Dr. Eric J. Grossman is the new Pediatric Trauma Director at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. He also joins the Pediatric Surgery Clinic at Cottage Children’s Medical Center at 5333 Hollister Ave. in Goleta.

Grossman is certified in pediatric surgery with the American Board of Surgery and specializes in minimally invasive surgery, neonatal surgery, surgical oncology, trauma and general pediatric surgery.

He earned his medical degree from The University of Chicago, followed by his residency at The University of Chicago Medical Center. He completed his fellowship at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago (Children’s Memorial Hospital).

Prior to his move to Santa Barbara, he was a pediatric surgeon at Carolinas Healthcare System.

“I decided to come to Santa Barbara because it’s an exciting new chapter for the hospital, especially with the expansion of pediatric services at Cottage Children’s Medical Center,” Grossman said.

In November 2018, two new pavilions at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital opened for patient care. The third floor of the new pavilions is the home of the expanded Cottage Children’s Medical Center, with all the pediatric units – Pediatric Intensive Care (PICU), Haselton Family Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) and Acute Pediatrics — adjacent to each other.

Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital is designated as a Level II pediatric trauma center by Santa Barbara County Emergency Medical Services.

For more information about Cottage Children’s Medical Center, visit cottagechildrens.org.

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Two women were struck while crossing Mission Drive in the early hours of Sunday morning in Solvang, according to Santa Barbara County Fire officials. 

At approximately 12:25 a.m. two women in their 40’s were crossing at Mission Drive and Fourth Place in Solvang when they were hit by a Domino’s delivery driver, said Cpt. Dave Zaniboni, of SBC Fire. 

“One female was complaining of major injuries and she was taken by AMR to Santa Ynez Airport and then airlifted to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital,” Zaniboni said. 

The other women suffered mild to moderate injuries and was taken by ambulance to SB Cottage. Their conditions at this time are unknown. The cause of the accident is being investigated by Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department deputies. 

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Noozhawk Staff Writer

Completing the final phase of construction work at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital is a milestone, according to Ron Werft, Cottage Health’s president and CEO.

The project, which added about 134,000 square feet to the hospital, increases capacity to 90 licensed beds in two new pavilions, and elevates the comfort, technology and privacy in an emergency department that served more than 46,000 patients last year.

The redesign brings the facility to about 713,000 square feet and the total number of beds for patients to 337.

Patient move-in date was Nov. 4 for the expanded emergency department and new Children’s Medical Center, Werft said.

A handful of residents got their first look at the addition to the hospital during an open house in October.

“The design driver on this was patients first, and it was staff-led,” Werft said. “We built mock rooms and had nurses, therapists and physicians spending several months in the mock rooms that resulted in several hundred design changes.”

Departments moving into new pavilions include the Cottage Children’s Medical Center — all adjacent on the third floor of the Compton and Arlington pavilions — the oncology and telemetry center located in the Compton Pavilion, the inpatient dialysis in the Arlington Pavilion, and the emergency department expansion.

The remodel includes 24 private emergency department rooms, and a new computed tomography (CT) scanner and X-ray unit have been added to save transport time of patients.

“Because we are able to double the size of the emergency department, we will be able to move patients much quicker through the system,” said Steve Fellows, Cottage Health’s executive vice president and COO. “The emergency department is adjacent to surgery, and also adjacent to the adult critical care units…so when there’s trauma that comes in by helicopter or by ground, everybody is in the same location for the benefit of patients.”

Areas of the emergency department will be closed to the public and remodeled, and scheduled to open in 2020.

Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital is a regional referral center for Central California, and the only designated Level 1 trauma center between Los Angeles and the Bay Area.

On the first floor, the Arlington Pavilion remodel expands the number of inpatient treatment areas to eight from six, and the machines are portable to enable treatment at the bedside for intensive care patients.

The facility is the only hospital in Santa Barbara County providing apheresis services. More than 2,000 treatments were provided in 2017, including hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and therapeutic aphaeresis.

Design of the first floor Compton Pavilion features 12 patient beds that also are larger, in the oncology areas. It includes enhanced guest accommodations in each patient room, and increases a space dedicated to chemotherapy storage and preparation.

