Health
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The ads address the outbreak of vaping related lung illnesses and the growing teen vaping epidemic.
The public education advertising campaign is part of an Executive Order by Gov. Newsom.
California is the first state in the nation to launch a media campaign in response to this deadly outbreak.
Outbreak is Phase 1 of a multi-part media campaign addressing vaping. Phase 2 will rollout in January 2020 with a continued focus on youth vaping.
“The outbreak of vaping related illnesses has elevated the urgency in addressing youth vaping as a health epidemic,” said Gov. Newsom. "This campaign takes immediate action to inform Californians about the serious health risks associated with vaping and builds upon the work to reduce vaping among youth. I share the concerns of many other parents about the dangers vaping poses to the health and well-being of our kids.”
Outbreak aims to jolt young adults ages 19-29, and parents of middle school and high school students, by drawing attention to the health risks of vaping and this new outbreak of vaping related lung illnesses.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1,600 cases of vaping-related illness in 49 states have been reported, along with 34 deaths.
Three of those deaths were in California. The ads will run parallel to CDPH’s “Flavors Hook Kids” campaign already under way across California.
“E-cigarettes and vaping are not proven to be safe and are dangerous for youth,” said Dr. Sonia Angell, State Public Health Officer and CDPH Director. “California’s data on this outbreak shows that vaping products containing THC, particularly those obtained off the street or from other informal sources, are linked to most of our cases, but we are still investigating. During this time in particular, CDPH urges everyone to refrain from vaping.”
Young Californians are being impacted the most by this outbreak, with the youngest 14 years old. Numerous cases of this outbreak involve youth under age 18.
Since June, CDPH has received more than 138 reports of vaping-related lung illness in the state, all requiring hospitalization and many requiring life support interventions. The median age of California’s victims is 27.
While refraining from vaping is strongly recommended until the investigation is complete, for those who choose to vape, it is imperative that products only be purchased from a licensed retailer.
Do not buy vaping products on the street. Additionally, consumers should never modify a store-bought vape product.
“This outbreak of lung illnesses related to vaping is very serious, and the number of cases continues to climb,” said California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary, Dr. Mark Ghaly. “As a pediatrician, it’s critical that my colleagues, and all medical professionals, have very direct conversations with parents and their patients about tobacco, THC, other cannabis products and vape use.”
Outbreak includes TV, digital, and radio spots, running in 14 markets across California, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Fresno, San Diego and Sacramento. For more information about the dangers of e-cigarettes and vaping devices, symptoms of the vaping-related lung illness and where to find help, young adults should visit VapeOutbreak and parents should go to FlavorsHookKids.
The first TV spot for young adults shows seemingly carefree lives involving vaping juxtaposed with startling color footage of real patients hospitalized with lung illness. The second TV spot for parents presents dramatic visuals of the deadly outbreak of the vaping-related illness. The TV spot for parents will be released in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese and Korean, in November and December.
Vaping devices are the most commonly used tobacco product in California and 86 percent of high school teens who consume tobacco use a vaping device. Of the California teens who consume tobacco products, nearly 90 percent report using a flavored vaping product. Nationwide, cannabis vaping among youth has increased by 58 percent in a single year. From 2016 to 2018, vaping among California high school students rose 27 percent.
Visit CDPH’s website for more information on the dangers of vaping.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Cardiac rehabilitation is an exercise, nutrition and education program to reduce the symptoms and prevent progression of heart disease.
The outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program helps those who have suffered a cardiac event to recover to their fullest potential.
Adventist Health Clear Lake’s team of cardiac rehabilitation specialists work with patients to develop an individualized program to meet their specific needs.
The team educates patients about their condition and what they can do to improve their heart health, including implementation of a safe, monitored exercise program, ways to improve diet and how to manage other risk factors.
Benefits of cardiac rehabilitation include stopping or reversing damage to blood vessels, reducing chances of a heart attack, helping control symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath, and improving stamina and strength so participants can get back to an active lifestyle.
This is done through monitored exercise sessions, cardiovascular disease education, diet and nutrition instruction, stress management support and medication education.
Kevin Cole, RRT, is director of the cardiac rehabilitation program, which shares a space with Adventist Health Clear Lake’s long standing pulmonary rehabilitation program for individuals with chronic lung conditions.
“Cardiac rehabilitation helps individuals who have experienced a heart attack to get back to the life they love,” Cole explained. “It’s an important education opportunity and offers social connections in addition to supervised exercise.”
