Health
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The bill, which Congressman Mike Thompson helped craft as a member of the Ways and Means Committee, pays particular attention to recipients in areas with limited access to health care.
In addition, the bill includes several provisions championed by Thompson that directly impact the First Congressional District.
“Medicare providers in rural areas like Northern California often lack the resources they need to serve the public,” said Thompson. “This bill increases payments for sole community and critical access hospitals, increases payments for rural ambulance services and ensures physicians are fairly reimbursed for Medicare services.”
Without this legislation, physicians across the country would face a 10.6 percent cut in reimbursements for Medicare services beginning July 1. Alarmingly, the data suggests that over 60 percent of California physicians would leave the Medicare program or stop taking new Medicare patients if these cuts are implemented.
“Although this bill stops cuts to physician payments, it is not about how much we pay doctors,” said Thompson. “This bill is about access to health care for patients. When doctors don’t get reimbursed, they often can’t continue serving Medicare patients.”
The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (HR 6331) also includes provisions from Thompson’s telehealth legislation, which expands the types of health facilities that offer telehealth services. Telehealth, the delivery of health services via telecommunications, is a proven method for doctors and patients to effectively communicate from separate locations.
Also included are provisions from Thompson’s cancer prevention bill, expanding the Welcome to Medicare Physical Examination from six months to one year for all new Medicare enrollees. Thompson has been a leading champion for preventive health care since his time in the State Senate, and believes this provision will help millions of Medicare recipients stay healthy.
“Making investments in preventive health care is one of the best ways to keep people healthy and reduce our nation’s health care costs,” added Thompson.
In addition, the bill permanently extends a Thompson-authored law that helps National Guard and Reserve physicians maintain their practices while deployed overseas.
Prior to Thompson’s law, Guard and Reserve physicians would have difficulties arranging other physicians to cover their practices while they were deployed and still get reimbursed for Medicare services; however, this law will expire on July 1. This bill ensures that physicians can continue to serve our country overseas without worrying about losing their medical practice at home.
The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act now moves to the Senate for consideration.
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Biofeedback can help you to use your mind to manage certain medical conditions, like stress. Sutter Lakeside Hospital and Center for Health’s Wellness Center invites community members to experience this non-invasive and relaxing treatment by visiting their new biofeedback lab.
The lab is open to the public, by appointment only, without the need for a physician referral.
The biofeedback program that the lab utilizes is designed to enable participants – in mind-over-matter fashion – to use their thoughts and will to control their bodies.
Biofeedback is based on the idea, confirmed by scientific studies, that people have the innate potential to influence with their minds many of the automatic, involuntary functions of their bodies.
It uses electronic equipment to monitor your internal physiological states, e.g., heart rate, breath rate, skin temperature and sweat response, etc., and to provide “feedback,” typically visually, that helps the user to learn how to control these states.
For more information or to make an appointment to visit the Sutter Wellness Center Biofeedback Lab, call 262-5171.
Lab sessions are self-guided; an orientation to the equipment and the program is given prior to the first session.
The lab is located in the Integrative Healing House on the Sutter Lakeside Campus in Lakeport.
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Telehealth, the delivery of health services via telecommunications, is a proven method for doctors and patients to effectively communicate from separate locations. This technology is an important resource for transmitting medical advice, information and imaging, but Medicare reimbursement for telehealth services is currently limited to rural areas and specific types of health facilities.
The Thompson-Hulshof legislation would expand Medicare reimbursement to urban and suburban areas and include more facilities, like skilled nursing facilities and home health services. It will also allow doctors to monitor patients remotely.
“People in rural Congressional Districts like ours often have to travel long distances to see a specialty physician,” said Thompson. “We know that telehealth technologies are an effective way to bring high-quality, affordable healthcare to Americans, no matter where they live. This legislation will make sure Medicare recipients can access telemedicine technology in more cities and towns and in more health facilities. As healthcare becomes more expensive, telehealth technology is a great way to help people get the care they need.”
"Telehealth has the potential to make the best treatments and medical professionals available to any American," said Hulshof. "This legislation has broad support from the medical community, as we all share the same goal: to take full advantage of medical and technological advances to save lives and keep people healthy. Telehealth also has great potential to save billions of taxpayer dollars, so this bill is truly a win-win."
The legislation also provides $30 million in grant funding to help health facilities pay for the telehealth equipment and to expand telehealth support services.
Telehealth has shown it provides better management of chronic diseases, reduces emergency room admissions and lowers healthcare costs. Telehealth services can also play an important role in addressing the epidemic of physician shortages in rural America by bringing physician specialty services to remote communities. In addition, faster diagnoses enabled by telehealth allow patients to get care more quickly.
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CLEARLAKE – Joan Rogers, RN, MSN, a 22-year nursing executive at St. Helena Hospital with a long list of health care achievements, has been appointed administrative director for clinical services at Redbud Community Hospital.
“Adding Joan to our leadership staff is part of our focus to improve the quality of care and service we provide our patients,” said Linda Gibson, Redbud’s senior vice president of operations. “We continue to work toward our goal of making Redbud the best critical-access hospital in the state.”
Rogers is responsible for directing Redbud’s nursing care and clinical services. She served in a series of progressively senior positions at St. Helena Hospital, where she is known for her ability to recruit, motivate and unify staff.
Her major accomplishments include growing outpatient surgery services from one temporary bed to a full-service department, overhauling training standards for clinical staff, and working with nurses and teams to achieve outstanding patient satisfaction scores.
“This new position allows me to do the things I enjoy most, including finding compassionate staff and guiding them to deliver the highest level of care for our patients,” said Rogers. “I’ll also continue to work with the leaders of St. Helena Hospital to share best practices and quality initiatives with Redbud Community Hospital.”
Rogers has a B.S. degree in nursing from Walla Walla College and a master’s degree in nursing from the University of San Francisco.
She is a Lake County resident and enjoys spending time with her family and gardening.
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