Articles written by Nikki Symington
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The Invisible Crisis: The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health
Mental health is one of the biggest pandemic problems to be faced in 2021. With the progress in vaccines, it may be possible to better manage the physical impacts and dangers of COVID-19. However, between a sigh of relief based on widespread vaccinations, assuming that occurs... — Updated 1/19/2021
BCHF: Finally Speaks
Three Borrego Community Health Foundation Trustees – Martha Deichler, David Hernandez and Sandra Hansberger – took the Borrego Sun’s repeated requests for transparency seriously, and floated a one-page flier in the community. The flier, signed by the three BCHF Trustees... — Updated 12/31/2020
Soroptimist Secret Santa's Deliver
The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown didn’t keep Santa Claus from coming to town. Santa’s Borrego friends collected and delivered big boxes of food and overflowing gift baskets containing $100 in Soroptimist Secret Santa cash to needy families on Dec. 18 and 19. People... — Updated 12/31/2020
DHCS Stops BCHF Funds
The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) confirmed the state has suspended Medi-Cal claims for Borrego Community Health Foundation (BCHF) due to the current Department of Justice/FBI investigation into the... — Updated 12/25/2020
Nothing Here to See…
According to reliable sources, Dan Anderson, chairman of the Borrego Community Health Foundation (BCHF) Board of Trustees, is telling people, including federal officials, the FBI, and DOJ investigations of the Foundation are limited to a few dentists. Same story Daryl Priest,... — Updated 12/9/2020
BCHF: Who is in Charge?
Dan Anderson, current chairman of the Borrego Community Health Foundation (BCHF) distributed a press release on Oct. 20 naming Dr. Edgar Bulloch, the new interim Chief Executive Officer, replacing former CEO Mikia Wallis. This, after naming Mark Connelly, BCHF Chief Operations... — Updated 11/19/2020
FBI Raids BCHF
On Oct. 20, federal and state Federal Bureau of Investigation Agents (FBI), along with officers from the California Department of Justice arrived early at the local Borrego Community Health Foundation (BCHF) offices and Borrego Springs clinic. Armed with search warrants, they... — Updated 11/3/2020
BCHF: Community Group to the Rescue
The Borrego Community Health Foundation (BCHF) on numerous occasions stated that expansion to multiple clinics and services was necessary to support the Borrego Springs Clinic. Borrego Springs, the original clinic was the golden goose that became the government ATM that grew... — Updated 10/26/2020
BCHF: CEO Fired?
“Those that take more than they deserve will eventually fall!” Angela Torres, former BCHF credentials officer. The Trustees of the Borrego Community Health Foundation (BCHF) have announced the departure of Mikia Wallis as CEO of the Foundation’s network of multiple clinics... — Updated 10/26/2020
Scary Certified Letter Arrives
What to do, or think when you receive an official certified letter from the Orange County Superior Court in your mailbox. Before calling an attorney to explain and spending money needlessly, the Borrego Sun has some recommendations. Take a deep breath and a deep dive into the comp... — Updated 10/8/2020
Borrego Health Fails Again
The Borrego Community Health Foundation (BCHF) missed an opportunity with the pandemic to demonstrate that it’s as concerned about the health of the Borrego Community as it is about increasing income. The Borrego Springs Endowment Fund (BSEF) stepped up to organize the... — Updated 10/6/2020
Save Our Wildlife
AB 1788, the California Ecosystems Protection Act, which would place a moratorium on the use of second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARS) except in cases of public health emergencies, is on Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. The bill, which would be the first to enact a... — Updated 10/2/2020
COVID-19: Town Hall
The Town Hall meeting hosted by the Borrego Springs COVID-19 Task Force was held on Aug. 20, after the postponment of the previous fiasco. The meeting was facilitated by Bruce Kelley, Chair of the Borrego Valley Endowment Fund. Borrego Springs’ Honorary Mayor and owner of... — Updated 9/11/2020
BCHF: Going, Going....
Healthcare fraud, waste, and abuse is a major problem for Medicare, Medical/Medicaid, and other government funded healthcare programs. The National Heath Care Anti-Fraud Association estimates conservatively that health care fraud costs the nation about $68 billion annually ... — Updated 9/11/2020
BCHF: Sun Investigates
The Borrego Sun started an investigative journey into Borrego Community Health Foundation (BCHF) with the firing of two of the three licensed professionals at the Borrego Springs Clinic, during the pandemic. Jan Jones, family/nurse practitioner, and psychologist Dr. Pam McEvoy... — Updated 9/3/2020
BCHF: Most Expensive Non-Profit in U.S.
Apologies to our readers. It’s hard to follow the details of the Borrego Community Health Foundation’s (BCHF) misadventures, as it is to report them. The Sun is often as confused as anyone trying to make sense of Borrego Health’s operations. This article will attempt to sum... — Updated 8/21/2020
BCHF: 990 Update
It’s out for public review. Yes, anyone can see the Borrego Community Health Foundation’s (BCHF) 2019-IRS990. It’s not on the Health and Human Resources Agency web page yet. Since the Foundation does no public postings, all an interested party has to do, according to the... — Updated 8/13/2020
La Casa Solar Project
An application for an Administrative Permit by La Casa Del Zorro Desert Resort and Spa to build a $2.5 million solar project is currently winding its way through rigorous scrutiny by San Diego County’s Planning and Development Services (PDS) to decide if a California Environment... — Updated 8/3/2020
Borrego Health Clinic: Facts Are Facts
Fix it… The Borrego Sun investigation into the Borrego Community Health Foundation (BCHF) began as an attempt to understand what was going on at the Borrego Springs clinic with the dismissal of critical resident providers. The concern extended to the three-month absence of the... — Updated 7/16/2020
Clinic... Enough is Enough
You know there’s a problem when…. The Borrego Sun began asking questions about operations of the Borrego Community Health Foundation (BCHF) with the firing of Jan Jones and Dr. Pam McEvoy, two high profile and respected medical providers at the Borrego Springs Clinic. At the... — Updated 7/2/2020
Deceit in the Desert
The Borrego Sun questioned the Borrego Community Health Foundation (BCHF) about the dismissal of Jan Jones and Dr. Pamela McEvoy, and subsequent resignation of Charles Collum. The foundation responded with an unsigned, generic statement, claiming workforce layoffs, furloughs and... — Updated 6/17/2020
Clinic Woes Continue
Borrego Community Health Foundation (BCHF) doesn’t seem to care about the Borrego Springs community. At least, that’s the consensus of community critiques of the clinic’s service, ranging from a survey completed in 2016, to anger over the recent firings of trusted, full-time... — Updated 6/3/2020
What's Really Going On at the Clinic?
Medical services at Borrego Springs Clinic are facing a crisis with the termination of full-time, licensed medical providers: Jan Jones, long time family nurse practitioner, and sole psychologist Pam McEvoy. Adding to the clinic’s problems, resident medical doctor, James Huot... — Updated 6/1/2020
Viewpoint: Borrego Clinic
Americans throughout the country are celebrating and honoring health care workers as warriors during the coronavirus pandemic. In Borrego Springs, they are being terminated. With the firing of the Borrego Springs clinic’s full time, resident nurse practitioner, mental health... — Updated 6/1/2020
Soroptimist Helps to Flatten Curve
Like many organizations pulling together to help this little village of Borrego Springs to get through this pandemic, the Soroptimist International of Borrego Springs has stepped up to offer free informational flyers and masks.... — Updated 5/22/2020