Cardiac rehabilitation requires a physician’s referral and is covered by most major insurances, including Medi-Cal and Medicare.
The program is located at 15322 Lakeshore Drive, Suite 204, in Clearlake, and can be reached by calling 707-995-5624.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
AB 744 is landmark legislation that requires true telehealth parity in coverage and reimbursement in California.
This means that health plans must provide reimbursement to healthcare providers for performing covered services, regardless of whether the care is provided in-person or through telehealth.
“California, the technology leader in our nation and the world, should also lead on access to health services. Telehealth overcomes barriers to healthcare access by using technology to connect patients to their doctors, no matter where they live, what the demands of their jobs are, or what mobility challenges they may have,” said Aguiar-Curry. “By taking advantage of technological innovations in the healthcare industry, we can use our doctors’ time and expertise more efficiently while expanding access to all types of care for Californians.”
Prior to AB 744, a loophole in existing law allowed individual health plans to lawfully exclude common and cost-effective types of telehealth.
This works by conditioning reimbursement for telehealth to only include services provided through one specific telehealth technology platform – usually a third-party vendor – or requiring the patient to be in a health facility.
In practice, this creates additional burdens for both the patient seeking care and the provider. For example, different third-party vendors contract with different plans. That places the burden on the provider to adopt multiple platforms to get paid for their work, and limits patients to only communicate with a provider who is part of their plan’s third party network.
In Lake County during the 2017 North Bay fires, Sutter Lakeside Hospital was closed for two weeks. The hospital was able to use telehealth in order to continue treating patients in the Lake County community, but they did this without knowing whether the providers would be reimbursed for their services.
In Sonoma County during the same disaster, Santa Rosa Community Health Center’s providers made 1,412 telephonic visits to patients impacted by the emergency without getting reimbursed.
“Telehealth is not just a rural issue. Though expanding the use of telehealth will create more access to care for people in small towns and rural communities, telehealth is also a critical tool for healthcare during and after natural disasters, like wildfires and floods. And, California’s working families shouldn’t have to choose between their day’s pay and the health of their loved ones to benefit from an expanded network of care,” explained Aguiar-Curry. “I am excited to see the benefits of AB 744 for Californians in the coming years, and thankful to the Newsom Administration, and the bill’s stakeholders for working on this significant policy.”
In a statement from the California Medical Association, a key supporter of the legislation, CMA President David H. Aizuss, M.D., said: “This important legislation recognizes the need to update and modernize our health care system, to improve access to care for patients and make care easier and more convenient. By creating a more consistent and reliable reimbursement structure for telehealth services, this bill will ensure that Californians, regardless of their location, have better access to necessary medical care, reduce overall costs of care for patients and to the system, and facilitate better physician communication with patients.”
Aguiar-Curry represents the Fourth Assembly District, which includes all of Lake and Napa Counties, parts of Colusa, Solano and Sonoma Counties, and all of Yolo County except West Sacramento.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Topics at the event include transitioning from surviving to thriving, healthy eating, long-term side-effects of cancer treatment, exercise and more.
Presenters include:
· Jan Adrian, MSW, founder of Healing Journeys and nationwide speaker.
· Kathleen Casey, RD, registered dietician at Adventist Health Clear Lake’s Live Well Program.
· Beth Rudiger, Lake County Jazzercise instructor and owner.
· Laurie Schirling, RN, OCN, CN-BC, breast cancer nurse navigator for Adventist Health.
· Ari Umutyan, MD, medical oncologist and medical director at the Martin-O’Neil Cancer Center.
· Amber Warner, LCSW, a behavioral health specialist with Adventist Health Clear Lake.
· Colleen Winters, LCSW, OSW-C, clinical navigator for the Martin-O’Neil Cancer Center.
“The Moving Beyond Cancer seminar will be an inspiring day of learning and connection with fellow cancer survivors and caregivers,” said Winters. “A cancer survivor’s health journey is unique, which is why we are honored to support them from diagnosis to treatment and beyond.”
The event runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and a continental breakfast and lunch will be served.
To RSVP to the event or for more information, contact Pamela Turner at 707-967-5750 or email
The Middletown Mansion is located at 20650 Highway 29 in Middletown.
The Martin-O’Neil Cancer Center is located at the Adventist Health St. Helena Medical Center at 10 Woodland Rd. in St. Helena, and its oncology providers see patients at the Adventist Health Clear Lake Medical Office in Hidden Valley Lake.
Learn more by visiting www.martinoneilcancercenter.org or calling 707-967-5721.
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