Sometimes a ribbon cutting is more symbolic than just a business opening, but representative of a community’s growth and maturation and that was the case on Thursday when Vascular Health formally opened its office in Delano.

Vascular Health’s new offices will provide Delano residents with the opportunity to stay close to home rather than making a drive south to Bakersfield or north toward Fresno.

“Not only are we going to see some of those patients here, and most of them actually, and do these procedures that fix circulation right here in this office,” said Dr. Vinod Kumar, the founder and medical director of Vascular Health.

In recent months, Vascular Health has expanded to Arvin, Lamont and now Delano. The offices are staffed with specialists when it comes to podiatry, veins and wound care, but some advanced treatments would still be done in Bakersfield.

The new Delano office, located at 714 Main Street, isn’t fancy, but the work being done here is what matters most. With three examine rooms, the new practice can provide a wide range of services on different days.

“I wanted it (to be in Delano) 25 years ago,” Kumar said with a broad smile. “Now we have a large team that we can do these kind of services. “It’s a big community.”

Dr. Gregory Williams, who specializes in vein treatments, said the growth in Kern County’s medical services has changed dramatically in recent years, and for the better.

“There’s a lot more advanced stuff,” said Williams, who grew up in Bakersfield and has lived in the Central Valley for much of his life. “Dr. Kumar and one of the cardiologists in the office (Dr. Samir Samarany), they have elevated the level of care by doing things that they only do at university centers.”

One of the biggest battles the health care staff’s face is with diabetes.

Vascular Health provides a graphic that shows the height of the problem in Kern County, where more than 81,000 patients have diabetes.

Controlling diabetes is often a struggle for many patients and leads to complications, including wound care. If not treated, diabetes can often lead to amputations and Vascular Health estimates that more than 250 diabetes-related amputations are performed in Kern County annually.

Another challenge, for many, are varicose veins, and Williams focuses on caring for those patients.

“Mostly what I treat is varicose veins and the underlying causes,” said Williams, adding that varicose veins can be painful and lead to a higher risk of clotting.

With all of these services, Kumar said the quality of care continues to grow in Delano, and that’s directly related to the city’s tremendous growth in recent years. With nearly 60,000 residents, Delano is Kern County’s second largest city.

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