After 23 years of service on the Board of Directors for the Lompoc Valley Community Healthcare Organization (LVCHO), Dr. Gilbert Andersen as announced his resignation from the nonprofit board and plans to retire from his medical practice.
Dr. Andersen practiced medicine in Lompoc for more than 40 years and has treated generations of local residents. He previously served as the medical director of the Comprehensive Care Center and chief of staff for Lompoc Valley Medical Center. In 2010 he was honored with a Physician of the Year award by the Santa Barbara County Medical Society.
Dr. Andersen was recognized for his service to the LVCHO during an April 18 board retreat, during which LVCHO executive director Ashley Costa and board chair Dr. Rollin Bailey commemorated the physician’s dedicated service.
“Whenever I saw a man riding his bike around Lompoc in a Hawaiian shirt, I knew it was Dr. Andersen,” Costa said.
“Your service to the LVCHO and the health of the Lompoc community will have a lasting impact for generations to come,” she told Dr. Andersen. “You are irreplaceable, but we will do our best to honor your legacy and continue our commitment to better community health for all.”
Dr. Andersen thanked LVCHO staff and fellow board members for the recognition and noted he had “been through a lot with the LVCHO, lots of changes and it has been quite an adventure.” He said the organization “accomplished quite a bit” while he was on the board, adding that much more is to come in the future for the nonprofit.
A commemorative plaque in Dr. Andersen’s honor will be installed on a new bench for patients and visitors of the Comprehensive Care Center in Lompoc.
Dr. Christopher Taglia, a Lompoc Health general and bariatric surgeon, will replace Dr. Andersen on the LVCHO Board.
More about the LVCHO, including the full roster of board members, can be found at www.healthylompoc.org.