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Aug. 11, 2025 (Santa Barbara, CA) Sansum Clinic, now part of Sutter Health, hosted and sponsored the 48th year of Camp Wheez, a free, week-long summer day camp for children with asthma that blends learning and play and is designed to meet the special needs of this pediatric population.
This month, nearly 40 campers from grades 1-6 participated in hands-on activities and crafts, played games, experienced performances and learned how to confidently manage their symptoms of asthma. The camp creates a friendly atmosphere where children interact with asthma educators and become educated about their condition outside of a physician’s office. Supervised by doctors, respiratory care practitioners and nurses, the camp meets the highest safety standards and provides reassurance for families seeking a camp environment that addresses the medical needs of their children.
Camp director Sarah Williams, allergist and immunologist Dr. Myron Liebhaber and a volunteer group made up of local high school students, many who are former campers, led the group through daily activities including a lung lab and a cooking class. The 2025 camp theme was “Shoot for the Stars” with community star visits including a hula hoop dancer, a karate master and a violinist. Dr. Liebhaber presented his amateur magic tricks; a favorite part of camp which has become a tradition. Parents attended an asthma education lunch and workshop where they met with clinicians to learn more about pediatric asthma. Many camp alumni have gone on to become camp counselors and supporters.
“My son benefits so much from the education he receives at Camp Wheez, which has helped him become more empowered in the role he can personally take in the day-to-day management of his condition,” commented one parent of a Camp Wheez attendee.
“While I truly have had a ball leading this camp for more than 48 years, it’s about more than just having fun,” commented allergist and immunologist Dr. Myron Liebhaber. “It’s about giving kids the confidence and knowledge to manage their asthma while letting them enjoy all that summer has to offer.” Liebhaber celebrated not only another successful year of Camp Wheez, but his upcoming retirement from Sansum Clinic after serving Central Coast patients for more than four decades.
Camp Wheez is made possible thanks to the generosity of community donors and the help of Sansum Clinic’s Philanthropy Department. While Sutter Health has brought much-needed resources to Sansum Clinic and the Central Coast, Sutter’s Greater Central Coast continues to rely on the support of our grateful patients and community members in pursuit of medical excellence. All gifts of support contributed in this community remain here, directly benefiting those we serve.
To learn more about Camp Wheez, click here.
The Allergy & Immunology Department on Sutter’s Greater Central Coast is a full-service center for allergy, asthma and immunology care. Its specialists offer the full spectrum of care for all ages, from newborns to seniors. The department provides in-depth evaluations and treatment plans. This team works in collaboration with clinicians in
ENT (Ear-Nose & Throat), Pediatrics, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Rheumatology, Pulmonary/Critical Care, Dermatology and other departments to deliver the best care possible to our patients. The Allergy & Immunology Department can be reached at (805) 681-7635.
Sansum Clinic, now part of Sutter Health, is the leading nonprofit provider of high-quality, outpatient healthcare on the Central Coast. Both Sansum and Sutter share a century-long commitment to improving the health of their communities and have embarked upon this partnership to shape the future of healthcare for those they serve. The 260+ highly trained clinicians and compassionate staff of 1,200+ care for more than 160,000 individual patients per year at Sansum Clinic. Sansum’s dedication to recruiting new medical specialties to our communities over the last century has contributed significantly to the level of medical quality available in Santa Barbara, despite its small size.
Sutter Health is a not-for-profit healthcare system dedicated to providing comprehensive care throughout California. Committed to advancing innovative patient care, healthy outcomes and community partnerships, Sutter Health is pursuing a bold new plan to reach more people and make excellent healthcare more connected and accessible. Currently serving more than 3.5 million patients, thanks to our dedicated team of more than 60,000 employees and clinicians, and 14,000+ affiliated physicians, with a unified focus on expanding care to serve more patients.
Sutter delivers exceptional and affordable care through its hospitals, medical groups, ambulatory surgery centers, urgent care clinics, telehealth, home health, and hospice services. Dedicated to transforming healthcare, at Sutter Health, getting better never stops.
Learn more about how Sutter Health is transforming healthcare at sutterhealth.org and vitals.sutterhealth.org.
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