.  Of the total investment, $50 million Read More →

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By Atmika Iyer

Special to the Business Times 

Gold Coast Health Plan — a health insurance agency based in the city of Camarillo — announced a $75 million investment on March 6 into its provider network to recruit more providers and expand access to quality healthcare in Ventura County. 

Of the total investment, $50 million will be used as provider incentives in order to increase the number of annual screenings and condition-specific tests. The remaining $25 million will be used for grants to acquire medical equipment and strengthen healthcare networks within the County. 

“Each incentive that is earned and grant that is awarded helps bridge the gaps in health care equity and access, and ultimately drives improvements in health care for our community,” Dee Pupa, chair of the Ventura County Medi-Cal Managed Care Commission, said in the press release. “The GCHP leadership team has our full support as they embark on the largest community investment in the health plan’s 12-year history.” 

Via the incentive program, 90% of providers under GCHP can obtain up to $10 million in their efforts to improve healthcare quality and local health-related quality of living by creating programs and processes that allow each provider to improve Child and Adolescent Well-Care Visits, Well-Child Visits in the First 30 Months of Life, Chlamydia Screenings in Women and Cervical Cancer Screenings. 

“Gold Coast Health Plan and its providers must work together to get members into care,” said Erik Cho, GCHP’s chief policy and program officer. “In doing so, we will move the needle on these measures, which translates into a healthier population.

GCHP’s providers can now take advantage of the organization’s two grant programs: the equipment grant program and the recruitment grant program. The equipment grant program aims to improve the capacities of Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics that work with rural and medically underserved populations. Eligible equipment for providers to request include lifts, platform scales, hi-low exam tables, vaccine refrigerators and exam room equipment for clinic expansions. 

The recruitment grant program aims to help providers attract specialists, primary care physicians and advanced practice providers to better encapsulate and address the medical needs of the people they serve. 

According to the press release, this investment looks to meet the quality vision of healthcare as put forward by California’s Department of Health Care Services.

“These programs reinforce GCHP’s ongoing commitment to driving meaningful quality improvements in Ventura County’s health care system and providing the necessary financial support for a much-needed infusion of equipment and technology that will provide needed care, along with additional providers to support our community,” Nick Liguori, Gold Coast Health Plan’s (GCHP) CEO, said in a press release. 

email: newsroom@pacbiztimes.com

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Mense, Kind Cup create menstrual product alternative  https://www.pacbiztimes.com/2024/03/14/mense-kind-cup-create-menstrual-product-alternative/ Thu, 14 Mar 2024 18:54:41 +0000 https://www.pacbiztimes.com/?p=92598 In 2020 — the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic — there were already plenty of reasons to be scared for a loved one’s health.  McCall Brinskele of San Luis Obispo had one more reason to worry about her sister, who suffers from endometriosis and uterine fibroids. “She had been suffering from painful periods and when Read More →

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Left, Mense co-founder and CEO McCall Brinskele and Christine Brown, founder of Kind Cup. (courtesy photos)

In 2020 — the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic — there were already plenty of reasons to be scared for a loved one’s health. 

McCall Brinskele of San Luis Obispo had one more reason to worry about her sister, who suffers from endometriosis and uterine fibroids.

“She had been suffering from painful periods and when I say painful, I mean like, ‘on the floor of the bathroom and can’t get up to do basic functions throughout the day’ type of pain,” Brinskele told the Business Times. “And she had been suffering with that for eight years by that point.”

Her sister’s painful struggle is ultimately what inspired Brinskele to join the entrepreneurial space and try to find a solution — not only for her sister, but for the thousands of millions of women who suffer from the same issue.

That’s why while she was finishing up her master’s degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Brinskele founded Mense in 2022, a period product company.

Brinskele is one of thousands of women who have joined the entrepreneurship space over the last decade, specifically tackling the male-dominated technology and health spaces. 

Dubbed FemTech – a term first coined back in 2016 – the industry is gaining significantly more traction.

According to Statista, the worldwide FemTech market reached a valuation of $51 billion in 2021 with the potential to achieve $103 billion by 2030, reflecting an 8.1% CAGR. 

That’s because more women are joining the industry to find solutions for other women and issues unique to them and their bodies, which have been traditionally overlooked.

“In my short time in the women’s health space, I’ve seen that we all want all of us to succeed,” Brinskele said.

“And that’s because I think, just being around all these female founders, we are so desperate for these solutions that we’re just so willing to learn from one another, to help each other and that’s been amazing.”

