As an endocrinologist who has practiced in Santa Barbara for 15 years, I witness daily how drastically health-care access varies across our community — from the wealthy enclaves of Montecito to the working families of Santa Maria.
Let me be clear: Santa Barbara County is experiencing a health-care crisis that affects us all. While our county is known for its affluence, we have the second-highest poverty rate in California, at 22 percent, and are tied with Orange County for the second-highest child poverty rate, at 24 percent.
Nearly half of our county's population is Hispanic, who bear the heaviest burden of health disparities, as do low-income families and those with less education. Families often struggle to access basic medical care in North County, where health-care resources are scarcer than in South County.