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Publishers' Message Rising like a phoenix For a time, we were not sure if, when or how this edition of Imperial Valley Alive would be published. That was when, like many of you and much of the world, we suffered the paralysis of uncertainty, anxiety and fear that spread with the deadly coronavirus pandemic. Then, something happened. In the midst of the COVID-19 nightmare we roused enough to start to notice flashes of local people doing what our Valley does best. Local people were reaching out to help, to care, to nurture our community. The Valley’s greatness came shining through in countless acts of kindness and courage, of compassion and creativity. It was then in the light of our community’s spirit that we had an epiphany: we had to publish this edition, now. That is why this is no ordinary spring/ summer edition. This magazine is dedicated to ways our Valley is rising as a community to beat back the hopeless gloom of the pandemic. This is the phoenix edition of Imperial Valley Alive. You know the phoenix, the brilliant bird of Greek mythology that rises from ashes left when its predecessor spontaneously combusted in dramatic flames. We did not see the Valley’s greatness at work in a phoenix-like flash. We had to dig out from under the rubble of our doubt and indecision first. For us, the low point came when, following the guidelines of the CDC, state and local health authorities, we shuttered the Reliance Public Relations/Imperial Valley Alive office in March.
Bill Gay
We felt that we had lost our connection with our colleagues/ friends/creative team that day. We were bereft without our work family. Isolation threatened to be a prison of introspection from which hope seemed hard to find. It took a while to find our footing with the use of new tools and technology. Zoom meetings became a lifeline and a link to new ideas and opportunities. Social media (it isn’t just for the bullies and brutes) became windows to the great work going on in the community. People stepping up to help the Area Agency on Aging deliver care packages to the shut-in elderly. Farmers providing food to feed the hungry. Young people in 4-H sewing facial coverings for those who needed them. SDSU Imperial Valley faculty bringing hands-on activities to life on virtual platforms. And the list goes on. We were captivated and think you will be too. In this edition you will read articles that exemplify some of the ways Valley residents, businesses and creators have gone beyond the ordinary to reach greatness. Inside, you will want to read about Johnny’s, the iconic burrito eatery that grew from a tiny market into a Brawley destination before growing into a chain with an Imperial outlet that helped revive Imperial’s downtown. Now it has re-emerged stronger than ever following a pandemic reboot to the delight of legions of fans. And, be sure to read about Badlands Provisions, a Valley leader in the local hemp field. While developing a CBD oil extraction facility in Imperial that will use
Susan Giller
Peggy Dale
ethanol in the processing, the group pivoted and began using the ethanol instead to make the hand sanitizer needed by first responders, agriculture and local folks. It not only jumped at an opportunity to help, but it put people to work and may have created a new business. It should not be a surprise that our community is coming together to help in the face of the pain, suffering and death of the pandemic. That is who we are, what we can accomplish when we rise like a phoenix.
Sue Gay
Bill Amidon Spring/Summer 2020
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INDEX |
Volume 4, Number 3 EDITORS & PUBLISHERS Bill Gay Sue Gay Susan Giller Peggy Dale Bill Amidon
CONTRIBUTORS Bret Kofford Gary Redfern Darren Simon
Bottles of Badlands Provisions hand sanitizer are available for purchase at several locations in the Imperial Valley. - Photo provided by Bari Smith/Badlands Provisions
COVER PHOTO Joselito Villero
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Alejandra Noriega Ernesto Pereda
RISE | Reinvention, venturing beyond the ordinary are nothing new for
THRIVE |
Johnny’s Burritos, Page 6
Tennis is ideal sport for pandemic, Page 10
WEB DESIGNERS Jesus Uriarte Sergio Uriarte
SALES Bill Amidon John Lovecchio
Quakes are examples of Valley’s resilience, Page 20
INSPIRE |
Badlands Provisions pivots
mark on Valley and beyond, Page 8
from hemp to hand sanitizer,
Page 14 Silva legacy has rich, vibrant history of pride in family, work, Page 9
SUBSCRIPTIONS Send name, address and email address along with $20.00 (plus tax) for annual subscription to:
Reliance Public Relations, Inc. P.O. Box 1944 • El Centro, CA 92244 www.imperialvalleyalive.com IMPERIAL VALLEY ALIVE! is published quarterly by Reliance Public Relations, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical for any purpose without the written permission of Reliance Public Relations, Inc.
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world’s vegetables, Page 12
Musical, artistic Silva family makes
ADVERTISING bill.amidon@reliancepr.com 760-693-5330
Emerald Seed helps to sow
ON THE COVER: Leticia Mendez holds a beverage cup carrier at Johnny's Burrito in Brawley. - Photo by Joselito N. Villero
INSIDE | Publishers' message, Page 3 ECRMC Foundation helping keep staff, patients safe,
Page 33 PMHD continues to serve community with drive-up care, telehealth, Page 22 Help us thank our advertisers who make Imperial Valley Alive possible with your business, Pages 16-17
Mike Dessert, Emerald Seed president, is with a new variety of squash seed being grown in a test plot on the seed company's acreage located west of El Centro. - Photo by Susan Giller
Books Margaret Silva-Chairez has edited. - Photo provided by M. Silva-Chairez
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RISE | Isabel Juarez holds a beverage cup at Johnny's Burrito in Brawley. - Photo by Joselito N. Villero
Small-town
jewels By Gary Redfern
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As recently as the early 2000s downtown Imperial, like the centers of many American small towns, was a sickly affair. There was a grocery store, a pharmacy, gas station/mini mart and a post office, but the area lacked vibrancy; it was no one’s destination. Ravaged by earthquakes in 1940 and 1979, the city’s original brick buildings Spring/Summer 2020
a fun and busy restaurant. But it was a longshot since Johnny’s then had only one location and Imperial hardly seemed the ideal spot for growth. “I really pushed to get them there,” Dale said. “I’ve been friends with the Palominos (Johnny’s owners) for years. It was just a perfect opportunity to create jobs.” Dale’s ambition quickly melded with the driving forces that turned Johnny’s from a fledgling corner grocery to Brawley’s favorite spot for a quick meal and a successful business. Johnny’s decision to expand first into Imperial and then to El Centro as well as its ability to reinvent its operation and reopen in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic are but a few examples of a remarkable family’s ability to venture beyond the ordinary to create a successful business and benefit the community. The story begins in Brawley in 1963 when John and Ana Maria Palomino opened “a little pink store” at the intersection of Fifth and D streets, explains their granddaughter, Ruby Palomino, now the company’s general manager. However, Ana Maria’s keen business eye and John’s gregarious nature soon set the operation