Today we enjoy better health, live in healthier conditions, know more about how to take care of our health, and live longer than any time in the past. To a large extent, these benefits are the result of the efforts and activities of public health. Public Health efforts over the past decades have made significant improvements in both health and life expectancy as well as lowering illness and injury rates. The mission of the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department is to improve the health of our communities by preventing disease, promoting wellness, and ensuring access to needed health care. Your Public Health Department works with community organizations and members to:

• Prevent epidemics and the spread of disease
• Protect against environmental hazard
• Prevent injuries
• Promote and encourage healthy behaviors
• Respond to disasters and assist communities in recovery
• Ensure the quality and accessibility of health services

The department has 2 major divisions: Community Health and Primary Care & Family Health. The Community Health Division focuses on preventing disease and promoting well-being on a community-wide level. The Primary Care & Family Health Division focuses on individual health by making sure the medical services that people need are available across the county.

The Community Health Division

The Community Health Division has a wide variety of programs that are oriented toward preventing problems and promoting optimal well-being on a community-wide level. Key subdivisions within the Community Health Division include:

Disease Control and Prevention

This subdivision works to control communicable disease outbreaks and to monitor the health status of our communities. Preventing epidemics and controlling communicable disease is one of the core functions of public health. Disease Control and Prevention Programs that work to protect your health include immunizations, tuberculosis control, AIDS and other sexually transmitted disease control, cancer monitoring, and birth/death registries.

Nutrition Services

Nutrition Services promotes good health through education and improving nutritional practices. The WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) Program is a part of Nutrition Services. WIC provides food vouchers, nutrition education, and referrals to services for low-income women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, and/or postpartum and their children up to age 5.

Chronic Disease and Aging

Chronic Disease and Aging provides services which help people, age 60 and over, optimize their health and well being. Assessments, assistance obtaining other services, support, and education are provided to enable an older adult to maintain their independence for as long as possible.

Environmental Health Services

Environmental Health Services (EHS) promotes and oversees the safe and sanitary operation of retail food facilities, public pools, private water systems, and detention facilities. They conduct inspections of restaurants, grocery stores, school cafeterias, farmers markets, and county festivals and fairs to ensure the safety of food and prevent outbreaks of foodborne illness. Other EHS programs focus on land use planning to ensure that adequate water and sewer services are provided for new development, and regulatory oversight of solid waste facilities and septic systems. Environmental Health Services is a partner in Project Clean Water that is working to identify the sources of ocean water contamination and develop solutions to address it.

Animal Health and Regulation

Animal Health and Regulation provides rabies control services, dog licensing, and pet adoption/reunification services for unincorporated areas of the county. A key focus is on placing lost animals back with their owners and educating the public on proper care and treatment for animals. Rabies control services include animal quarantines, bite investigations, dog licensing, low-cost rabies clinics, and impoundment of stray and injured animals.

Human Services

Human Services funds a wide variety of human service organizations throughout the county, provides emergency shelter to the homeless, assesses the county's child care needs, and provides support to the Human Services Commission.

Emergency Medical Services

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) ensures that the county's emergency medical care system is organized and coordinated for ready response. It oversees the 9-1-1 response system, the medical care delivered by fire department and ambulance personnel, and that the appropriate resources are provided in hospitals and emergency rooms. EMS has programs in injury surveillance and prevention, medical disaster preparedness, trauma system evaluation and oversees training provided to EMS personnel.

Assessment and Health Promotion

The Assessment and Health Promotion subdivision carries out assessment functions which includes the collection and analysis of information about health conditions, risks, and resources in a community. In addition, health education offers individuals and groups opportunities to increase their awareness, knowledge, skills and support to adopt and maintain practices that can lead to prevention of disease and protection from health hazards. Tobacco Control, Dental Disease Prevention, Child Health, Injury Control, Breast Cancer Prevention, and HIV Education are key prevention programs that promote health.

Primary Care and Family Health Division

The Primary Care and Family Health Division ensures that a wide-range of necessary medical services are available to individuals throughout the county. Key programs include:

South Coast, Lompoc, and Santa Maria Regional Clinics
The Public Health Department offers medical services at 6 different clinic locations-Carpinteria, Santa Barbara (Calle Real and Franklin Center), Lompoc, Santa Maria, and New Cuyama. These clinics are open to all county residents, regardless of their ability to pay. Other clinical services like specialty care, x-ray, pharmacy, and laboratory are available at most sites. Public Health Nurses work in our communities offering home visits, therapy, and health education to prevent the spread of communicable disease and promote a safe and healthy environment for women, children, and their families.

Utilization Review and Medically Indigent Adult (MIA) Program

Utilization Review staff work to ensure the Public Health Department's MIA patients have access to medically appropriate and necessary services that aren't available in county health clinics. In addition, they process payment to doctors who provide these services and collect data to monitor the quality of medical care at the Public Health Department. The MIA Program provides financial assistance to adults who aren't eligible for Medi-Cal so they can get the health care they need.

Children's Medical Services

Children's Medical Services offers two programs that serve county residents under 21 years of age. The Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) Program assists families in getting health screening exams to detect health problems early so they can be treated before permanent disability occurs. The California Children Services (CCS) Program coordinates and pays for specialized medical diagnosis and treatment for children with catastrophic or disabling illness whose families cannot afford needed care. CCS Therapy provides occupational and physical therapy at school-based locations throughout the County.

Family Programs

The Family Programs include a variety of programs and services for families, adolescents, children, and pregnant women including:

• Homeless Health Care
• Family Violence Prevention
• Comprehensive Perinatal Service Program (CPSP) provider recruitment
• Maternal and Child Health (MCH) program coordination
• Sexual Abuse Response Team (SART)
• Teen-Age Parenting Program (TAPP)

We are a partner in MISC, the Multi-agency Integrated System of Care working together to protect, nurture, and heal children who are at-risk for child abuse, chemical dependency, juvenile crime, and school failure/dropout.