Last year, the oncology center treated 1,000 newly diagnosed patients.

Telemetry activity, located on the second floor of the Compton Pavilion, includes 32 beds and the capability to monitor up to 80 patients, as well as enhanced guest accommodations in each room.

The hospital served more than 10,000 patients on telemetry monitoring in 2017.

The Haselton Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Cottage Children’s Medical Center has 22 patient beds. Skylights in the corridor and large windows allow natural light into each unit.

In 2017, more than 260 infants were admitted to the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit.

The Children’s Medical Center includes eight patient beds in all-private rooms in the pediatric intensive care unit. It’s located below the rooftop air transport helipad, allowing children from throughout the region to be transported to Cottage quickly.

In 2017, there were more than 6,000 pediatric emergencies and trauma-related visits to Cottage Children’s Medical Center.

All 38 patient rooms in the children’s acute-care pediatric area offer lighting that kids can control to change the color and intensity, and have sleeping areas for family.

Animal footprints on the floors and educational art on the walls help motivate children in their recovery process, said Liz Lundquist, Cottage Children’s Medical Center’s director of children’s services.

“Nature is all over this unit,” Lundquist said.

The one waiting room for all pediatric units in the Children’s Medical Center includes a decor theme of Santa Barbara’s waterfront.

Sculptures of pelicans are visible throughout the Children’s Medical Center, allowing for therapeutic interaction using art to promote healing.

Design of the new facility focuses on providing a healing environment, with natural light, enhancements to increase the comfort of patients and families, and increased green space.

The remodel on the first floor also includes a new amphitheater with seating for 144 people. The area will be used for medical education and community events.

In addition, there’s a new museum highlighting the hospital’s 127-year history.

The 1994 Northridge earthquake prompted legislation to require all hospitals in California be retrofitted or rebuilt to withstand a magnitude 7.0 earthquake.

No state, federal or local public funding was provided to meet the requirement, according to Werft.

The cost of the project has been more than $820 million, and of that amount, community members donated more than $110 million.

“It’s been a long journey and an exciting time,” Werft said. “We are proud to have the chance to be part of a team that had the opportunity to do this work for the community.”

Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com.

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Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine is sponsoring the annual Mental Health Fair on Saturday, May 19 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., in the hospital’s Burtness Auditorium (enter at the Bath Street entrance). A total of 25 nonprofit agencies from the community will be participating and providing information at this free event. No reservations are needed and all are invited to attend.

Local mental health professionals will offer information on a variety of topics, including mental health, chemical dependency, community resources, wellness and recovery. The event’s primary goal is to provide education to the community about services that are available for those affected by mental illness and addiction. This year’s speakers will focus their presentations on mindfulness and resiliency.

To commemorate National Mental Health Month, the Mental Health Fair is held annually in May at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. For more information, visit cottagehealth.org/mentalhealth.

2018 Mental Health Fair Speaker Schedule:

11 a.m.

Training Your Brain for a Peaceful and Powerful Life

Dave Mochel, CEO, Applied Attention Coaching and Consulting

12 p.m.

Dig Deep: Finding Your Resilience in Trying Times

Karen Lehman, PhD and Brooke Sears, PsyD

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The Trauma Center at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital has been verified as a Level 1 Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons.

Santa Barbara County Emergency Medical Services and the Board of Supervisors have also approved the official designation.

The hospital is the only such designated trauma center on the Central Coast between San Jose and Los Angeles. The hospital was designated Level 2 in 2009.

Established by the American College of Surgeons in 1987, the verification program for hospitals promotes the development of trauma centers in which participants provide not only the hospital resources necessary for trauma care, but also the entire spectrum of care to address the needs of all injured patients.

“Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital is the first hospital in over a decade to develop a Level I Trauma Center without the support of a government agency or a university. There is a long tradition of and commitment to trauma care at Cottage.  Attaining Level I was a natural progression,” said Dr. Stephen Kaminski, Medical Director of Trauma Services and the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at the hospital.