on a course that would change the lives not only of their family but for many in Imperial Valley for entire generations. “My grandmother decided to sell 25Sweat, smiles cent burritos. They were real popular with the kids,” Ruby said, noting Brawley turned tiny grocery Union High School and Barbara Worth into powerhouse Junior High are nearby. “My grandfather made fun of my grandmother … Then he eatery saw how well it sold. It was a constant (for him) to try something out to make were not replaced, leaving what was some money.” once Imperial Valley’s first business Eventually, the food service took over area pocked with barren lots. A few, both the grocery store and the family, however, held out hope, among them Ruby said. And as the menu expanded, City Council Member Geoff Dale. For an the name, Johnny’s Burritos stuck. ally he looked north to Brawley’s iconic “My dad (Richard Palomino) and wildly popular eatery, Johnny’s remembers watching TV (at home) while Burritos. they shredded beef,” Ruby said. “Aunt Dale’s eye was focused on replacing Lety (Leticia Mendez) stood on a milk the defunct Drifter’s Saloon at Barioni crate so she could reach the register.” Boulevard and Imperial Avenue with Richard and Lety are two of the
four children of John and Ana Maria and remain involved in the Johnny’s operation as co-owners. Ruby and cousin Joseph Ruiz mark the third generation with the latter co-manager in Brawley and in charge of expanding the business’ online presence. John died in 1997 while Ana Maria is retired, though she keeps up with operations, Ruby said. Their other children, Lorainne Palomino (Joseph’s mother) and Ana Bertha Palomino, retain part ownership but are not involved in day-to-day operations. Amid burgeoning success, the founders purchased a lot across the street from the original store and in 1981 what is now the current location opened at 490 D St. Groceries were relegated to one aisle and later removed. Ruby said her grandmother insisted on keeping some groceries stocked because she knew it was convenient for the neighborhood. The Imperial location opened at 105 S. Imperial Ave. in 2005 and a third location was added at 301 Wake Ave. in El Centro in 2012. In a sense, COVID-19 presented yet
FROM LEFT: Joseph Ruiz, Richard C. Palomino, Ruby Palomino, Leticia Mendez, and Charles Mendez pose for photo in front of a sign installed in 1980. - Photo by Joselito N. Villero another chance for Johnny’s to reinvent itself. Its locations completely closed in mid-March and partially reopened April 29 with a mix of drive-through, curbside pickup, delivery and takeout depending on the location. While dining rooms remained closed at this writing, online ordering became vital. “It’s been a big adjustment. We
were not prepared,” Ruby conceded. “During (the) COVID (shutdown) we were sharing ideas. My dad said we were blessed to agree. We watched developments and created a safety plan for staff and customers.” Once service resumed it was clear there was pent-up demand. CONTINUED | PAGE 24
THANK YOU
R
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INSPIRE |
TOP: This photo was taken during the family's Thanksgiving Disneyland trip last year. (Back row, from left) Cuauhtémoc Carboni holding daughter Olenna, Anna E. Carboni, Elias Chairez III, Peter Isaac Chairez, Sarah Chairez. (Front row, from left) Miroslava Carboni, Cuauhtémoc Carboni III, Margaret Silva-Chairez, Elias Chairez, Joaquin Chairez-Lofton
Silva Family
Music, art infuse several generations of clan
By Bret Kofford
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Nature or nurture? That is the question that might be asked regarding the uncommon artistic and musical abilities of the Silva family, once and still largely based in the Imperial Valley but now spread through Southern California and beyond. “I think it’s both,” said Margaret Silva-Chairez, herself an editorial cartoonist and graphic designer of note, about the nature/nurture question regarding her extended family. “I think it’s a little bit of everything.” From her own generation, Silva-Chairez, 71, has a brother, David, and a first cousin, Peter Rubalcava, who are professional musicians. She has a first cousin, Simon Silva, who is a world-renowned painter. But many -- maybe the majority of -- members of the extended family are involved in art, music, or both. “Music is just part of who we are,” Silva-Chairez said. “You can’t have a Silva family gathering without music.” The extended family, in fact, has been putting on a Christmas posada performance for 44 years, and many family members have acted and sung in it. It is now the youngest generation of the Silva clan doing most of the Spring/Summer 2020
This photo of M. Silva-Chairez was taken at the Imperial Valley Press during her first year as staff artist there in 1979. The characters superimposed on the photo are various creations of hers, including the Hosanna angel which became popular during her tenure there. - Photos provided by M. Silva-Chairez
The life of an Imperial Valley irrigator By Sharon Cooley Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in the 1980 edition of the Inland Empire magazine published by the Imperial Valley Press. Some portions have been updated for clarity. Used with permission.
This photo of Jose and Maria Silva was taken by Daniel Tom in 1977 for their 40th anniversary celebration. The photo went on to win a prestigious photographic award for Tom. performing, Silva-Chairez said. Silva-Chairez’s own four children – Elias III, Annaliz, Sarah and Peter – are all talented singers, and the four performed breathtakingly well when they put on an entire musical revue for the 65th birthday of their father, Elias Chairez II. The performance, directed by their uncle Jesse Silva, himself a seasoned performer, was at the Stockmen’s Club of Imperial Valley in Brawley. It was up to a professional level in all regards, which is not surprising considering that Elias III, a vineyard manager/consultant by trade, has sung and played guitar in restaurants and wineries as a hobby and that Peter is a professional actor. (Peter and Anna Elizabeth also do graphic arts at Albricias! by Silva, their mother’s graphics arts business. Sarah is a senior vice president and controller at Community Valley Bank.) The passion and ability for arts and music dates back to previous generations of the family. Entering the United States legally or illegally, family members often brought their beloved guitars, at which they were proficient in playing, Silva-Chairez said. She said she thinks the artistic ability in the family also extends in a slightly different CONTINUED | PAGE 26
After his father died, the ranch was sold but Jose continued working, helping to grow tomatoes and chilies. Later, Jose immigrated to the United States to work and after some immigration difficulties Maria and the children were able to permanently join him. Jose’s responsibilities as an irrigator continued to keep him busy. In the early years, he worked seven days a week – eight hours during the day and sometimes long hours into the night. Usually he was paid $42
