Health
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- Written by: Office of Assemblyman Wes Chesbro
SACRAMENTO – The California Mental Health Advocacy Conference has awarded Assemblymember Wesley Chesbro (D-North Coast) a “California Champions of Change Award.”
In addition to the award, Chesbro received special recognition at the conference earlier this month in Los Angeles for his work with mental health clients and family members to effect change as a member of the State Assembly, State Senate and the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC).
Chesbro also was recognized for his pioneering efforts to reduce seclusion and restraints, and to promote dignity through the establishment of the California Memorial Project.
“Assemblymember Chesbro was chosen to receive this award based on his leadership in advancing human dignity, for his enduring support for mental health services in California and for championing the California Memorial Project,” said Eduardo Vega, program director of Empowerment and Advocacy for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, member of MHSOAC and director of the conference. “Chesbro has been instrumental in making California a better place to live for individuals and families affected by disabilities.”
Chesbro created the California Memorial Project with legislation as a state senator in 2002.
Between 1852 and the 1960s an estimated 45,000 people who had been living in state institutions died and were buried in unmarked or un-numbered mass graves on state lands.
The mission of the California Memorial Project is to identify the locations of remains, find and restore lost graves and honor those who were buried in them.
“It is an honor to receive this award,” Chesbro said. “In 2002 I was lucky enough to partner with the California Network of Mental Health Clients, Disability Rights California’s Peer Self-Advocacy Units and People First of California in authoring legislation to create the California Memorial Project. This important piece of legislation was the product of hard work between all the stakeholders working towards the common goal of recapturing the dignity of those who died and were buried in institutions throughout the state.”
In the current legislative session, Chesbro is the author of ACR 123, which would establish the third Monday of September to memorialize these Californians.
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- Written by: Editor
LAKEPORT, Calif. – A new non-invasive surgery procedure, or surgery without an incision, for those suffering from gastroesophegeal reflux disease (GERD) is now available from Keith Donald, M.D., general surgeon at Sutter Lakeside Hospital.
Dr. Donald is the first specialist in Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, Colusa and Yolo counties to be trained on the TIF (Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication) procedure.
Unlike medications that only relieve symptoms like heartburn and nighttime reflux, the incisionless TIF procedure with the EsophyX devise reconstructs the natural valve that stops acid from coming up through the esophagus.
This revolutionary surgery technique has proven to be able to reduce and possibly eliminate GERD symptoms such as acid reflux, heartburn, frequent swallowing, chronic cough and intolerance to certain foods.
“The TIF procedure is quite unique.” stated Dr. Donald. “The entire procedure occurs through an instrument inserted through the mouth, not through an incision in the abdomen, which offers less pain, no scar and a rapid recovery. This procedure can significantly improve the quality of life for our patients.”
With millions of Americans diagnosed with GERD and not fully satisfied with their treatment options, EsophyX offers an excellent alternative.
“Recent studies of EsophyX have shown that the procedure can reduce patients’ dependency on medications with 70 percent of patients remaining symptom free after two years,” said Dr. Donald who has performed hundreds of minimally invasive procedures for GERD patients. “We are very excited to be able to offer our patients the same incredible benefits as more invasive procedures without incisions.”
Sutter Lakeside Hospital will host a patient education seminar on Wednesday, May 5, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church Fellowship Hall at 3500 Hill Road East in Lakeport. Dr. Donald will discuss this new procedure, showing renderings of the actual surgery, and will answer your questions.
“When patients hear that they will be able to eat and drink the foods they love, and sleep in any position without reflux symptoms, they understand that this procedure has the ability to give them a new lease on life,” Dr. Donald said.
For more information, please visit www.sutterlakeside.org or call Dr. Donald’s office at 707-263-4108.
If you would like to attend the seminar, please RSVP to Angie Lagle, Sutter Lakeside Marketing, at 707-262-5121.
Being the health care provider of choice, Sutter Lakeside Hospital is committed to providing access to high quality, affordable health and wellness services to the residents of Lake County. The hospital seeks to enhance the well being of people in the communities they serve through a not-for-profit commitment to compassion and excellence in health care services.
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- Written by: Office of Assemblyman Wes Chesbro
SACRAMENTO – The State Assembly has approved a bill by First District Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro (D-North Coast) that seeks to shield the public from communicable diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C.
AB 1701 would make permanent the Disease Prevention Demonstration Project, which encourages injection drug users to use clean needles. The program allows participating pharmacies to sell up to 10 syringes at a time to adults without a prescription.
“This is about protecting the public and the families of addicts from contracting communicable diseases,” Chesbro said. “Injection drug use is the second leading cause of HIV transmission and the leading cause of hepatitis C virus infection in California. Sharing of contaminated syringes and other injection equipment is linked to nineteen percent of all reported AIDS cases in the state.”
The Disease Prevention Demonstration Project was created by legislation authored by then state Sen. John Vasconcellos in 2004. It went into effect on Jan. 1, 2005 and is currently set to sunset the last day of this year. AB 1701 seeks to remove that sunset and make the program permanent.
Dr. Ann Lindsay, Humboldt County’s public health officer and president of the Health Officers Association of California, said the Demonstration Project is particularly important in Humboldt County because the county’s two major needle exchanges – where addicts were able to exchange used syringes for new ones – shut down last year because of budget cuts. Currently, 11 pharmacies in Humboldt County are participating in the program.
“Studies have shown that allowing pharmacies to sell syringes without a prescription has reduced needle sharing,” said Dr. Lindsay, who testified in support of AB 1701 when the bill was heard in the Assembly Health Committee in March. “Most other states don’t restrict the sales of injection needles.”
Pharmacies may choose or not choose to participate – the program is not mandatory. Participating pharmacies are not required to register. The Demonstration Project allows only adults 18 and older to purchase syringes without a prescription, but pharmacies aren’t required to ask for identification. Minors and adults who have current subscriptions to purchase syringes are not affected by this law.
“The goal of this legislation is to encourage drug users to use new and sterile syringes,” Chesbro said. “The best way to accomplish this is to make the purchase of syringes simple and non-threatening.”
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- Written by: Editor
LAKEPORT – This Thursday, Catfish Books in Lakeport will host Registered Dietitian Kathleen DuChene who will discus her book, “The Therapy of Nutrition.”
The reading and book signing will take place from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Nutrition can be a constant struggle or it can be very therapeutic. Often times friends, family or even a new fad diet will offer advice on how to maintain health through means that are not as healthful as it first seems.
With so much off-centered information out there, it is difficult to know who to trust to help you get a real grip on your health.
“The Therapy of Nutrition” walks you through how the body functions so you can understand why nutrition works to either strengthen or destroy your health and how to use nutrition to your body’s utmost advantage.
Therapeutic nutrition promises to enliven your entire body, soul, and mind to help you feel better than you have ever felt.
Feeding the body reflects upon the soul, whether that food is good for the body or not. Withholding precious nutrients the body desperately needs every day can steal life and energy and cause emotional distress, but knowing how to feed your body what it needs will not only reawaken your energy but it can also open your eyes to enhanced emotional vigor as well as a deep-rooted inner peace with the person you are.
Everything we are or aspire to become begins with how we feed our bodies, because feeding the body will enliven our soul.
Catfish Books is located at 1013 11th St., Lakeport, telephone 707-263-4454.
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