Written by:
Nora Wallace - Marketing and Public Relations Manager

Lompoc Valley Medical Center has received national recognition from the Association for Community Affiliated Health Plans (ACAP) for its outstanding support of underserved populations. 

LVMC was nominated for the award by CenCal Health Chief Executive Officer Marina Owen, whose organization administers the Medi-Cal program in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties to more than 240,000 members. The hospital was awarded a “Supporting the Safety Net” Honorable Mention award. 

The award recognizes organizations and individuals that “go above and beyond” to provide healthcare programs for underserved populations. The ACAP is a national non-profit trade association representing not-for-profit Safety Net health plans in the U.S. 

“For nearly 80 years, LVMC has fulfilled its founding purpose by responding to the evolving healthcare needs of the Lompoc Valley community,” the CenCal nomination noted. “Guided by locally elected directors and accountable to the community it serves, the public healthcare district has grown into the region's primary healthcare provider and a vital component of the Central Coast healthcare safety net.” 

In accepting the award, LVMC Chief Executive Officer Yvette Cope, RN, MSN, noted that the 80-year-old hospital district “takes seriously the responsibility to provide care to all those in need. What makes this award so meaningful is that it honors the safety net itself, and the people who work every day to make sure our most vulnerable neighbors are not left behind.” 

Cope accepted the award Wednesday night along with LVMC Board of Trustees Chair Leslie Kelly, RN and Board Secretary Dr. Elham Novin-Baheran. 

Cope lauded the partnership between LVMC and CenCal Health, saying the hospital is “committed to this work for generations to come.” 

LVMC serves a diverse population, including agricultural workers, low-income families, Medi-Cal beneficiaries, military families, seniors, uninsured residents and more. An estimated 17.3 percent of Lompoc residents live below the federal poverty level, while 10.8 percent under the age of 65 lack health insurance coverage. 

“Publicly available data underscore LVMC's role as a safety-net provider,” Owen commented in the nomination. “According to the California Department of Health Care Access and Information, Medi-Cal accounted for more than one-third of inpatient care and more than one-quarter of outpatient care delivered by LVMC during the July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024 reporting period, reinforcing its role as a trusted source of care for Medi-Cal members and other underserved populations.” 

 LVMC’s coverage area encompasses 463-square miles where transportation barriers, geographic isolation, workforce shortages and economic challenges can limit healthcare access. The nomination noted that LVMC provides services “that urban communities may take for granted but are essential to maintaining healthcare access within the rural valley.” 

LVMC's commitment to expanding access is reflected in both its scale and its ongoing investments in community health. The following measures for fiscal year 2025 illustrate the breadth of its impact across the Lompoc Valley and surrounding communities: 

• Total patient encounters: 151,987 

• Total Medi-Cal members served: 18,103 

• Total Charity Care: 6 percent of net patient revenue 

• Total Community Investment: $13,900 in community programs and initiatives 

LVMC was also recognized in the award for expanding access to primary care, offering interpreter services and multilingual resources to the more than 63 percent of the community identifying as Hispanic or Latino, extending its reach to include the opening of Lompoc Health – Village Center, adding a Certified Nurse Midwife to is staff, investing in a robotic surgery program for minimally invasive procedures and its outreach to communities such as Vandenberg Space Force Base. 

“Together, these investments demonstrate LVMC's ability to identify community needs and expand services that are often difficult to sustain in rural communities,” the nomination stated.