Deaths are higher in North Santa Barbara County than South County. Anyone surprised? Nope.
No one is surprised. And no one is surprised by the reasons county “experts” gave for that disparity either: poverty, health care access, and an unequal distribution of resources between the two geographical areas of the county. It’s been an ongoing issue for years.
But, still, the county continues to want to learn more about why exactly 25 percent fewer people per capita die in South County than North County.
“There are different levels of access to care across a county; in general South County has more resources than North County and central county,” county Senior Epidemiologist Joy Kane said. “Where we see the disparities, we want a greater understanding of why.”
Did you stutter? You just said the why. Clearly, there is a need that isn’t being addressed. If, as Kane puts it, the county’s “ultimate goal is health equity where everyone can achieve optimal health,” then there’s an easy answer. It’s increasing health care accessibility in the areas with the highest need, which the county could tackle by allocating more resources—dollars, staff, time, offices—to North County and the respective nonprofits helping reach the area’s underserved communities.
Guess what? The North County region was also most impacted by COVID-19 related deaths, according to the county’s recently released death report for 2018 to 2020. The North County rate was an estimated 4.5 times higher than that of South County, and almost 2.5 times higher than the central county. Anyone surprised?
Community Health Centers of the Central Coast Medical Director Steve Clarke said disparities based on geographic location aren’t news. Poverty levels, he said, could be one of the main factors contributing to the inequity. Income levels, job status, education level, and the toll they can take on physical and mental health contribute to relative health and also death. Clarke said they could account for as much as 40 percent of our health.
So, what’s Santa Barbara County going to do about it?
The same thing it always does: Collaborate. Discuss. And not actually impact change.
But there’s some good news too, everyone!
There were “significant” decreases in the death rates of Asian/Pacific Islanders, multi-racial, and Hispanic residents compared to the previous three-year rates, the report stated. Although “there was no singular explanation for the decrease in the Hispanic rate.” So that’s good. Maybe the problem will just fix itself, and the county won’t have to do anything!
Phew!
At least in Lompoc, they know how to prioritize pedestrian safety. The city’s Planning Commission and City Council got together to try to figure out a plan for the future of walking and biking in Lompoc. During the late July meeting of the minds City Councilmember Victor Vega said it wasn’t safe to pit a semi truck against a bike.
“I’d much rather go up on my bike against someone walking than a truck or a semi,” Vega said.
Was there a question as to who would win in a fight? Bike, body, or truck? Seems to me that the body would lose every time.
The Canary is ready for resources. Send some to canary@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jul 28 – Aug 4, 2022.
