The Colusa County Ministerial Association’s lightning-fast ability to partner with local providers to assist individuals in getting support services, resources, and medical, behavioral, and housing care was displayed once again with the opening of Colusa Connections at Colusa Medical Center.
The Ministerial Association, the Colusa County Chamber of Commerce, and Colusa Medical Center celebrated the grand opening of the new resource center, located just off the hospital’s front lobby, located at 199 E. Webster St., on Jan. 18.
Colusa Connections will not only be a hub for health, community, and comprehensive support, it will be a meeting place where individuals can come together to foster connections, said Pastor Jason McMullan, CCMA executive director.
Services include clothing and food assistance, educational workshops, health insurance enrollment assistance, and connections to all local services.
“You can even come in if you need to charge your cell phone or use the computer,” McMullan said.
The new resource center at Colusa Medical Center continues the effort of the Ministerial Association’s Pneumacare Community Health Services program for Colusa County, which was established to assist individuals with coordinating their health care needs, finding and making appointments with doctors and dentists, and providing transportation to health care providers, among many other services.
“The hospital is an ideal location for this,” McMullan said.
Colusa Medical Center, along with its emergency room and specialty clinics, was reopened in 2017 by American Advance Management, a Northern California based healthcare organization committed to providing healthcare in rural communities.
It has since expanded many of its specialty services, including home health and hospice care, inpatient hospital and rehabilitation, orthopedic surgery, and gastroenterology.
“There is internal medicine; there are new specialties; there are amazing things that are happening in our community because of what Colusa Medical Center has been doing,” McMullan said. “We are proud to be part of the legacy we are creating over the next 10 to 20 years to provide this.”
Last week’s celebration of Colusa Connections included a free barbecue lunch, provided by the Colusa Medical Center, and a tour of the facility and new resource center.
Rustam Ahmadzai, the hospital’s administrator, said Colusa Medical Center wanted to get more involved with the community by partnering with the Ministerial Association’s Pneumacare program.
Ahmadzai said the more Colusa Medical Center worked with McMullan, the more they all realized that having a hub at the hospital was the way to go.
“We are where we are today with this grand opening,” Ahmadzai said, as people enjoyed lunch in the new resource facility. “Hopefully, it is just the start. We are also thinking about bringing in more resources. As we grow, I’m sure we will have more to offer the community.”
Last week’s grand opening of Colusa Connections was well attended by the public and hospital staff, including Chief Executive Officer Steve Stark, who is also administrator of Orchard Hospital, in Gridley, and Glenn Medical Center, in Willows.