Healthcare Fund

PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY, affordable healthcare, and the systems to deliver such care is a challenge for small, rural communities throughout the United States. For destination communities such as the gateway community of Borrego Springs, high quality, readily available, and affordable healthcare is of particular importance because of its impact on the economic development and wellbeing of the community—without reliable healthcare, residents and visitors alike are less likely to choose Borrego Springs. Therefore, the BVEF seeks to invest in activities and initiatives that.

1. Position Borrego Springs at the forefront of innovation in the United States for excellent, reliable healthcare delivery in small, geographically isolated communities.
2. Encourage the development and use of the latest technologies to deliver such healthcare, e.g. telemedicine, state-of-the-art triage services.
3. Encourage the development of partnerships with the leading regional and national providers of healthcare, e.g. Sharp, Scripps, Universities of California, Kaiser, Mayo Clinics.
4. Capitalize on Borrego Springs’ desert environment as a resource to medical researchers exploring issues such as Valley Fever, Childhood Asthma, and COPD.
5. Provide regular and rigorous assessments of the community’s health status.

HEALTH CLINIC

The challenges faced by rural health clinics across the country are daunting. However, at the BVEF, we are dedicated to ongoing efforts to support and improve the Borrego Medical Clinic. Through cooperation and community empowerment, we continually endeavor to facilitate progress in this area. We invite you to learn more and to lend your support.

EMERGENCY MEDICAL AIR TRANSPORTATION

The Borrego Valley Endowment Fund contracts with Mercy Air to provide emergency medical air transportation coverage to year-round and seasonal residents of Borrego Springs.  Due to Borrego Springs remote location and limited medical facilities, this air transportation is a vital asset to the community of Borrego. 

You and members of your household are eligible Borrego Springs residents if (a) the primary residence is in Borrego Springs, (b) if the primary residence is elsewhere but you own a vacation home in Borrego Springs, or (c) you reside in a Borrego Springs rental residence for at least one month of the term of BVEF’s contract.

Eligible Borrego Springs residents are covered if transported by Mercy Air during the term of the Community Partnership Agreement whether you are uninsured or beneficiaries of Medicare, Medi-Cal, or a third-party insurer.  You will not be responsible for out-of-pocket costs—deductible and co-pays.

LET’S GO BORREGO

Let’s Go Borrego is a program whereby senior citizens and others who need transportation to medical or dental appointments can be reimbursed for the mileage to and from their destinations.  Riders find their own volunteer drivers, which might be a friend or spouse, then submit their destinations and dates on a monthly basis.  They are reimbursed at the rate of $0.50 per mile.  Let’s Go Borrego is administered by a dedicated team of volunteers. The BVEF has enabled the newly incorporated Community Resource Center to take over management of the Let's Go program and in June 2023 provided a grant of $25,ooo to support the operation of the program.

COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER (CRC)

Newly incorporated in May 2023, with help from a grant and consulting support from the BVEF, the mission of the CRC is.... “To provide, and to facilitate the provision of,  the full range of social services to the region’s community, especially to those who are designated as ‘severely disadvantaged.”

In June 2023 The BVEF granted to the CRC half of their rent cost for one year to support their over 1,500 square foot Food Bank, community programs, and administrative office facility located in The Mall in Borrego Springs.

BASIC

Formed over 20 years ago, BASIC (Basic Assistance to Students in the Community) is an organization of retired and working professionals who volunteer their time year-round to provide oversight for and implementation of BASIC programs in the Borrego community. BASIC originally focused on providing scholarships to high school seniors but has broadened its scope to include additional programs and to students of all ages—“Cradle to Graduation.”

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Scholarships to start and stay-in-school for Borrego High School Graduates and Adults, the summer Learning Academy which provides intensive reading/math /English Language education for grades 2, 3, and 4 held in the summer, and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library which delivers age-appropriate books each month to children from birth to age 5 are the main areas of focus. Since 2016, the BVEF has provided assistance for the Learning Academy program by paying for the food that is provided to the students while attending the Learning Academy summer program.  This includes breakfast, lunch and snacks.

PAST GRANT FUNDING

• BASIC – $46,952 for nutritious lunches and snacks served to students at the summer reading academy
• Borrego Springs Senior Center – $53,700 for meals for shut-in seniors, restocking the Medical Loan Closet, Air Conditioning and roof repairs
• Borrego Springs Unified School District – $185,000 for school mental health counseling services, eye clinic and exams, special needs equipment, orthodontist treatment and healthy eating program
• Mercy Flight Services and Reach Flight Services – $33,489 for air medical evacuation
• San Diego Hunger Coalition – $28,000 to fight rural hunger in Borrego Springs
• Urgent Care space rental, reports and consulting – $106,927