For nearly 30 years she walked beside the canal near her home each morning as the eastern horizon glowed with first light. When Sharon Cooley, then writer at the With rosary IV Press, was asked to do a feature on beads in hand, an Imperial Valley irrigator as part of the Maria Silva, newspaper's annual magazine, Cooley mother of 12, asked the advice of then prominent farmer prayed while waiting for her Don Cox, who immediately recommended husband, Jose, to his employee Jose Silva. Former Press come home. Chief Photographer Paul J. Noden took this Other mornings photo of Silva for the feature article. Jose was just leaving to work a week. as an irrigator as Maria took her walk. Irrigating was harder in those earlier Some mornings he didn’t come home, years. The ditches were all dirt and Maria remembered. irrigators had the added burden of “He never came home until his job was finished – even if it took three days combating gophers. Sometimes Jose had to wade waist deep in water to and three nights,” she said. make sure gophers were not damaging Maria’s face fills with pride as she watches her husband being interviewed the crops. “So many things now make the job about his life as an irrigator amid the easier,” he said, “and now irrigators get lush farmlands of Imperial Valley. (It overtime on Sundays.” was conducted in 1980. Jose passed He also referred to newer inventions away in 1992 and Maria in 2014.) that aid irrigators. Most of the crops She is proud when she learns her were later row irrigated and Jose told husband’s former “patron” (boss) has about plastic metering caps attached complimented his efforts. to irrigation tubes to allow water to flow Farmer Don Cox had said, “If I had five irrigators like Silva, I could farm the at different rates. The caps, marketed under the Faset label, were invented by entire Valley.” Cox. Jose Silva was born in 1917 on a Jose explained another of Cox’s ranch in Calvillo, Aguascalientes, inventions that helps irrigators is a Mexico. He is one of 12 children and cleaner-type apparatus that keeps was raised like his eight brothers and moss out of the irrigation pipes. three sisters, helping his father raise crops. CONTINUED | PAGE 28 Spring/Summer 2020
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THRIVE |
Nate Overtree, 52, of Imperial, prepares to return a serve during a doubles match at the Southwest High School tennis courts on a recent Saturday. Overtree is among a group of recreational tennis players who gather at the courts each week to play doubles. - Photo by Darren Simon
Strategy,
skill, endurance
By Darren Simon
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On a warm early April morning, a group of men gather, as they do almost every Saturday, to play tennis for a few hours at the Southwest High School courts. Only now they play a little differently. Sure, they still play for fun. For camaraderie. For exercise. They play because tennis is a way of shaking off the week’s activities and putting aside stress to focus on making that perfect forehand, backhand, volley or serve. But now, they play under a new norm — the reality of life under the coronavirus. Now, they don’t shake hands. Don’t sit together during breaks. Don’t touch their faces until returning home to wash their hands. And under the Spring/Summer 2020
Tennis is 'perfect sport' for pandemic, has built-in social distancing
pall of the pandemic, they have found yet another way that theirs is the ideal sport. “Tennis is like the perfect sport,” said Nate Overtree, 52, of Imperial. “You’re never any closer than 20 feet from each other. It’s a perfect sport to still be social but practice social distancing.” That is why you can still drive by the Southwest High tennis courts any day of the week, and more than likely find tennis enthusiasts on the courts. “Tennis is not a contact sport; not even incidental,” Overtree said. But the virus has had an impact. Humberto Hernandez, 59, of El Centro, is a well-known tennis instructor in El Centro who for years has taught children and teens the sport of tennis at least twice a week.
When the outbreak occurred, he cancelled the classes. When he starts teaching them again depends on the pandemic. “I teach tennis because I have a passion for it,” he said, “ but I teach kids, and it’s important to be safe.” For some of the men and women who still make their way to courts throughout the Valley, tennis is their one source of exercise. The group of men who gather at the Southwest courts on Saturdays to play doubles come from different walks of life and represent a span of ages, but tennis brings them together (albeit at a safe distance). They battle for points in what is a game of strategy, skill and endurance, and
while they play hard, they are quick to congratulate a good shot and laugh at mistakes. You can play as a beginner. And, regardless of skill set, it is a sport that provides a great workout, they said. “Just go out there and have fun,” said Michael Cox, 69, of Brawley, who from 1993 to 1997 was the boys’ tennis coach at Brawley Union High School. “Don’t worry about lessons or looking good. Just go out there and hit the ball.” Cox calls tennis a lifetime sport. Mauricio Calderon, 77, of El Centro, who was athletic as a kid and played American football in college in Mexico, easily holds his own in doubles matches on the Southwest courts. “I’m the oldest one out here, and I love tennis,” he said. “It keeps me young.” Richard Cabanilla, 72, of El Centro, is ranked 15th in Southern California for his age group in tournament tennis. He said he played his first tournament in 1976 and has played ever since. “Tennis keeps you in shape,” he said. Among his doubles group, Armando Rivera, of Brawley, is on the younger side at 41. “It’s just about hanging out with friends and enjoying a good sport. It’s also a full body workout.” On another section of the Southwest courts, two tennis coaches were warming up. They are Mike Palacio Jr., 35 of Stockton, and Sooni Seul, 30, of Calexico. Palacio is the men’s tennis coach at the University of the Pacific in Stockton. Seul is the co-head coach of women’s tennis at Imperial Valley College, where she herself played. Palacio, who grew up in the Valley and,
Former Valley resident Mike Palacio Jr., 35, now head tennis coach at the University of Pacific Stockton, enjoys a day of tennis at the Southwest High School courts while visiting the Valley on a recent weekend - Photo by Darren Simon in a sense, followed in the footsteps of his father, also named Mike Palacio, a longtime tennis coach at Imperial Valley College who coached at Brawley High. Seul found her way to tennis in high school, and it has been an important part of her life ever since. “I guess I got the tennis bug,” she said, adding today she enjoys teaching other young women to enjoy the sport through her coaching at IVC. Palacio said tennis is a difficult sport that involves a great deal of physicality, but can be a lifetime sport. “It’s a sport where you can get out there and play for fun, or you can get out there and be competitive,” he said. Those interviewed for this article suggested those who have not played tennis should give it a try.
“You can play it at any age and learn at any time,” Cox said. “You can also set your own pace. I choose whether I want to be aggressive or have an easy swing. They also pointed out that at least in the Valley, the cost of playing tennis is minimal because here public tennis courts are free to use. So, for the cost of a can of tennis balls — usually around $3 and the cost of a tennis racket — beginners can find rackets for well under $100 — one can get started in the sport. But, if you do try the sport — sooner rather than later — keep in mind the social distancing practices of those who were out there at the time of this story. “It’s a game that has social distancing at its core, but you still need to be safe,” Hernandez said.