For more information, go to www.cottagehealth.org

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Staff Report

Cottage Health Educator Tina Collins demonstrates CPR, cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Photo contributed

The community is invited to attend a CPR class for adults at Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14.

The class will be led by Registered Nurse Tina Collins in the administration building behind the hospital at 2050 Viborg Road in Solvang. Collins has worked in patient education with Cottage Health for more than 30 years.

“Come and learn how to be a heart saver. What you learn in three hours could rescue someone’s life,” Collins said.

Based on American Heart Association guidelines for the lay public, the “HeartSaver” class covers CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and includes instruction in removing foreign body airway obstructions and the use of an automated external defibrillator on anyone over the age of 8.

The class is appropriate for non-professional caregivers and any lay person. Successful participants will receive a course completion card.

The class fee is $25 per person, and pre-registration is required by Sept. 12.  Participants must be at least 10 years old. Register by calling Frances McKinney at (805) 569-7325 or going to www.cottagehealth.org/classes-events and searching for the Sept. 14 CPR class.

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Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital is the first hospital in the nation to earn a Gold Level Environmental Sustainability Certificate from the Association for the Healthcare Environment of the American Hospital Association.

Earning a Gold level sustainability certificate requires the hospital to use environmentally friendly operations. As part of the certification process, the hospital was required to submit more than 200 pages of documentation.

“We are very honored to receive the nation’s first gold level certification,” said Herb Geary, Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Cottage Health. “We recognize our Nutrition and Environmental Services departments at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for leading the efforts in our sustainability practices. They are truly passionate about protecting the environment and the health of our community.”

The hospital diverts 42 percent of its waste from landfills by recycling and composting. The hospital’s Reusable Sharps program allows SBCH to divert 42,000 pounds of plastic and 3,400 pounds of cardboard each year, as well 25,000 pounds of CO2.

More than 3,000 meals are served every day at the hospital, using compostable serving ware. Fifty percent of all produce used is purchased from local farms and growers.

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Research has shown that consuming foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, can benefit heart health.

Omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat, are called essential fatty acids. This means we need them for our bodies to work normally, and because they are not made in the body, we have to get them from our diet.

There are several types of omega-3 fats. The ones commonly called EPA and DHA are primarily found in fish and fish oil, while plant foods such as flaxseed and walnuts contain the type called ALA.

Studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids can lower the overall risk of heart disease. Eating fish once or twice a week also seems to significantly lower the risk of stroke by keeping blood thin and preventing plaque buildup in the arteries, because omega-3 fats are natural blood thinners.

“Omega-3 fats can also lower the risk of abnormal heart rhythms and, in high doses, decrease triglyceride levels,” said Dr. William Alton, a cardiologist in Solvang.

The best sources for omega-3 fats include large and small types of fish: salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, lake trout and albacore tuna. All of these are high in both EPA and DHA. Aim for two to three servings per week of about 3.5 ounces, equal to ¾ cup of flaked fish.

If you do not like fish, supplements may be a good alternative. Make sure to choose one containing both EPA and DHA. The recommended supplement amount is about 1 gram (1000 mg) per day. But some doctors say that eating fish is better.  Fish at least twice a week is better than using supplements. 

“I used to recommend fish oil supplements but recent studies have shown that they may not be as beneficial as we previously thought,” said Dr. William Heringer, a Solvang physician specializing in internal medicine. “It’s better to eat fish. Any kind of fish is fine, including a tuna fish sandwich once or twice a week.”

Be careful when eating swordfish, tilefish, shark, king mackerel, orange roughy, marlin and big-eye tuna, as they contain higher amounts of mercury and other toxins. It’s best to consume no more than seven ounces a week of these types of fish, and pregnant women should avoid them entirely.

Some farm-raised fish may have higher levels of contaminants and other additives. Farm-raised salmon, for example, often includes food coloring to enhance its appearance and make it look more like wild salmon. The diet of wild fish is what contributes to their high omega-3 content. They eat other smaller fish in their natural environment. Farmed fish usually are fed a processed food of pellets and fish oils.

