Details

Written by: Editor

Published: 15 June 2009

Created: 14 June 2009

Last Updated: 14 June 2009

KELSEYVILLE – Join the Lakeport Chamber of Commerce for a grand opening and ribbon cutting celebration in honor of the new Kelseyville Family Health Center.

The event will take place from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 18.

The Kelseyville Family Health Center is located at 5290 State St., next to the community park. The ribbon cutting will take place at about 5:15 p.m.

Tours, appetizers (catered by the Saw Shop Gallery Bistro) and beverages will be available as well as a chance to meet Kelseyville's newest family practice Physician, Dr. Saskra Sookra, and longtime community member, family nurse practioner Carol Meyer.

For more information please contact Kathy Novak, 707-279-8813.

Details

Written by: Editor

Published: 14 June 2009

Created: 13 June 2009

Last Updated: 13 June 2009

WASHINGTON, DC – On June 9 Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA) and other members of the House Committee on Ways and Means, met with President Obama to discuss the upcoming legislative agenda and their continuing efforts to reform America’s health care system to reduce costs, protect current coverage and preserve choice for patients to ensure affordable, quality care for all.

During their meeting at the White House, the legislators updated the president on health reform efforts in the House of Representatives and pledged to continue working with him to achieve reforms that will promote economic recovery and put America back on a path toward long-term fiscal health.

“We need to act quickly to make sure that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care,” said Congressman Thompson. “The system is clearly broken, and we need to create real reforms that will assure health care for all, while cutting costs and streamlining our health care system. After today’s meeting, I’m more sure than ever that the president and I share a basic commitment to building upon what works in our health care system and fixing what is broken by providing a public option to bring true competitiveness to the health care market.”

Earlier on June 9, Congressman Thompson joined in a discussion of health care reform with his colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus.

The members discussed the basic framework of health care reform, to reduce costs, protect current coverage and preserve the choice of doctors, and ensuring that all Americans have access to affordable health care.

Details

Written by: Editor

Published: 11 June 2009

Created: 10 June 2009

Last Updated: 10 June 2009

SACRAMENTO – The Assembly Health Committee voted 10-6 Tuesdsay to approve Senate Bill 158, legislation by Sen. Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) requiring health insurers and health maintenance organizations to cover the costs of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (upon the referral of a doctor).

Wiggins represents Lake County.

HPV is the most common sexually-transmitted infection in the United States – with over 80 percent of females infected at some point in their lifetime.

For many women, HPV clears on its own without treatment. For others, it can cause cervical changes at the cellular level – dysplasia, genital warts and cervical cancer.

HPV infection has been identified as the primary cause of cervical cancer. More than 450,000 cases are diagnosed each year worldwide, resulting in nearly a quarter of a million deaths.

Cervical cancer was once the No. 1 cause of cancer deaths among women in the U.S.

For nearly five decades, the Pap test has been credited with decreasing cervical cancer mortality rates by 70 percent. Studies have shown that using the Pap test in conjunction with an HPV test is even more effective, increasing the accuracy of detecting cervical cancer to almost 100 percent.

On June 8, 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first vaccine to protect girls and young women from certain types of HPV strains.

Gardasil, developed by Merck, is a three-dose quadrivalent vaccine – meaning that it protects against four strains of HPV, the ones most likely to cause cancer.

Another HPV vaccine, Cervarix by GlaxoSmithKline, was submitted for approval on March 29, 2007, to the FDA; however, approval is not expected before later this year.

The medical effectiveness of the existing vaccine, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC), suggests a corresponding 22 percent to 60 percent reduction in cervical cancer in the general population. Effectiveness should be highest for groups less likely to have been exposed to HPV, such as preadolescent girls and females without a history of sexual activity.

“The message for young women is to vaccinate, and continue regular screenings,” Sen. Wiggins said. “The combination of the vaccine and regular screenings will be a very powerful tool in reducing both cervical cancer and death from cervical cancer over the next decades.”

Wiggins’ legislation, which is sponsored by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, has already been approved by the Senate.