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THRIVE |
Emerald Seed By Susan Giller
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As a vegetable seed breeder Mike Dessert knows his work is never done. “Varietal improvement is a constant and ongoing process,” says Dessert, president of Emerald Seed Company, located west of El Centro. “There is always a need for improved vegetable varieties that are a better fit to the market, that are more attractive to the consumer, more resistant to disease, higher yielding and more uniform and consistent producing fewer culls for the grower.” Though modern seed breeding techniques have moved light years ahead, Dessert is proud his work continues the practice of varietal improvement that has helped civilization survive and thrive for some 8,000 Spring/Summer 2020
Valley company helps to sow world's vegetables years. By honing the art and science of seed development Dessert has grown Emerald Seed into what is widely recognized as the largest Imperial Valley vegetable breeding operation and he has built it into a worldwide vegetable seed wholesale operation. Kay Day Pricola, advisor to the Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers Association, said Emerald Seed is a tremendous asset to the growing community. And growing seed is a big commodity in the Valley. “Without the constant work of seed breeding programs,” Pricola said, “the Valley’s produce industry could not thrive.” Dessert’s main focus during the winter and spring produce season is continuing his work on improving onion, cucumber, squash, broccoli and a variety of other
TOP: A field of onion seed grows on Emerald Seed Company property located west of El Centro with Mount Signal visible in the background. BELOW: Mike Dessert, president of Emerald Seed, checks one of the cucumber vines he is growing in a hothouse in a trial of a new variety of seed. - Photos by Susan Giller
seeds. Yet there is much more to Emerald Seed than its 30 acres of trial plots, hot houses, specialized cultivation cages and fields where crops of future seed are cultivated. In the center of its acreage sits the hub of its global enterprise. Here, in a warehouse, vast quantities of vegetable seed ranging from asparagus to watermelon and everything between are processed and packed into small pouches, 500 gm cans, large plastic pails as well as 50-pound bags. The carefully packed seed is then palletized, labeled, staged and readied for delivery to customers in far-flung locales across the globe. There may be leek seeds headed to Haiti. Or turnips headed for India. Or watermelon for a customer in South America. In all, Emerald Seed sells seed to no fewer than 70 countries in any given year, including the U.S. and Mexico. Container trucks arrive almost daily to pick up seed for shipping to customers around the globe and to deliver seed that Emerald bred and had grown on fields all around the world. Even the COVID-19 pandemic has not put a crimp in the flow of produce seed to the world market. Most seed ships by ocean freight, though a substantial amount goes by air freight. “When the pandemic came in March, we didn’t know what to expect and we wondered how much of the world was going to shut down,” Dessert said. Initially, he added, some areas of the world, such as the Philippines and India, customers who use Emerald Seed were forced by their government to leave their fields and some international banks closed. CONTINUED | PAGE 29 Spring/Summer 2020
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THRIVE |
A Badlands Provisions employee labels a bottle of the locally produced hand sanitizer. - Photo provided by Bari Smith/Badlands Provisions
Badlands Provisions
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While the world is increasingly hunkered down in the face of uncertainty and fear spawned by the global coronavirus pandemic, Badlands Provisions, a Brawley-based leader in the fledgling local hemp industry, seized a unique opportunity to help the community, create jobs and the potential to build a new business. On March 31, Badlands, owned by John and Andrew Currier, started to produce, bottle and sell medical-grade hand sanitizer made with ethanol, a chemical it will use to extract CBD oil from hemp at a facility now under development in Imperial. “As a team,” Bari Smith, Badlands Spring/Summer 2020
Brawley-based business pivots from hemp to hand sanitizer in face of pandemic
chief operating officer said, “we felt we had a real opportunity to help our local community by producing hand sanitizer that was so desperately in need by individuals and those on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.” And more than just hand sanitizer, Badlands Provisions’ action provides the Valley with a compelling example of the possibility of creating something good in the face of challenges. “I think we’re creating a sense of hope in desperate times with the ability to adapt and create new opportunities,” Smith said. Badlands was deep in the process of developing Imperial CBD Extraction,
which is the Imperial Valley’s first hemp processing plant (that opened June 1), when the needs spawned by the worsening pandemic became clear. Because the hemp facility uses a cryo-ethanol process to extract CBD oil, Badlands already had connections needed to procure the main ingredient in the product. Badlands quickly began temporary production of hand sanitizer made with ethanol, one of the main ingredients in the FDA and the World Health Organization (WHO) formula for medical-grade hand sanitizer. The Badlands hand sanitizer is a liquid, which is 80 percent alcohol and
includes hydrogen peroxide. “You’ll notice this is a different product than the gel,” Smith said. “It’s really a premium item.” The Badlands product is available in individual 30ml and 100ml spray bottles. The hand sanitizer also is bottled in 10- and 16-ounce refi ll containers. And, large-scale users can purchase the hand sanitizer in half-gallon sprayers and 5-gallon containers. In June, Badlands added a new item, a wall-mounted touchless automatic spray unit. “We have had a lot of interest in our wall-mount units from businesses, to individuals mounting them in their laundry rooms for their family, to a school purchasing one for every classroom,” said Smith. While Badlands Provisions is not selling individual units directly to the public, single units and refi ll bottles can be purchased at Imperial Do It Center Stores in Brawley, Holtville and El Centro, KC Welding, at LaBrucherie Irrigation Supply, and they are available as an add-on item when ordering fl owers from Cynthia’s Flowers. According to Smith, as of June 1 Badlands Provisions had produced and bottled more than 160,000 ounces of its hand sanitizer. “One of the biggest local needs has been in the ag community,” Smith said. “We have especially worked with CONTINUED | PAGE 32
An ethanol tote being unloaded early in the morning for a day of hand sanitizer production. - Photo provided by Bari Smith/Badlands Provisions Spring/Summer 2020
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Thanks to all our Imperial Valley Alive magazine loyal advertisers
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Assisted Living & In-Home Care
Center of the World
Spring/Summer 2020
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Imperial County Behavioral Health Services
Treating clients safely in a COVID-19 world W
hen COVID-19 arrived in Imperial County in early March, close on its heels came social distance and protective protocol along with increasing restrictions announced by the Imperial County Public Health Department, all designed to keep the worst of the pandemic from gaining a foothold in the county. Life changed, almost overnight, an upheaval to the way many local agencies and companies conduct business. Life also changed for Imperial County Behavioral Health Services, but the department was well-prepared for the changes taking place and has continued to provide its clients with the services they require. “Behavioral Health Services remains
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open to serve the community,” said Marie Arroyo, program supervisor for ICBHS’ Adults and Older Adults Services and a licensed marriage and family therapist who supervises the department’s Calexico clinic. “We limited the number of offices from which we delivered services, but we didn’t stop providing services. Most services are by appointment only, but no services are denied to our clients. We want to prevent individuals from any mental health crisis, for them to maintain their mental health.” Face-to-face services are limited to highrisk individuals or individuals experiencing a crisis. Safety measures are in place when providing face-to-face services at the clinics, including providing personal protection equipment to staff and clients. Under the county health officer’s orders of April 9, face
coverings are required in public spaces such as the clinics. In the early stages of the disease’s presence in Imperial County, one of the first steps Behavioral Health Services took was to identify locations that would remain open and reduce the workforce. With the assistance of their Information Systems (IS) department, many employees were deployed to work from home. Reports were generated to identify individuals at risk such as clients ages 60 years and older, the initial population identified by the Centers for Disease Control as at the highest risk for developing COVID-19 complications. “Behavioral Health Services immediately began modifying services,” said Arroyo. “There were no more home visits; it was all over the phone or video conferencing.