Before founding Mense, Brinskele was doing a lot of research into the causes of endometriosis.

What she found was that a lot of the products out in the market — particularly tampons and pads — have “endocrine-disrupting chemicals” that could lead to endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, infertility, and even cervical and ovarian cancer.

That was her main motivation for finding a product that didn’t use those chemicals — and what she found were menstrual cups. 

That is currently what Mense is trying to develop: a menstrual cup as an applicator that’s as easy to insert and remove as a tampon.

“When talking to individuals about their experience with these products, there wasn’t a lot of education out there about them… but once people learned how to figure out how to use them, they describe it as ‘life-changing,'” Brinskele said.

Christine Brown, founder of Kind Cup in Carpinteria, knows what a difference menstrual cups can make for people who have periods.

Kind Cup is a period product company that offers two different sizes of menstrual cups.

Brown, who founded the company in 2017 and launched her first product in 2019, said she started her company because although menstrual cups have existed for decades, there weren’t companies out there developing those types of products.

“Back in 2011 when I first learned about cups, I couldn’t even get it online, and when I hopped on my bike I had to go from store to store until I eventually found one,” Brown said.

Now, there is more awareness around the validity of menstrual cups, which was greatly exacerbated by the pandemic, Brown said.

“Tampons and pads were just off the shelves, the supply chain just wiped them out so a lot of people were looking for alternatives and because they were home, they were looking to not only have an alternative because they needed something, but it was a great opportunity for them to go through the learning curve,” Brown said.

The main difference with using a menstrual cup — as opposed to the more popular pads and tampons — is that it is made with medical-grade silicone that does not have such toxic chemicals.

An architect at heart, Brown also knew that current menstrual cups on the market could use an upgrade on their design, so she took it upon herself to make that happen through Kind Cup.

“We shouldn’t have people going and trying and doing their best and being frustrated after months of trying what was available. There needed to be a better design that was going to actually be comfortable, effective, and easy to use,” Brown said.

The beauty in starting her own company as well was that she could be in it for the right reasons — sourcing local companies to manufacture her products while also producing them with the highest quality materials.

“We deserve that,” Brown said.

She also noted that while some companies race to profitability, Kind Cup’s goal isn’t that — the company simply wants to give women a high-quality alternative option. 

“If you’re not in it for the right reasons, this is a very challenging space to be in,” Brown said.

“People can see who are doing things for the wrong reason and who are doing them for the right and the ones who do it for the right reasons tend to stick around.”

As for Mense, May will be a big month for the team as they will compete at Cal Poly’s AngelCon for a chance at $100,000 in equity funding. 

Brinskele also said the company will be raising a seed round, which would all go toward the development of its first product.

“When I first graduated and was looking at the job market, there wasn’t any job out there that was making the difference that I wanted to make especially in the women’s health space, so I knew I had to start my journey,” she said.

“It started as a passion project, but now I can’t let it go.”

email: jmercado@pacbiztimes.com 

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Women’s health services are thriving on Central Coast https://www.pacbiztimes.com/2024/03/14/womens-health-services-are-thriving-on-central-coast/ Thu, 14 Mar 2024 18:43:38 +0000 https://www.pacbiztimes.com/?p=92595 Central Coast healthcare providers exemplify upcoming Women’s Health Month with an array of women-specific services.  The newest addition is the recent launch of Cottage Health’s Women’s Heart Clinic in Santa Barbara.  It’s designed to address the unique needs of women with cardiovascular diseases — their leading cause of death. Led by Dr. Bina Ahmed, an Read More →

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Dignity Health’s St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard. (courtesy photo)

Central Coast healthcare providers exemplify upcoming Women’s Health Month with an array of women-specific services. 

The newest addition is the recent launch of Cottage Health’s Women’s Heart Clinic in Santa Barbara. 

It’s designed to address the unique needs of women with cardiovascular diseases — their leading cause of death.

Led by Dr. Bina Ahmed, an interventional cardiologist and structural heart disease specialist, the clinic will offer expert consultation to women for the management of various cardiovascular diagnoses.

“The purpose of our clinic is to provide comprehensive and scientific care to women at risk or with known cardiovascular disease across the spectrum of their lifespan,” Ahmed told the Business Times March 12.

The clinic’s February launch was timed to coincide with American Health Month, she said.

May is Women’s Health Month.

Ahmed said the establishment of the clinic stemmed from the awareness that cardiovascular care for women has to be nuanced and women-specific.

