About 300 community leaders gathered April 18 for San Ysidro Health’s second annual Rural Health Celebration Luncheon & Benefit to support the expansion of medical, dental and behavioral health services in rural East County.

San Ysidro Health celebrated its last living Founding Mother, Carmen Martinez, who will turn 100 this year. The organization also recognized Arvilla Johnson, the unofficial mayor of Campo, with the 2023 Volunteer of the Year award for her commitment to supporting the rural community. The event also honored the passing of community champion and member of the San Ysidro Health External Affairs team R. Daniel Hernandez.

The event raised nearly $310,000 to fund services for seniors throughout San Ysidro Health’s network of clinics and programs in Campo, Jacumba, Alpine and Julian. The funds will also provide medical, dental, behavioral health and specialty care services to isolated families throughout rural East County.

San Ysidro Health is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1969 by seven mothers in search of medical services for their children. More than 50 years later, it now provides care to more than 145,000 patients through a network of 50 sites across the county.

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