“The most important thing is to focus on things within our control such as taking safety measures and following the guidelines that have been given to us. When we don’t, when we watch too much news or social media, that’s when fear and anxiety come in. Use self-care. Spend time with family, doing things that are good for us. Focus on the positive.” – Marie Arroyo
IS had to act fast to provide the equipment to support the modifications to services. We developed protocols for all of our staff to be able to communicate with our clients and protect their confidentiality.” That report, Arroyo said, allowed the Adults and Older Adults Services department where she works to identify individuals and coordinate assistance through other agencies, such as the county’s Area Agency on Aging and its Meals on Wheels program, the Housing Authority, and utilities such as the Imperial Irrigation District. When it came to ICBHS staff, Information Systems already was up to the task of providing those working from home with the tools and resources necessary to continue providing much-needed mental health services, Arroyo said. ICBHS and its IS department had been preparing for emergencies such as this long before the pandemic was on the horizon. “It didn’t catch us by surprise. We were already prepared to provide services in the community,” Arroyo said. “IS already had the resources, such as laptops, for working from home so when it came down to this pandemic, Behavioral Health Services was able to provide both laptops and support for people to work from home.”
“It was a smooth transition,” Arroyo said. “The IS department facilitated this transition to work from home to continue to provide services to our clients. It was a big plus that we had those resources already in place.” Social distancing, or the practice of keeping a distance of at least six feet between people, is in place in every Behavioral Health Services clinic and office that remain open. A reduced number of essential staff – supervisors, nurses, clinicians, case managers, clerical support and doctors -- still report to work to tend to clients’ needs. In-office staffing has been minimized to conform to social distancing protocol. Telehealth services already were in place, but with COVID-19 restrictions telehealth services has been expanded. Instead of coming to an office for their appointments, clients can access those services from their home by phone or, if they choose, by a secure video communications platform. Doctors and nurses are maintaining their schedules by phone with clients, continuing to treat new ones as the need arises, Arroyo said. Doctors and nurses working from home can access their clients’ electronic health records and are able to process prescriptions, provide interpretation services and perform other
required activities using technology. The exception is when clients need to be seen in the clinic because injections are required. Therapists continue to conduct intake assessment for first time or readmitted clients and they also provide individual therapy over the phone or by a form of video conference. Mental health rehabilitation technicians continue to follow up on their caseloads to provide services or handle emergencies clients may have to help provide stabilizations over the phone. Especially important, she said, is that “the Information Systems department has the expertise to provide the assistance to staff to insure we continue to provide the muchneeded mental health services.” Feeling stressed or anxious by COVID-19? Call the Behavioral Health Access Line at 442-265-1525 or 1-800-817-5292.
TAKE PRACTICAL STEPS : Stay informed from credible sources Keep a positive outlook Maintain good anxiety management practices, such as quiet time and journaling Stay connected with loved ones while practicing social distances Help those in need, in a safe way, whenever possible Be prepared, but don’t fixate on overpreparedness
202 N. Eighth St., El Centro, CA 92243 For an appointment or assessment please call:
800.817.5292 • 442.265.1525 www.co.imperial.ca.us/behavioralhealth Spring/Summer 2020
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RISE |
Valley quakes
Tremors offer much for scientists to study
By Susan Giller Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the 1980 edition of the Inland Empire magazine published by the Imperial Valley Press. It reflects how in history as today, the Valley’s ability to withstand and rise together in the face of adversity made news. Used with permission
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Now that relative calm has returned to Imperial Valley, the real value of the Oct. 15, 1979, 6.5-magnitude earthquake is coming into focus and in scientific circles the tremor has tremendously expanded seismic knowledge. It may help the understanding of quakes and to eventually develop an accurate system of predicting them. The damage to buildings and mobile homes means building codes likely will be upgraded. Meanwhile, seismologists have long had a love affair with the seismically active Valley. Records of frequent and intense seismic activity in the Valley date to the 19th Century and as such the area is wired to monitor any movement. When sensors triggered on Oct. 15 scientists came running. Spring/Summer 2020
TOP: Earthquake damage caused to the Imperial County Services Building in the 1979 Imperial Valley earthquake. TOP RIGHT: The support pillar failed at the east end of the Imperial County Services Building in El Centro. The concrete at the base of the columns was shattered and the vertical reinforced bars were severely bent, allowing the building to sag about 11.81 inches. - Photos by U.S. Geological Survey
The quick action netted the first accurate data about after-creep, the continued movement of the earth after a major quake ends. Surprisingly, they found the earth moved as much in the few days after the quake as it did in the main event. The quake is unique in that it occurred on the same faultline and near the epicenter of a truly catastrophic and well-documented 1940 quake. Thus, scientists were afforded their first chance to study a repeated major earthquake along the same fault. This dual study is providing some significant and startling differences that may well shatter long-held theories about quakes. “This makes it more difficult to predict earthquakes if quakes are not all alike,” according to Jim Pechmann, a seismologist with the California Institute of Technology. “It may change our basic assumptions. But at least we now have some hard data to work with instead of assumptions.” The benchmark for big earthquakes in the Valley struck in April 1940 and measured 7.1. Nine people died and it leveled numerous buildings. Its enormous force ripped apart the earth along the fault line, leaving a gash as wide as 15 feet. That quake, and the 1979 temblor, had epicenters on the Imperial Fault that runs through the Valley and down Baja east of Calexico. The epicenter for the quakes was near the border. But that is about where the similarity ends. Scientists presumed these similar features would create similar quakes, but that was not the case. Scientists have now found that even the way the earth moved was different. In 1940, with an epicenter just north of
The 1979 quake caused this porch to fall off a home in the 200 block of G Street in Brawley. - Photo by G. Reagor, USGS the border, the fault shifted all the way up to Brawley and down south well into Baja. But on Oct. 15, with an epicenter just south of the border, the fault slipped only north of the border along the same path of the 1940 quake. The shift started more than 100 feet away from the source of the quake. It created a puzzle scientists are still trying to solve. The 1979 temblor should have been far less severe than the stronger 1940 quake and, in many respects, the 1979 quake was dwarfed by its grandad. But not entirely. The 1979 quake produced almost double the maximum vertical acceleration recorded in 1940. It also produced a higher maximum horizontal movement than in 1940. One saving grace for 1979 was the period of strong shaking lasted only seven
seconds. In 1940 it lasted 20 seconds. Another important difference: the recent quake produced stronger short-period waves, so strong, in fact, the tracking exceeded the scale at one checkpoint. Short-period waves are important because they damage buildings, like the County Services Building. Why these differences have occurred is still unclear. But at least scientists have gathered data from which some conclusions can eventually be drawn. According to Pechmann, “There were obviously substantial differences between the two quakes. About all we can say for this is no one really understands the phenomena yet.” Scientists studying the quakes are searching for clues to help predict when CONTINUED | PAGE 30
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PMHD Services throughout Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District remain open to all patients in spite of the
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Drive-up care, telehealth help serve community throughout pandemic COVID-19 pandemic and recent surge of positive cases throughout Imperial County.
