The Central California Asthma Collaborative’s asthma program (CCAC) and Comprehensive Asthma Remediation and Education Services (CARES) have provided services for the last five years to residents in Delano and are opening an office in the community.
Through various grants they have received, the CCAC and CARES have been able to provide the community of Delano with their services. The California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) benefit, which went live in January 2022, has given them the opportunity to provide their services long-term through contracts with the local Managed Care Plans, which include Kern Family Health Care, Health Net, and Kaiser.
“In working with these health plans, we found a high need for asthma education and remediation services to the residents of Delano, in turn prompting us to make the decision to open an office in Delano as a hub for a full-time staff member,” said Graciela Deniz-Anaya, CARES Director.
The air quality meetings that they have been hosting are just one of the many projects CCAC leads targeting the Delano Community. The need for bringing awareness to the community not just on environmental issues that affect residents with asthma, but also to educate on the management of asthma has come to the forefront within the last few years.
“We are always committed to ensuring we address all challenges related to asthma and provide the community and its residents with the knowledge and skills to better their community,” said Deniz-Anaya.
Having an office in Delano will allow the community to trust outside organizations like CARES which are looking to help its residents.
“As a previous resident of Richgrove and Cesar Chavez High School alumni, I know Delano is a true definition of Community and we hope that our presence is not only welcomed but becomes an integral part of this community,” said Deniz-Anaya. “We also hope that health care providers in Delano know that their residents have additional support when it comes to the management of asthma.”
Deniz-Anaya said for CCAC, opening an office in Delano means helping a community that may be overlooked because of the need in more urban areas.
“The reality is, Delano is a hub to many rural communities such as Richgrove, Earlimart, Pixley, McFarland, Pond and so many others that miss out on access to resources,” said Deniz-Anaya. “This will give us the opportunity to reach not just Delano, but the residents of those smaller communities.”
The main service that will be provided in the office will be CARES, which helps reduce triggers in the home and ensures access to and proper use of asthma medications.
“Our service through this program takes place in the resident’s home which allows us to properly assess the home for asthma triggers and provide the necessary education and tools to mitigate those triggers,” said Deniz-Anaya. “CCAC will also continue to lead the air quality community meetings in Delano with hopes that we can continue to bring more awareness in all aspects that affect asthma.”
The staff who will be working out of the Delano office will primarily be the CARES staff. The office will also provide a space for CCAC lead staff to host meetings with Delano stakeholders and foster a working relationship between the community of Delano and CCAC.
“Although our initial office space is small, the work we do is out in the community and our hope is we get to expand on all of this work and grow in the community of Delano,” said Deniz-Anaya.
“If anyone would like to learn more about the many programs and projects CCAC does, they can visit our website: https://cencalasthma.org/ or for information on CARES, they can visit: https://ccaccares.org/,” Deniz-Anaya stated.
The office is set to open sometime in early May and will be located at 375 Dover Parkway, Suite C, Unit 2 in Delano.