“I think the real motivation here is to leverage my interest, experience, and training in women’s heart health to the community here in Santa Barbara,” Ahmed said.

“We look forward to participating and partnering with our other specialists in town to try and give women comprehensive cardiovascular care,” she said.

Santa Barbara’s Sansum Clinic, now part of Sutter Health, also recognizes the importance of improving the community’s understanding of women’s heart health.

Toward that end, the clinic has posted a video on YouTube of a February panel discussion featuring heart specialists from its cardiology department answering some of the most commonly asked women’s heart-related questions.

“Here on the Central Coast, countless families are affected when their loved ones experience cardiovascular problems,” Dr. Kurt Ransohoff, president of Sutter’s Greater Central Coast Market, said in a press release.

Cardiovascular risk factors are different in women than in men, and many other gender-specific differences influence heart disease prevention and care, according to the release. 

Women often experience a range of heart attack symptoms beyond just chest pain, and may require unique types of testing to uncover cardiac issues, the release says.  

The panel’s clinicians discussed those subjects as well as the impact of cholesterol levels, the prevalence of atrial fibrillation in women and pregnancy-related heart risks. 

“We hope this panel discussion helps to educate women about the unique risks they face,” Ransohoff said.

Central Coast hospitals also provide women’s cardiovascular care, plus much more.

Dignity Health’s Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria is one of them.

“We’re committed to providing comprehensive care and support to women at all stages of their lives,” said Candice Monge, RN, the hospital’s chief nursing executive.

Such care includes The Sue J. Sword Heart Center, gynecologic oncology services, advanced 3D mammography technology, and maternity care, Monge said.

The medical center is a designated STEMI Receiving Center, certifying that its cardiac team is ready around the clock to diagnose and treat STEMI heart attacks, the most serious kind, she said.

Considering that heart attacks are the leading killer for women, “being able to provide cardiovascular services almost immediately to anyone experiencing any sort of cardiovascular event in their life can save a woman’s life,” she said.

Barry Wolfman, president and CEO of Dignity Health’s St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard and St. John’s Hospital Camarillo, said they “recognize the unique healthcare needs of women and are proud to offer a comprehensive range of services tailored specifically for them.”

They include a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, specialty care for women with high-risk pregnancies and 24-hour obstetrical and gynecological services.

The medical center also offers an award-winning designated breast imaging center of excellence and specializes in treating several types of cancers, including breast and gynecologic cancers, Wolfman said.

Like the other healthcare providers, St. John’s also has comprehensive cardiac services that are tailored to meet the unique cardiovascular needs of women at every age, he said.

“Our commitment to quality patient care, advanced medical technologies, and compassionate service ensures that women receive the highest standard of care for all their healthcare needs,” he said.

Emily Hosford, director of women and children’s services at Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center, said the hospital, just acquired by Adventist Health from Tenet Healthcare, takes a collaborative, integrated approach to women’s health.

“Women’s health needs are unique to each individual and, like other parts of our lives, there are different aspects that overlap,” Hosford said.

The San Luis Obispo Medical Center works with OBGYNs and other specialists, primary caregivers, and doulas and midwives, she said.

The hospital also engages with community organizations and provides education and support groups for a wide variety of women’s health needs, she said.

“We’re better together and you can see that in patient outcomes,” Hosford said.

email: mharris@pacbiztimes.com 

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Cottage’s Gynecologic Clinic adds a pair of doctors https://www.pacbiztimes.com/2024/03/11/cottages-gynecologic-clinic-adds-a-pair-of-doctors/ Tue, 12 Mar 2024 04:46:41 +0000 https://www.pacbiztimes.com/?p=92588 Cottage Health’s Gynecologic Oncology Clinic in Santa Barbara has expanded its practice with the hiring of Sumit Mehta, MD, and Heather Merrick, PA-C on March 11. Mehta and Merrick will be joining Dr. Anne Rodriguez in providing comprehensive services and personalized treatment for gynecologic and breast cancers, according to the press release. “We are excited Read More →

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Cottage Health’s Gynecologic Oncology Clinic in Santa Barbara has expanded its practice with the hiring of Sumit Mehta, MD, and Heather Merrick, PA-C on March 11.

Mehta and Merrick will be joining Dr. Anne Rodriguez in providing comprehensive services and personalized treatment for gynecologic and breast cancers, according to the press release.