The district’s hospital, clinics and health centers all remain operational with in-person visits as well as drive-up care and telehealth services. “We are here to provide healthcare to those who need it,” stated PMHD CEO Larry Lewis. In addition to the modifications seen at PMHD clinics to better protect patients, visitors and staff, Pioneers Memorial Hospital has also made adjustments outside its Emergency Department (ED). In an effort to better accommodate general emergencies and those seeking care for respiratory illness symptoms, the hospital’s ED drive-up service was redesigned to help improve throughput, efficiency and to decrease staff and patient exposure to COVID-19. The drive-up service is now located behind the ED allowing for smoother entry for patients and a shaded working area for staff. When it comes to emergencies, PMHD officials stressed the importance of seeking care if one is in need as the hospital is equipped and ready to care for other emergencies. “Delaying care may have long-lasting CONTINUED | PAGE 31
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SMALL-TOWN CONTINUED FROM | PAGE 7
“We are so blessed on the turnout,” Ruby said. “The online orders, the printer was printing out receipts. People were waiting in line for food. I literally had to stop taking orders.” Despite long waits customers were kind and patient, something Ruby says was quite emotional for her. “When someone tells you after
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waiting an hour, ‘We’re so glad you’re open,’ you tear up,” she said. This pandemic disruption perhaps demonstrates the true strength of the Johnny’s brand. More than a restaurant, the Palomino family tradition marks a commitment to the ideals of the founders, according to Ruby. “My grandparents taught them (their
children) a strong work ethic. My grandfather was real friendly. They all have that work ethic and are friendly with people. My grandfather loved talking to everyone. He knew everyone by name,” she said. “My grandmother was the backbone. The finances. The business. She did everything in the background. My
it as Johnny’s,” David said of a job he had in the early 1970s at the original location. “It was a little grocery store with a snack bar.” Ana Maria was the cook and John worked the register and the store was a gathering place for city workers on their break, David said. The food was all served up with John’s infectious smile. “John was a great guy,” David said. “He called everybody ‘My friend.’ He just cared for everybody.” For the Gonzales family, as with many others, the Johnny’s tradition continues. “I went this morning. I had a machaca and egg burrito and I have to have my Johnny’s tea,” Liz said when interviewed in mid-May. “When they closed due to COVID my kids were like ‘There’s no Johnny’s?’ “It’s kind of like home. It’s one of the jewels of a small town.”
Leticia Mendez holds a beverage cup carrier at Johnny's Burrito in Brawley. - Photo by Joselito N. Villero grandfather was the entrepreneur, the risk taker. He was imaginative. I think I am, too. And my cousin, Joseph. We all have friendly personalities and work really hard. That’s one of the reasons we’ve been so successful,” Ruby added. Those were the elements Dale’s vision for Imperial unleashed when he courted Johnny’s. Today, with downtown Imperial lively during city-run Market Days street festivals, two microbrewery outlets, new apartments, more storefront shops and, of course, a bustling Johnny’s location, it all seems inevitable. “That was a stepping stone,” Dale recalls of the Johnny’s deal. “At the time we had nothing. That was the idea — to get businesses interested to take root.” There have never been any regrets about expanding to Imperial, Ruby said. “Imperial has been very good to us. The relationship we have in Brawley, we have that in Imperial too,” she added. However, all the enthusiasm, hard work, creativity and vision would be for naught if the food and service weren’t good and, given the lines commonly seen at all three Johnny’s locations, it most certainly is. Legendary might not be an overstatement. “My personal memory of Johnny’s was Johnny himself,” said Brawley native Liz Gonzales, who owns Hart Insurance. Her visits came as a teenager during lunch breaks from Brawley High and it was so much more than just a quick lunch. “I remember this sweet little guy. I would walk up to the counter. He would say, ‘Mija, same thing with extra everything?’ He would always remember my order. I always felt so privileged,” Gonzales recalled. Gonzales’ husband, David, who is retired from the state Department of Corrections, has perhaps even more endearing memories. “I worked at the Neighborhood Grocery but everybody knew Spring/Summer 2020
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SILVA FAMILY CONTINUED FROM | PAGE 9
Margaret Silva Chairez drew these political cartoons in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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way to Elias III, whose art is growing wine grapes and who has produced wines on a personal level that he has named after various family members, under the label of Precious Wines. Margaret Silva-Chairez’s artistic passion since she was a child has been drawing. Residents of the Imperial Valley came to know her work as the editorial cartoonist for the Imperial Valley Press from 1979-99, during which she won nine first- or secondplace awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association. She also drew cartoons to accompany the Press’ popular PROBE investigative column, drew the “Hosanna” cartoons for the Press’ religion page and served as the newspaper’s graphics editor. For many years after she left the Press, Silva-Chairez recalled she felt she didn’t have an outlet for her editorial cartoons, so she put much of her artistic energy into her design business. In recent years, though, she has again found a place for her cartoons on Facebook. Other forms of art, such as painting, never appealed to Silva-Chairez as
much as cartooning and illustration did. “Painting is more lyrical, while what I do is a form of communication,” she said. She does, however, dabble from time to time in portraiture. In 1989 she was commissioned by the city of Calexico to do a portrait of fallen U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena to hang in the city library named after him. Cartooning is a way for Silva-Chairez to comment on what is going on in the world. “It expresses something more than the drawing,” she said. “It communicates thought.” Silva-Chairez said when she worked for the Press her editorial cartoons were sporadic. “I did them only when I had something to say,” she said, adding she has the same mindset when she posts cartoons online now. “If I’m not going to do something striking and punchy, why do it? I just want to express my opinion.” In recent years, Silva-Chairez and her husband, a retired high school
teacher, had been going back and forth regularly between Brawley, where they still have family, including children and grandchildren, and the Spring Valley area of San Diego, where they also have family. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, though, they have been hunkered down in Spring Valley. One of the projects Silva-Chairez took on from her Spring Valley base was illustrating a children’s book called “Why Do Sharks Have So Many Teeth?” by her sister Carmen, one of her 11 siblings. She also illustrated several books for the late Imperial Valley Press publisher J.R. “Dick” Fitch. Silva-Chairez is overjoyed that talent for music and art appear to be passing on to future generations in the family, including her grandchildren. Her grandson, Joaquin ChairezLofton, 11, sings and plays guitar. Her granddaughter, Miroslava Carboni, 12, of Brawley, is a budding painter and illustrator, an avid folklorico dancer and is learning to play guitar. Miroslava’s mother is Anna Elizabeth Carboni, Margaret and Elias II’s
M. Silva-Chairez was surprised by her children with a birthday party last year at her home in Spring Valley. - Photo provided by M. Silva-Chairez older daughter, and her father is Cuauhtémoc Carboni, a professor at Imperial Valley College. Anna Elizabeth
Carboni believes, like her mother, that the musical and artistic abilities in the CONTINUED | PAGE 28
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IV IRRIGATOR CONTINUED FROM | PAGE 9
Silva family come from both nature and nurture. “I think it’s a little bit of both, actually,” Carboni said, adding family members just seem to be able to pick up a paintbrush or a guitar and soon do something good with it. “It’s naturally there, and if it’s nurtured, it gets better.” Carboni herself has shown the fruits of that nurturing. She was commissioned in 2004 to do a painting for the opening of the Brawley campus of San Diego State University Imperial Valley. Carboni said her mother, after seeing potential in her granddaughter’s artistic abilities a couple Christmases ago, bought Miroslava an easel, brushes, canvases and paints. Miroslava soon started showing tremendous talents. And no one could be prouder than the person who both encouraged the ability and supplied the DNA for those talents. “I am so proud. She is so good,” SilvaChairez said of Miroslava’s artistic and musical abilities, which are a huge part of being a Silva.