Another source of omega-3 fats is plant foods. Flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, olive oil and canola oil all contain high amounts of ALA.

There are a few health precautions in increasing omega-3 fats in your diet. People who are taking blood thinners should not supplement with fish oil, as this could increase the risk of bleeding. Some people with diabetes may experience an increase in fasting blood sugar levels while taking fish oil supplements.

“If you’re taking prescription blood thinners or if you have diabetes, you should first consult with your doctor before adding fish oil supplements to your diet,” said Dr. Gustavo Dascanio, an internal medicine physician in Solvang.

Registered Dietitian Stacey Bailey is a clinical dietitian at Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Barbara Cottage Hospitals.

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The Colon Cancer Prevention Forum will offer a free educational event on Thursday, June 1, where attendees will learn about preventing colon cancer through diet, regular screenings, and understanding hereditary risk factors.

A panel discussion will include the following experts and topics:

– Dr. Gary Van Deventer, “Demystifying the Screening Colonoscopy”

– Sarah Washburn, MS, RDN, CSO, “Nutrition Related to Colon Cancer Prevention”

– Danielle Sharaga, LCGC “Understanding Your Predisposition for Colon Cancer”

Tours of the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Endoscopy Department will be offered beginning at 6 pm. The “Super Colon” – an inflatable giant colon, will be at the event for those who are interested in learning more about the colon.

“Colon cancer is preventable, but only if you get screened. We recommend that everyone over 50 be screened for colon cancer,” said Lisa Winebrenner, Oncology Wellness Manager at the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara with Sansum Clinic.

Free Colon Cancer Prevention Forum

Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital – Burtness Auditorium

Enter at Bath Street Entrance

Tours of the Cottage Endoscopy Lab begin 6 p.m.

Panel Discussion 6:45 p.m.

Space is limited. Please call to confirm your seat.

1-855-CHS-WELL (1-855-247-9355)

Information in Spanish and English

The Cancer Center of Santa Barbara with Sansum Clinic and the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara work in partnership to deliver exceptional cancer care to everyone in Santa Barbara County regardless of means. Their combined mission is to provide a comprehensive diagnostic, treatment, prevention and research program that allows cancer patients to receive the highest level of care without having to leave Santa Barbara. To keep the Central Coast on the vanguard of modern cancer care, this partnership invests in cutting-edge medical equipment, the recruitment of highly trained medical personnel, active participation in clinical research, the integration of oncology services, and the thoughtful introduction of promising new methods of treatment. With your help, we will continue to be the regional resource that the public and medical community can count on for education, prevention and leadership in the field of cancer while providing ongoing support to cancer patients and their families – regardless of means. To learn more, visit the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara with Sansum Clinic at www.ccsb.org or the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara at www.cfsb.org.

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Wolcott Tuckerman Schley died Jan. 9 at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital after a 10-month battle with esophageal and stomach cancer. He was 79.

Schley was born April 20, 1937, at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital to Viola Tuckerman Schley and Grant Barney Schley, the second oldest of their four sons. Their father served in the Army Air Force Ferry Command during World War II and died in a plane crash in 1943. Viola later married Sigvard Hansen and gave birth to a fifth son.

Schley and his brothers, Bryant Turner, Grant Barney II, Kenneth Chaloner, and Sig Jr. grew up together on horseback on their home ranch in Happy Canyon in the Santa Ynez Valley. They ranched as a family on self-owned ranches as well as leases in multiple Western states.

Schley honed his skills in horsemanship throughout his life, under the care of his mother, already an accomplished horsewoman and a polo player before her marriage, as well as under the watchful eyes of the family’s ranch hand, Juan Festero, and family friends like Ray Cornelius and Walt Lozier.

Later on, his stepdad, Sig Hansen, passed on a range of knowledge in rodeo bronc riding and Hollywood stunt riding, among many other interesting skills. Schley later wrote stories recounting misadventures from his wild, free-ranging childhood. Some are being prepared for publication by his family in 2017.