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Mehta and Ms. Merrick to our practice,” said Dr. Rodriguez, Medical Director of Gynecologic Oncology services at Cottage Health. “Their dedication to patient-centered care and their clinical expertise will enhance our ability to provide care to women facing gynecologic and breast cancers in our community.”

The clinic specializes in treating various gynecologic and breast cancers and complex benign gynecologic conditions.

Services offered include:

  • Comprehensive assessments and diagnostic procedures
  • Screening examinations
  • Diagnosis and staging to determine the severity of the disease
  • Surgical interventions, including minimally invasive and robotic surgeries
  • Chemotherapy treatment
  • Immunotherapy treatment
  • Coordination of care
  • Ongoing cancer surveillance

The Cottage Gynecologic Oncology Clinic is currently accepting patients. The clinic is located at 2400 Bath St., Suite 102 in Santa Barbara and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Updated: Adventist, Sutter expand Central Coast reach https://www.pacbiztimes.com/2024/03/08/updated-adventist-sutter-expands-central-coast-reach/ Fri, 08 Mar 2024 19:13:19 +0000 https://www.pacbiztimes.com/?p=92577 This article is only available to Business Times subscribers Subscribers: LOG IN or REGISTER for complete digital access. Not a Subscriber? SUBSCRIBE for full access to our weekly newspaper, online edition and Book of Lists. Check the STATUS of your Subscription Account.

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Adventist, Sutter make SLO County moves https://www.pacbiztimes.com/2024/03/01/adventist-sutter-make-slo-county-moves/ Fri, 01 Mar 2024 21:31:52 +0000 https://www.pacbiztimes.com/?p=92541 Some of the biggest names in San Luis Obispo County health care are switching owners as both Adventist Health and Sutter Health expand their presence in the region. On Feb. 29, Adventist Health, a non-profit health group with 26 hospitals across the state, announced it has purchased two San Luis Obispo County hospitals from Tenet Read More →

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Adventist Health in Simi Valley. Adventist just bought two hospitals in San Luis Obispo County on Feb. 29. (courtesy photo)

Some of the biggest names in San Luis Obispo County health care are switching owners as both Adventist Health and Sutter Health expand their presence in the region.

On Feb. 29, Adventist Health, a non-profit health group with 26 hospitals across the state, announced it has purchased two San Luis Obispo County hospitals from Tenet Healthcare for $550 million.

Just one day later on March 1, Sutter Health, which last year acquired Sansum Clinic in Santa Barbara, announced a move into radiation oncology in SLO county as it fills in its Central Coast presence.

In the Adventist acquisition, the two hospitals include Tenet Health’s flagship Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in San Luis Obispo and the smaller Twin Cities Community Hospital in Templeton.

“We are excited to increase our footprint to the beautiful Central Coast of California,” Kerry L. Heinrich, president and CEO of Adventist Health, said in a press release. 

“We are committed to partnering with Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center and Twin Cities Community Hospital to expand services, and we will work together to serve our mission of increasing the availability of care for communities in this region.”

The agreement includes related physician practices and imaging centers. 

According to the release, the SLO County-based hospitals generated revenues of approximately $337 million in 2023, pre-tax income of approximately $25 million and adjusted EBITDA of approximately $38 million, excluding depreciation and amortization expense of approximately $13 million. Tenet estimates recording a pre-tax book gain of approximately $275 million and the deal is expected to close late this spring, the release said.

Sutter Health expanded its Central Coast presence after the nonprofit purchased five GenesisCare radiation oncology centers, including two in San Luis Obispo County.

The Genesis Care centers are in San Luis Obispo and Templeton. The other three purchased by Sutter are located in Modesto, Santa Cruz and Stockton.

Sutter will keep the majority of existing GenesisCare team members at their facilities, according to the release.

Financial figures were not disclosed, but Sutter said the purchase will help it “keep high-quality cancer services rooted in California’s Central Coast, Central Valley and Silicon Valley.”

“Sutter Health is committed to providing the highest quality care throughout the communities we serve. We know how important it is for specialty services like cancer care to be offered close to home so patients can stay on track with their treatments. Keeping continued cancer care accessible in these communities was a driving force for Sutter to acquire these care centers. We are excited for the promise these centers hold for existing patients and for those who may need this type of care in the future,” Warner Thomas, president and CEO of Sutter Health, said in a press release.

Sutter acquired Santa Barbara-based Sansum and all its facilities in 2023 to develop a presence on the Central Coast.

email: jmercado@pacbiztimes.com

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