The years of hard work have taken their toll on Jose’s health and at the end of the year he left Imperial Valley to retire in Spring Valley, near several of his children. The Silvas are justifiably being proud of their children and twinkles could be detected in both their eyes as they told of each child and their occupation. “There is Josephine, crew chief for the San Diego Housing Authority; Martha, a teacher at Southwestern College, Otay; Jesse, an Imperial Irrigation District employee in Brawley; Margaret, an artist with the Imperial Valley Press, El Centro; Peter, who works in the San Diego Water Control Department; David, a San Juan Bautista recording engineer; Anna, an interior design student at Southwestern College; Esther, the mother of two who resides in El Cajon; George, who works in the city of Brawley engineering department; Carmen, a sophomore student (“who makes straight A’s”) at San Diego State University; Susan, a high school senior; and Terry; a high school freshman.” When Jose Silva reminisces about his life as an irrigator, he remembers
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the good and the bad. He remembers the morning a boss scolded him because the water was not yet on the crops. Because of the temperature, the water had frozen and Jose had to wait for the sun to come up before it could flow freely. He remembers cotton, “one of the hardest crops to irrigate” because it is a summer crop and the heat and humidity sometimes were almost unbearable. He remembers the times he wasn’t there to take his wife to the hospital when it was time for the birth of another child. He remembers being out in the field on a cold night. He remembers Don Cox, “the best boss in the whole Valley, a ‘patron perfecto.’” He remembers the hours of being alone – but never bored – because he had time to pray and “talk” to his 15-year-old son he lost to leukemia. Jose Silva remembers the sun rising and knowing soon he would meet Maria as she walked toward him on the dirt road, rosary beads in hand.
EMERALD CONTINUED FROM | PAGE 13
However, most countries quickly agreed that agriculture is an essential business and international commerce reopened and farmers could return to their fields. What made the pandemic tough for Dessert was the shutdown of international business travel. “Normally we have dealer tours,” he said. “Every year we’ll get 15 or 20 groups of visitors from Mexico, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America here to see our trials. They couldn’t come, though we were pleased with the visits by California and Arizona vegetable seed dealers.” And the annual international seed trade shows Dessert normally attends to market his seed were cancelled. He’s also disappointed because he cannot travel to meet with customers and seed growers around the world. However, less travel did provide a silver lining. Dessert has more time in the field to do what he loves best, work on onion selection. While Emerald Seed is an international business, it is built on personal relationships. For Dessert, breeding seed is part of his heritage. His grandfather, father and extended family members spent time in the seed business. He studied biology in college, ultimately earning a Ph.D. He then worked abroad under the auspices of a World Bank program aimed at increasing the yield of staple crops to improve food availability in developing countries. He spent 10 years breeding and coordinating programs in Colombia, South America, Rwanda, Burundi and other African countries as well as Central America and the Caribbean. “I’ve always been in love with what I do,” Dessert said. After a decade overseas, he decided it was time to return to the Valley and here he found his niche in vegetable seed improvement and worldwide marketing. His enthusiasm for meticulous work required to develop improved produce seed is palpable as he explains the work during a tour of the facility. In a hot house where new cucumber vines stretch skyward, each baby vegetable is tagged with its trial number and is regularly inspected. Nearby, Dessert shows a large acreage filled with rows of isolation cages, or mesh tents, that are used to selectively develop onion and broccoli seed by limiting pollination to the varieties in the cage. In another field, hundreds of onion varieties grow from seed
Mike Dessert, president of Emerald Seed Company, holds an Emerald- labeled plastic packet that will be filled with seed. Behind him pallets containing multiple types of seed in packets, cans, buckets and boxes await shipment to seed dealers and customers around the world. - Photo by Susan Giller developed the previous year and are inspected with a critical eye to determine if they meet the criteria for which they were developed. Dessert’s international experience gave him entry into the global market. And over the past 20 years he has built his business with the mission “to supply our customers with a consistent source of high-quality vegetable seeds.” To Dessert, seed breeding and being an international wholesaler is the perfect mix. “Anybody whose job has more than one task is blessed,” he said. “I love the variety of what I do.”
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VALLEY QUAKES CONTINUED FROM | PAGE 21
Effects of the 1979 Imperial Valley earthquake in the Colorado Desert region, Imperial County, Southern California. - G. Reagor, USGS
quakes will occur. So far the prognosis is not good. Data gathered from various sensors in place before the quake picked up only a few slightly unusual signs before it. For instance, some shocks were recorded on the Cerro Prieto fault south of Mexicali a few weeks before the Oct. 15 quake. The unusual thing was that these quakes lacked the normal aftershocks. The only other symptom might have been two of the three tilt meters in the Valley showed slightly unusual readings. But scientists are hopeful further analysis may bring something else into focus. While the seismologists continue to try to unravel their data, engineers have their own work cut out in trying to figure out why the County Services Building in El Centro crumbled and how to prevent such things from happening again. As luck would have it, the Oct. 15 earthquake may go a long way toward helping them, thanks to the foresight of the state Office of Strong Motion Study. Realizing the Valley is very seismically active, and that the Services Building
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represented an unusual design, the office began installing sensors in the six-story structure in 1976. The sensors, called accelerometers, were to record the building’s reaction to strong earthquakes. In the Services Building the sensors had never been activated before, but on Oct. 15 they clicked on to make history by recording for the first time ever the actions of a building as its columns fell. When built in 1970, the Services Building was thought to be able to resist a quake registering 8 on the Richter scale. No one yet knows for sure why the building failed, but plenty of study is expected. William Jehle, the architect who designed the building, said, “There is no way anybody can design a 100-percent earthquake proof building. The right quake can take any building down.” Many engineers are predicting building codes will be revamped because of the Oct. 15 quake. Such regulations are of particular importance since most earthquake deaths are related to falling structures rather than earth movement. Since earthquakes are going to continue, the way to make them less dangerous is to design buildings better able to withstand their forces.
