CHCCC - 2020 Capture Cares Overview

Background:

Community Health Centers of the Central Coast (CHCCC) currently serve over 111,000 people in the Santa Barbara County of California. CHCCC was the recipient of a 2020 Community Mission Grant from Capture Cares. CHCCC used their grant funding to purchase a vehicle to deliver food, provide support and offer basic transportation services to and from their clinic.

We spoke with team members from CHCCC who outlined how the grant was used and the evolution of its usage to where they are now.

Outreach:

Through the use of the Capture Cares van, CHCCC was able to transport and deliver food to vulnerable families throughout their community. During the holidays, the van served as “Santa’s sleigh”, delivering presents and food to patients. This outreach was essential for CHCCC to connect with THEIR patients, affirm their dignity, and provide needed resources during a difficult Holiday Season.

Digital Equity:

CHCCC leveraged the Cradlepoint cloud network with wireless routers to improve THEIR clinical presence in historically underserved communities by creating a mobile techsuite. The mobile techsuite allowed the Behavioral Health team to address two major issues within digital equity. The first is access to digital infrastructure. This largely affects low-income communities, and it relates to whether residents have broadband available where they live. The second is access to sufficient speeds and to digital services, which addresses whether patients and community members have the knowledge and resources they need to effectively use and benefit from technology.

The techsuite enables real-time remote access to mental health prevention trainings, digital applications and resources for self-management, as well as instructional trainings on the use of the online patient portal. provide equitable digital access to our diverse patient population. This allowed CHCCC to provide true digital inclusion, by ensuring that broadband Internet was available and accessible for everyone, that every patient has access to vital telehealth services and the relevant training to promote digital autonomy.

Mobile Clinic:

CHCCC also used/uses the Capture Cares van to offer a mobile clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients are able to receive care and register for testing and vaccination services without the stigma of entering a large viral evaluation center. Recently, the van began to be utilized as a satellite access point for CHCCC staff to obtain COVID-19 services and treatment to relieve impacted clinics.