Schley attended College Elementary School in Santa Ynez, followed by St. Paul’s School in Concord, N.H., from 1950 to 1955. He was a member of the varsity crew that represented St. Paul’s at the Worcester Regatta in his sixth-form year, as well as rowing on the first crew for the Halcyon Boating Club intramural competition. Schley also played offensive end on the football team and occasional pickup ice hockey.

Schley entered Stanford University in 1955. He and his brother, Turner, stabled a ranch horse at Stanford’s Red Barn, which is where they both began to learn how to ride in English tack. One of Wolcott’s dorm mates was Charles Schwab, whom he recalled pranking once by bedding down his dorm room with straw from the stable.

Schley spent two years between his second and third years at Stanford serving in the U.S. Army’s 72nd Tank Battalion at Camp Irwin. Like his father, he was a volunteer. He was a celebrated marksman, winning numerous long-rifle and sniper competitions, attaining his Army Marksmanship Qualification badge of “Expert with a Rifle,” the second-highest attainable marksmanship award in the Army.

Returning to Stanford after his service, he obtained his bachelor’s degree in English literature. Memorable courses included writing seminars with Wallace Stegner and Wendell Berry.

His uncle, author William Wister Haines (“Command Decision,” “High Tension,” “Slim”) encouraged Schley’s interest in writing; after graduating, he spent three years bumping around Europe, seeing the sights, hitting jazz clubs, sipping wine and smoking cigarettes in local cafes while writing short stories, poetry, essays and love letters. He experienced the beatnik era from the Continental stage. Although he never published any of this work, he filed it all away and kept writing all his life, though rarely sharing anything from this period.

Schley was most himself when outdoors, on horseback, working cattle, fixing fence, or driving around in a ranch truck checking on things.

After his adventures across the Atlantic, he returned to the Santa Ynez Valley to pick back up on his ranch-honed craft of horsemanship. With a base in the values and traditions of the old Californio vaquero way of horsemanship that were developed in this region over centuries, Schley spent the rest of his professional riding career expanding that knowledge into a plethora of disciplines: dressage, hunter-jumpers, polo, foxhunting, reined cowhorse, team penning, endurance, ring spearing, and polocrosse.

He ran a riding school and training stable with his first wife, Nancy Carter, from the late 1960s to the mid 1980s in Fredensborg Canyon near Solvang, where many local children learned to ride. He trained with Olympic coach Erich Bubbel and was a charter member of the California Dressage Society’s original chapter, founded by the late Susan Davidge.

Schley loved to read about and discuss the “philosophy of horsemanship” with friends, and he is remembered for his soft and patient approach to training horses and riders.

With a group of friends in 1972, Schley co-founded the Santa Ynez Valley Hunt and registered the pack as the Founding MFH with the Masters of Foxhounds Association of the United States in 1975. He rode to hounds with his beloved club and friends over the course of the next 45 seasons.

Other equestrian accomplishments include co-founding the Santa Ynez Valley Polocrosse Club, winning the Stock Horse Class at the Santa Barbara Fiesta Stock Horse Show & Rodeo, competing in a steeplechase at Pebble Beach, and accidentally hunting a pack of hounds through a fairway at a well-known Monterey golf course.

In 1990, Schley and his wife, Teona, became the editors of the Los Padres Sun newspaper. They ran the paper together until 1995. During this time, locals who had known Schley his entire life exclaimed that they had “no idea he was so smart” or that he could write. He found his writing voice through the many editorials he published on valley politics. After the paper sadly folded, he and Teona took over the Santa Ynez Valley Guest magazine, which they owned and published together until they retired in 2014.

Schley lived much of his life on the ranch where he grew up. Together with Teona, he raised his daughter and son there, and cared for his mother and the family’s herd of Charolais cattle until Viola’s passing in 2012 at the age of 99.

Schley is survived by his wife Teona, daughter Jessica, son Daniel, stepson Kent Sidney and daughter-in-law Christy, granddaughter Meiya, brothers Grant Barney, Kenneth and Sig Jr., and many nieces and nephews, all of whom he loved dearly. He was predeceased by his parents and brother Turner.

A public memorial was held Saturday, Jan. 28, at St. Mark’s Church in Los Olivos.

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