The state Seismic Safety Commission also contends requirements for mobile home supports should be changed to make them safer. The scientific benefits of the quake are still off in the future, but Valley residents realized benefits even while the earth shook. If anything, the quake acted to unify the community. People helped one another in the face of fear. Youngsters directed traffic when the immediate power outage shut off traffic signals. Men carried a wheelchair victim down the six floors of the County Services Building when the quake stopped elevators. Neighbors, often close to being strangers, spent the night together comforting one another as the earth continued to roll through aftershocks. And law enforcement officials contended the quake must have created a “vacation on crime” as normal criminal activity came to a brief halt. Supervisor James Bucher said, “It is really remarkable before this we were torn by the lettuce strike and then the county employees strike and police problems and all kinds of things. All of a sudden we are working together again. We’re a family, the way it should be.”
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consequences,” shared Lewis. “The health and safety of our patients are our top priorities and we have implemented protocols to ensure that we are doing everything to keep you safe.” A few of these measures include COVID-19 symptom screenings, heightened housekeeping of heavy traffic areas and air-conditioned isolation tents for those experiencing respiratory illness related symptoms. In addition to the work being done at the hospital, the district is also proud to offer COVID-19 testing at two convenient locations: Pioneers Health Center in Brawley and Pioneers Calexico Health Center in Calexico. Patients with appointments can be seen the day following their scheduling at either clinic by calling 760-351-4480. Both clinics are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and Calexico is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Both clinics are also accepting walk-ins and can attend to patients in their vehicle with the curbside service option. “We appreciate the opportunity to care for you and your loved ones,” Lewis explained. “If you need medical attention, please don’t wait. We’re ready for you.”
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multiple fire and medical teams and five trucking companies. Badlands Provisions has shipped its hand sanitizer to entities as far away as Las Vegas, the Los Angeles area and Big Bear Lake. And it has had interest from hotels and is in discussions with a vendor at Los Angeles International Airport. “We are creating the solution,” Smith said, “boxing the items and getting orders together.” Yet, solutions create their own challenges and opportunities. Smith said Badlands Provisions had to hire seven new employees to handle the amount of work created by starting up the hand sanitizer production and bottling operation. Badlands Provisions has produced and bottled 23,000 units of its sanitizer so far and is awaiting receipt of an additional 20,000 bottles as well as for the wall units to be filled. “It’s a time-consuming thing,” Smith said. “The labels are hand-applied and have to have the drug components and facts listed because it is registered with the FDA.” Adding employees was essential. And, she said. “We hope to transition them to the hemp-extraction facility, turn this As of June 1, Badlands Provisions had produced and bottled more into a multipurpose position, if they’re interested.” than 160,000 ounces of its hand sanitizer. Ultimately, Badlands Provisions hopes to continue - Photo provided by Bari Smith/Badlands Provisions production of hand sanitizer for the long term because the demand created a new opportunity. farmers to support their needs,” especially with the onion “We want to be flexible, dynamic and keep pivoting,” Smith and produce harvests. said. “That’s something we’ve had to do all along. We are Additionally, the hand sanitizer has been sold to more than creating a sense of hope for others with the ability to adapt 85 entities, including 14 cities, four police departments, and create new opportunities.”
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ECRMC
Foundation helping keep hospital employees safe
In February, before COVID-19 struck the Imperial Valley, the El Centro Regional Medical Center Foundation held its annual Mardi Gras fundraiser to support the mission of the hospital in serving the community. The event raised more than $65,000. As the pandemic gained a foothold in the Imperial Valley, that money took on a new level of importance as it became part of the Foundation’s effort to keep hospital employees safe as they treat patients and in turn keep the community safe by preventing the further spread of the virus. “We were blessed to have that event before all of this started,” said Andrew Ruiz, president of the ECRMC Foundation Board of Directors, and director of medical imaging at the hospital. “Those funds that were raised are helping with our mission and to combat the coronavirus.”
In a very real sense, the pandemic has highlighted the importance of the Foundation whose philanthropy work has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the hospital with every dollar meant to expand the hospital’s ability to meet the community’s needs. Formed in 2005, the Foundation has led fundraising efforts, the likes of which have funded lab equipment for the ECRMC cancer center, the career path education program, the hospital’s asthma project, the remodeling of the main lobby and the pediatrics wing, the purchasing of defibrillators and patient transport chairs, to name a few of the expenditures. But, in the wake of the pandemic, the Foundation has focused its funding, some $120,000 — including the $65,000 raised in February and another generous $25,000 donation from San Diego-based non-profit Price Philanthropies — on ensuring the safety of hospital staff and in turn the safety of the community. Specifically, the Foundation, which consists of nine board members representing different segments of the community, recently purchased 40 powered air purifying respirators (PAPRS), which provide purified air to hospital staff in protective gear who are treating not only patients infected with COVID-19, but any virus. Funds were also spent to purchase replacement parts for the hospital’s older PAPRS units. “We looked at what we have here now, and what we will need into the future,” Ruiz said of the decision to purchase the new PAPRS. He added that when it comes to treating patients infected with any virus, “this is the safest way to go in there.” The Foundation has also purchased ultraviolet disinfection systems — one for every department within the hospital. The device enables staff to disinfect items they come in contact with, like a badge or a phone, that could be infected. The device can disinfect such items within 55 seconds, further preventing the spread of the Coronavirus. “Such protective equipment,” Ruiz said, “brings a sense of confidence to the staff, which can help them to better serve patients.” “Confidence is key during a time like this,” Ruiz said. “What the Foundation can do to bring positivity to the staff is good for the hospital and good for the community.” A member of the Board since October 2019, Ruiz said he is proud to serve with his fellow Board members, most of whom are new to the Board having served for a year. He said each Board member is bringing new ideas to help with fundraising efforts, in particular, in light of the virus, which has forced a focus on online fundraising efforts. However, even without the onset of the virus, Ruiz said this Board was already showing its creativity in how it goes about fundraising. He also credited the hospital leadership, specifically Dr. Adolphe Edward, chief executive officer of ECRMC, and the Board of Trustees, for placing the hospital in a position to address a crisis like the Coronavirus and to, in general, provide the best service possible. CONTINUED | PAGE 34 Spring/Summer 2020
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“The Foundation Board, the Board of Trustees and the hospital leadership are all working together to support each other,” he said. “Together, we have done a great job in making sure the hospital is prepared.” Ruiz also is thankful to the community for the support it has shown, especially with the donations of protective masks. The donated masks have been critical to help front-line workers of which he is one as a leader within radiology at ECRMC. “We want to thank the community for their actions of kindness,” he said. “Even small actions of kindness go a long way.” He added, “Now more than ever is a time when we need to come together as a community to do what we can to support our front-line workers.” The Foundation can be the link between the community, the hospital and the staff. Speaking on behalf of the Foundation Board, Ruiz said it takes a great deal of effort to ensure the Foundation is there to support the hospital and the community, but he said the effort is well worth it, and each member of the Board is happy to volunteer their time. “We take this very seriously,” he said, adding: “I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this organization and to be a part of this Foundation Board.”
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TELEMEDICINE AVAILABLE AT ECRMC Skip the waiting room and see your doctor over the phone. For more details & appointments call (760) 482-5000
The Center of Healthcare Excellence
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