Ventura County Public Health releases 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment; behavioral health, older‑adult health and women's health prioritized
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Summary
Public Health presented how state funding will be used to add public health positions and released the 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment identifying behavioral health, older adult health and women's health as the top priorities; the board voted to receive and file the report.
Public Health Director Rigo Vargas and Health Officer Aldine Castell presented the department’s update on new state funding intended to modernize local public health capacity and highlighted findings from the 2025 Ventura County Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA).
Vargas said Ventura County’s allocation—roughly $4 million tied to the 2022 budget act—was intended primarily to create positions; the department has used funding to fund roughly 26 current positions (earlier planning anticipated 29). He described investments in the public health laboratory, emergency preparedness and mobile field teams, community health workers and health education staff.
Dr. Aldine Castell summarized CHNA findings and said the three prioritized areas for 2026–28 will be behavioral health, older‑adult health, and women’s health. Castell cited county data showing elevated rates of depression, rising alcohol‑related hospitalizations, a high share of older adults living alone or with disabilities, and breast‑cancer incidence that exceeds state averages in some groups. She urged prevention, screening and access improvements.
The presentation also described the department’s roughly $70 million budget (largely grants and contracts) and noted that about 90% of that funding is grant‑ or contract‑based; roughly 40% has a federal component, making future funding contingent on state and federal budgets. The board voted unanimously to receive and file the report.
Why it matters: the CHNA sets public‑health priorities and informs investments and partnerships countywide; the state funding supports increased lab capacity, outbreak responsiveness and workforce expansion.
Next steps: Public Health and the Ventura County Community Health Improvement Collaborative will use the CHNA to finalize the Community Health Implementation Strategy for 2026–28 and continue engagement with community partners.
