Health
NORTH COAST, Calif. – Everyone should learn to save lives, regardless of the ability to pay. That’s the motivation behind CPR Saturday, the annual free training presented by the American Red Cross, serving Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties on Saturday, March 12.
Eleven counties from Mendocino to Palo Alto will host the event on the same day.
Participants who successfully complete the class, including hands-on and written testing, receive adult CPR certification from the Red Cross. The certificate is good for two years.
In Sonoma County, adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) classes in English will be offered at the Sebastopol Veterans Building, 282 S. High St., starting every hour on the hour from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The Red Cross is offering Adult and Child CPR for the last session beginning at 2 p.m. There also will be two classes in Spanish, at 8 a.m. and noon.
In Mendocino County, CPR Saturday will take place at the Alex Rorabaugh Center at 1640 S. State St. in Ukiah.
Lake County will be hosting CPR Saturday at the Lakeport Fire Station, 445 N. Main St. in
Lakeport. Times for classes in Ukiah and Lakeport are still being arranged.
Interested participants in those counties can go to www.arcsm.org or call 707-577-7603 for updated information.
The Red Cross offers CPR Saturday at no charge to help remove any barriers to those with lower incomes, people who have never taken CPR previously, and those who speak Spanish.
There is no upper or lower age limit for participants. In order to receive a certificate, all attendees
must be able to pass a written exam as well as the physical skills test, which includes kneeling on the floor and having enough upper body strength to compress the manikins' chests repeatedly.
Those who cannot kneel can still take the class, but they will not be able to be certified, as kneeling ability is essential for performing CPR in a wide variety of settings.
Participants in Sonoma County must pre-register for this event via email, telephone, or online by writing
They should be prepared to provide complete information (name, address, phone, time of class they prefer) when they call. Participants in Mendocino and Lake Counties can go to www.arcsm.org or call 707-577-7603 for updated registration information and class times.
More than 100 volunteers and instructors will help throughout the day. Kelsey Abbott, a student at Santa Rosa Junior College, is coordinating the event for the second year in a row.
Classes include a video followed by practice on manikins and finally, a written exam. The entire process takes approximately three hours.
Kaiser Permanente is, once again, a major sponsor to the event. Red Cross has also received in-kind support from the Sonoma County Regional Parks and Petaluma Auto Dealerships. Local businesses such as Clover Stornetta, Round Table Pizza of Sebastopol and Sierra Springs Water have generously donated food and beverages for the volunteers who will be working the event.
The CPR Saturday event held in Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties costs more than $9,000 to produce.
American Red Cross offers CPR classes throughout the year in both Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. However, CPR Saturday is the only time CPR certification is offered for free.
The usual cost for these classes is $50.
American Red Cross is a neutral, humanitarian organization that provides relief to victims of disasters, and prepares people to prevent and respond to emergencies.
Like all Red Cross chapters, the local chapter is self-sustaining and is funded by local contributions. All
assistance to disaster victims and to members of the armed forces provided by the chapter is free and made possible by voluntary donations of time and money by the people of Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties.
Donations can be made at www.arcsm.org, www.redcross.org, via mail to American Red Cross, 5297 Aero Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95403, or by phone at 707-577-7627 (Sonoma and Lake Counties), 707-463-0112 (Mendocino County).
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The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is announcing a new interactive map at www.HealthCare.gov/consumerhelp to make sure that consumers know how to contact their state Consumer Assistance Program.
“With www.HealthCare.gov, we are putting the resources of the Affordable Care Act at the fingertips of consumers all across the country – and the new map is an important part of that effort,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “Consumers no longer have to wonder where to turn when they have questions about their health insurance.”
The interactive Consumer Assistance Map at www.HealthCare.gov/consumerhelp went live in early February as states around the country and U.S. territories are using federal grant dollars to establish or strengthen consumer assistance programs.
California is one of 40 states or territories receiving grant funds.
Consumer Assistance Programs, run by state governments, sometimes in partnership with local nonprofit organizations, have trained caseworkers that can help consumers enroll in a health insurance plan or policy, or file a complaint or appeal with their insurer.
They can also help consumers learn about the new insurance resources and reforms under the Affordable Care Act.
Consumer Assistance Programs will also help explain the new consumer protections and options that will become available as additional parts of the health care law take effect in 2014.
In addition to helping consumers on an individual basis, the Consumer Assistance Program in California will be tracking complaints to help identify potential trends in the health insurance market. Regulators can use this information to ensure that insurers are playing by the rules and consumers are receiving all their rights and protections under the law.
The interactive Consumer Assistance Program map is one of the ways the Affordable Care Act is bringing more openness to the health insurance market.
The Web site, www.HealthCare.gov, includes information about the Affordable Care Act, a timeline of implementation and other resources. The Web site also includes the health insurance finder at www.finder.HealthCare.gov, a first-of-its-kind Web site to bring information and links to health insurance plans into one place and make it easy for consumers to learn about and compare their insurance choices.
“Consumers across the country have new options and protections under the Affordable Care Act,” said Secretary Sebelius. “These tools will help empower consumers to get the health care and health coverage they and their families need.”
The Department of Managed Health Care, in partnership with the Office of the Patient Advocate in California was awarded $3.4 million in October 2010 to perform the following activities:
Develop and promote a coordinated consumer-friendly website and corresponding toll-free number that consumers can call with questions about health care coverage, and to receive assistance with the filing of complaints and appeals.
Conduct a statewide media campaign, in partnership with consumer organizations, to educate consumers about their rights and responsibilities and to provide assistance with enrollment in group health plans or health insurance coverage.
Evaluate the effectiveness of the initiatives, and collect, track and quantify consumer problems and inquiries for reporting to state and federal policymakers.
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