From left to right: Alyssa Napuri, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of O.C. Supervisor Katrina Foley; Mark Taylor, Chair, Orange County Business Council (OCBC) Awards Committee,; Paulette Chaffee, Amabassador, Office of O.C. Supervisor Doug Chaffee; Dr. Veronica Kelley, Chief of Mental Health and Recovery Services, Orange County Health Care Agency; Andrew Do, CalOptima Health Board Chair and O.C. Supervisor; Yunkyung Kim, CalOptima Health Chief Operating Officer; Blair Contratto, CalOptima Health Board Member; Jeffrey Ball, President and CEO, OCBC; Donald P. Wagner, O.C. Supervisor (Photo courtesy of Tsutsumida Pictures) 

CalOptima Health and the Orange County Health Care Agency (HCA) received the Public-Private Partnership Award from the Orange County Business Council (OCBC) Turning Red Tape Into Red Carpet Awards during their awards event on November 17. The award recognizes the Be Well OC campus in the City of Orange, which CalOptima Health and HCA launched as a first-of-its-kind center to provide comprehensive behavioral health care and improve mental health and substance use disorder services for Orange County residents. Opened in 2021, the Be Well OC Orange campus provides an integrated model for mental health and substance use disorder services by breaking down barriers between the public and private sectors, and it has served more than 4,600 patients, including 2,500 CalOptima Health members. CalOptima Health, the HCA, private hospital systems, nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups and other community stakeholders came together to support Orange County’s existing mental health services and identify gaps in care, ultimately creating Be Well OC in response to community needs.

On Saturday, November 19, nearly 900 CalOptima Health members and community members attended a CalFresh enrollment event and resource fair in Huntington Beach. The event was organized by CalOptima Health, the County of Orange Social Services Agency and the City of Huntington Beach. Attendees received assistance with CalFresh enrollment. Eligible individuals can receive up to $281 and an eligible family of four can receive up to $939 to buy healthy food. The event also provided boxes of fruit and vegetables and diapers from Community Action Partnership OC, as well as fun activities for families, such as face painting and magic.  

Learn more about CalFresh and how to enroll at caloptima.org/calfresh. 

The Orange County Health Care Agency makes it easy for individuals to get a COVID-19 vaccine. There are several ways to find an appointment.

Vaccinations are also available for anyone who is homebound, and transportation services are available for those who need a ride to a vaccination site. If you need help scheduling a vaccination appointment, call the OC COVID-19 Hotline at 714-834-2000.

The forum on Addressing the Opioid Crisis and Poisoning will take place on Thursday, December 15 at 5:30-7:15 p.m. The event will take place in person at Arnold O. Beckman High School, 3588 Bryan Ave., Irvine, CA 92602. To register, click here.

Updated Unofficial Election Results are available at the Orange County Registrar of Voters website. The report is updated at 5 p.m. each weekday until the election is certified. To view the statewide results for the election, click here. Note that county elections officials must report final official results to the Secretary of State by December 9, 2022.

CalOptima Health Customer Service remains ready to respond to member needs as we adhere to guidelines to reduce the possibility of COVID-19 transmission. Our building is closed to visitors. Members can call Customer Service from the safety of their home, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We have staff who speak their language. Members can also visit www.caloptima.org and access their member portal.