A free community forum focusing on care for the immigrant community of Santa Maria and Santa Barbara County will be 4:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12 in Veterans Hall, 313 W. Tunnell St., Santa Maria.
The event will bring together state and county health leaders, local clinics, and community advocates to share information, answer questions, and connect families with resources to access healthcare for immigrant communities.
The event is organized by American Community Media of San Francisco and the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) from Sacramento, in collaboration with Tu Tiempo Digital Contigo.
Topics to be covered include:
How to access Medi-Cal, the state version of Medicaid; who qualifies and what services are covered, regardless of immigration status.
Changes to enrollment and re-enrollment.
How state and local governments protect the privacy of data and the immigration status of beneficiaries.
The health needs and risks of agricultural workers.
How local clinics and community organizations are working together to provide care amidst federal health cuts.
The event will include a Q&A session with panelists; information tables with local health and social service providers; simultaneous interpretation in English, Spanish and Mixtec; and a free dinner.
Participants include:
Yingjia Huang, deputy director, Department of Health Care Services.
Griselda Melgoza, spokesperson, DHCS.
Dario Predazzi, division chief, DHCS, Santa Barbara County
Michaela Killer-Westall, Health Care administrator, Santa Barbara County Public Health Clinics
Jordan Turetsky, MPH, director of Strategic Engagement, CenCal Health
Elia Rodriguez, associate director of Member Services, CenCal Health
Francisco Lozano, president of the Mixtec Parent Advisory Committee, Santa Maria-Bonita School District and Santa Maria Joint Union High School District.
All attendees everyone must register online beforehand to guarantee access to the Community Forum.