Coastal Kids Home Care offers hope to patients in downtown Salinas
A new doctor’s office in Salinas means that travel is a lesser obstacle for families of infants and children with chronic illnesses or developmental delays.
The nonprofit Coastal Kids Home Care (CKHC) opened its new headquarters in downtown Salinas this week, bringing nurses and caregivers directly to the homes and neighborhoods of those in need.
Parents like Pamela Bradley, whose four children have special needs and have been dependent on the care of CKHC nurses for years, are expected to benefit from the Salinas office and clinic space.
“We’ve never had them so close and for me he’s a lifesaver,” Bradley said. “My children are medically fragile and sometimes I can’t even raise one of my children. For years, we’ve been paired with very good nurses who help.”
Since 2005, CKHC has helped thousands of patients in Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito and Santa Clara counties. Most of the work involves nurses and other medical professionals conducting home visits to the most vulnerable young patients in need of care.
Tony and Christina Macias have a 10-year-old son, Niko, who is battling cancer. Tony says the new facility offers a glimmer of hope to young patients.
“Children get used to going to the hospital and getting scared,” he said. “But when the nurses arrive, the children’s eyes only light up and they’re very comfortable.”
The family says they often drove long hours to the medical facility, to Stanford, to do Niko’s lab work. That was until they were contacted by CKHC staff who offered to have a nurse to go to the family home.
“By the time the pandemic hit, she had already undergone surgery, she had started chemotherapy,” Christina said. “We would be stuck in traffic for hours when he was sick and we couldn’t just get him out of the house because we now have an immunocompromised child.”
Niko says taking care of the home for the past two years has made all the difference.
“At first it was a little scary to be sick, but my favorite part is having the nurses there because then we don’t have to drive far to help us,” she said.
The new building includes several natural themed therapy rooms with artwork depicting beaches, safaris and farming life on the Central Coast to create a more fun and relaxed therapy and treatment experience.
Staff and services range from pediatric nurses, physical and occupational therapists, social workers, doctors, surgeries and new technologies to help workers.
CKHC has approximately 150 employees and families have the option of receiving clinical therapy in the office or at home.
Maria Ceja, CKHC’s chief financial officer, says the organization saw a great need for home care during the pandemic. This, he says, inspired the organization to expand services in Salinas.
“During COVID, the number of counseling calls was very high,” Ceja said. “This population seems to have more sick and vulnerable families and the nurses have worked non-stop. We want to continue that work.”
The new building was made possible by a fundraiser, a grant from the Central California Alliance for Health, and a $ 300,000 donation from Silicon Valley’s Valletta and TJ Rodgers. The couple says it was inspired by the CKHC’s mission to help children.
“You hear stories about kids who need help, kids who don’t want to be in a hospital, they can get an infection there,” TJ said. “Then it was time for COVID, so they could take COVID over all these other problems, but what happens when they’re sick enough not to be left alone at home?”
The Pajaro Street building was named in honor of the Rodgers. The office is open Monday through Friday, but staff say calls are answered every day.
More information at coastalkidshomecare.org
Coastal Kids Home Care offers hope to patients in downtown Salinas Source link Coastal Kids Home Care offers hope to patients in downtown Salinas
