GONZALES — Community leaders recently gathered at the Taylor Farms Family Health and Wellness Center in Gonzales to reflect on the significant impact the recently expanded facility has had on community health and wellness in South Monterey County and surrounding region.
Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System President/CEO Pete Delgado empathized the ongoing commitment to the facility, which SVMHS opened six years ago this month. Delgado commented that with support from Gonzales city leaders, the Health and Wellness Center quickly integrated with the population it serves.
“This Center is a living, breathing, always evolving venture,” Delgado said. “It was created with the support of truly dedicated partners, such as Taylor Farms, and recently expanded with a sizable grant from the Central California Alliance for Health.”
Other speakers at the Nov. 9 event included Joel Hernandez Laguna, SVMHS Board of Directors; Dr. Christine Ponzio, Taylor Farms Family Health and Wellness Center; Jeff Wardwell, CEO, Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital Foundation; and Tiffany DiTullio, Blue Zones Project Monterey County.
After the brief program, which included a video recounting the project history and growth of the Health and Wellness Center, attendees toured the facility and the many health services it offers the community.
According to Delgado, the Gonzales facility holds a special place within SVMHS’s network of care.
Taylor Farms Family Health and Wellness Center originally opened in November 2015 as a hospital-based Rural Health Clinic to improve access to primary care in underserved areas and improve the health and quality of life for families in and around Gonzales.
As physicians and staff worked to close the gap in healthcare disparities, it tripled in physical size to more than 30,000 square feet. The expansion accommodated a wider range of specialty care, preventative health and wellness classes and modern community gathering space.
“We are proud of the reputation and growth it has seen in such a relatively short period of time,” Delgado said. “Current board members, such as Joel Hernandez Laguna and others, are just as passionate about our commitment to rural health services as the Board of Directors which initially approved the project. The community response has been remarkable.”
Blue Zones Project Monterey County, sponsored by SVMHS, Taylor Farms and Montage Health, recently expanded its health and wellness program to the area with a commitment to make the healthy choice, the easy choice. Blue Zones Project is part of an international effort to engage the individuals, families and the community in evidence-based practices that support health and longevity.
The expanded facility offers a variety of services with trusted providers affiliated with Salinas Valley Medical Clinic and SVMHS. Podiatry, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, OB/GYN – women’s health, behavioral health and diabetes education are just some of the additional health care resources.
SVMHS and the Monterey County Health Department host annual free community flu vaccine clinics at the Taylor Farms Family Health and Wellness Center and recently held a clinic offering free flu and Covid-19 vaccines.
