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County health centers report rising visits, expanded behavioral‑health and CalAIM care management
Summary
Santa Barbara County Public Health presented the 2024 annual report on county health centers, reporting more than 23,000 patients and about 100,000 visits last year, expansion of behavioral‑health services and implementation of CalAIM enhanced care management. The board received and filed the report unanimously.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors received and filed the 2024 annual report from the county’s federally qualified health centers on Wednesday, after staff described program growth, new services and financing.
Public Health staff told the board the centers treated roughly 23,000 unique patients last year and recorded close to 100,000 clinic visits, with Medi‑Cal the primary payer for roughly three‑quarters of patients. Staff highlighted new and expanded services including tele‑psychiatry, broader medically assisted treatment for substance use disorder and a new CalAIM enhanced care management (ECM) program designed to coordinate clinical and social services for high‑need Medi‑Cal beneficiaries.
Dr. Presciano, the health centers’ chief medical officer, said the team implemented team‑based care to keep continuity with complex patients and reported that patient satisfaction scores for the health centers exceed comparable FQHC benchmarks in the Western U.S. Dana Gamble, deputy director for clinical care, told the board the health centers received a behavioral‑health expansion grant from HRSA to add psychiatry time and to integrate mental‑health and substance‑use services in the clinics. The county also described a partnership with A.T. Still University to create a pipeline for physician‑assistant students to rotate through county clinics in Santa Maria and Lompoc.
The board voted unanimously to receive and file the report. Supervisors and staff noted the health centers operate with a balanced budget — revenues and expenses reported at roughly $62 million for the health center program in 2024 — and rely primarily on Medi‑Cal reimbursement. Staff said the county will continue to invest in workforce development and technology to support CalAIM reporting and data sharing.
Ending: The board’s unanimous receipt of the annual report marks ratified continuity for county‑run primary care safety‑net services while staff proceed with implementing CalAIM ECM and the new federal behavioral‑health expansion grant.
