Santa Barbara County Funders Provide Path to Stability and Sustainability
Community investment Will Prevent SB Neighborhood Clinics from Closing its Doors
. This decision, reached on Monday, heads off a cascading crisis in the county’s health care system and enables SBNC to continue to provide health care services for over 17,000 families who depend on the clinics as their only option for affordable health care.
“What was and remains front and center, is the need for the Santa Barbara community to continue to insure access to quality affordable care for thousands of its residents – as a matter of compassion, common sense, and overall well being of our health system,” said Ron Gallo, president & CEO of the Santa Barbara Foundation. “This is a moment where philanthropy – with its agility, financial resources, and guidance – is a critical and timely player in solving an important community problem.”
While many are familiar with the current, well publicized struggles SBNC has faced, few may realize that a thorough investigation of SBNC’s financial picture and options for moving forward has been underway in the form of a consultancy generously funded by the Cottage Health System. The result of the independent consultant’s report is an outline for a 100-day transition plan that has energetically addressed operational issues with clear goals and milestones so that SBNC can once again regain firm footing. While much work still needs to be done, funders believe that the plan and the actions already taken have sufficient credibility to warrant immediate investment and have made provisions for $250,000 to be distributed to SBNC on Friday, July 12. Two additional payments, totaling $350,000, will be made if milestones in the 100-day plan are reached.
“The foundations, major health care providers, and SBNC have established a credible 100-day plan that puts SBNC on course to financial health while preserving its vital mission,” said Mark Palmer, acting chief executive officer of Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics. “Thank you to all the participating organizations for your commitment to the health of our community and for enabling SBNC to implement this plan.”
The closure of the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics would have a devastating effect on thousands of families, concomitantly putting a huge strain on the entire health care system in the region. Through the generosity of area funders, SBNC is finding its way back to stability and sustainability.
“This joint effort on the part of local philanthropic foundations and health care organizations to solve an immediate health care crisis is further evidence of the incredible generosity of our community as well as the power of effective partnerships,” said Ron Werft, president and CEO at Cottage Health System. “Many thanks to the Santa Barbara Foundation for their critical leadership.”
At press time, participating funders included the Santa Barbara Foundation; Alice Tweed Tuohy Foundation; Ann Jackson Family Foundation; Cottage Health System; Mosher Foundation; Hutton Parker
Foundation; Linked Foundation; James S. Bower Foundation; Sansum Clinic; Outhwaite Foundation; Saint Francis Foundation; Wood-Claeyssens Foundation; The Fund for Santa Barbara; and the Gildea Foundation, as well as other individual donors.
About the Santa Barbara Foundation:
The Santa Barbara Foundation is a community foundation established in 1928 to enrich the lives of the people of Santa Barbara County through philanthropy. As one of the largest private sources of funding for area nonprofits, agencies, and college bound students, the foundation builds and facilitates philanthropy through donor partnerships; invests in nonprofits; and identifies and strategically addresses important community needs. Guided by compassion for the most vulnerable and those most in need of help, excellence in what it supports and with whom it partners, and integrity with a focus on stewardship and transparency, the Santa Barbara Foundation is invested in a more vibrant, engaged, and meaningfully connected Santa Barbara County…for all.
Contact: Jessica Tade
Communications and Marketing Manager
Santa Barbara Foundation
(805) 880-9391
