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- Written by: Adventist Health
A TMVR is a less invasive alternative that offers hope for patients with severe degenerative mitral valve regurgitation who were previously faced with only one treatment option – open heart surgery.
The first procedure was performed in the cardiac catheterization lab at the hospital on May 9.
Mitral valve regurgitation, which is caused by a leaky heart valve that separates the upper and lower chambers on the left side of the heart, can place serious burdens on quality of life.
Degenerative mitral valve regurgitation is usually caused by a structural abnormality of the valve or valve leaflets. The disease affects one in 10 Americans over the age of 75.
These patients may experience fatigue, shortness of breath and fainting and an increased risk of developing a rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation. If it is not treated, mitral regurgitation can also cause other serious problems, such as heart failure.
Until now, patients who were not eligible for traditional open heart surgery for repair had only medical therapies to help prevent or delay their disease progression. Medical therapy can treat the symptoms of degenerative mitral regurgitation, but does not treat the disease itself.
The TMVR procedure is less invasive than open heart surgery, and patients can expect a faster recovery and shorter hospital stay with minimal pain.
“This procedure is a breakthrough for the many Americans who suffer from mitral valve regurgitation,” explained Dr. Steven Herber, president at Adventist Health St. Helena. “I am proud of our team’s continued hard work to bring the latest innovations in heart and vascular care to communities throughout the North Bay.”
The valve team at the Adventist Heart & Vascular Institute previously performed the North Bay’s first transcatheter aortic valve repair, or TAVR, in 2016.
Transcatheter mitral valve repair is a surgery-free advance in the field of cardiology performed by accessing the mitral valve via veins using a catheter through the groin.
A specially designed clip grasps the mitral valve leaflets, bringing them together and closing the “leak,” allowing blood to pump efficiently through the heart and to the body.
The TMVR procedure was performed by a team of highly-trained interventional and general cardiologists, including Dr. Monica Divakaruni, Dr. Mark Gardner and Dr. John Laird and cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Gan Dunnington.
“Much like our work with the transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedure, we are among the first hospitals in Northern California outside of the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento to introduce this procedure,” explained Dr. Monica Divakaruni. “The physicians and other clinicians at the Adventist Heart & Vascular Institute are proud to be pioneers in our region and to partner with providers in our community to offer the best cardiovascular care to patients.”
The multidisciplinary heart valve team at the Adventist Heart Institute is made up of cardiothoracic surgeons, interventional cardiologists, a dedicated nurse coordinator, highly skilled cardiac nurses, anesthesiologists and imaging professionals that collaborate to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients with valvular heart disease.
Together, they are unified by a vision to help patients access new advances in treating aortic stenosis and improve their quality of life.
Patients or physicians interested in learning more about the TMVR procedure can call the Adventist heart & Vascular Institute at 707-963-6322 or can visit www.adventistheart.org.
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- Written by: Adventist Health Clear Lake
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Adventist Health Clear Lake is introducing general surgeon, Hassan S. Moghaddas to the community.
Dr. Moghaddas graduated from Lund University in Sweden and completed his residency at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. He also spent time at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in New York, researching and practicing tracheal bioengineering.
He is a skilled surgeon with previous experience serving rural communities. He understands the complexities that come with practicing in rural communities and is looking forward serving the Clearlake community.
As a general surgeon Dr. Moghaddas performs a wide range of surgeries a few of these procedures include, abdominal wall reconstruction, minimally invasive gallbladder and common bile duct surgery, endoscopy/colonoscopy, dialysis access, fistula creation, dialysis access, surgical treatments for breast cancer, disease of the thyroid and parathyroid, foregut and reflux disease.
“Dr. Moghaddas is a welcomed addition to our team. I knew immediately upon meeting him that our community would love him. He brings a personable approach to health care and strives for the best possible patient outcomes,” said Brent Dupper, executive director for physician and outpatients services.
If you are interested in scheduling an appointment with Dr. Moghaddas or referring a patient you can call 707-461-7986.
Dr. Moghaddas is currently seeing patients in two locations, 15322 Lakeshore Drive, Clearlake and 15230 Lakeshore Drive, Clearlake.
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- Written by: MCHC Health Centers
NORTH COAST, Calif. – In small communities like those in Lake and Mendocino counties, some people assume they need to go to out of town to receive top-quality health care, but according to the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA, this is not the case – at least when it comes to care at MCHC Health Centers.
HRSA recently bestowed MCHC with a Silver Badge representing the health center’s standing as one of the top community health centers in the country.
The HRSA spokesperson said to MCHC and other awardees, “As a HRSA Health Center Quality Leader, you were among the top 30 percent of all HRSA-supported health centers that achieved the best overall clinical outcomes, demonstrating high-quality across clinical operations. Thank you for your commitment to providing quality primary health care services to your community.”
MCHC provides comprehensive services including medical and dental care, behavioral health care, preventative services, wellness care, acute and chronic care, obstetrics and women’s health services and, crucial to the wellbeing of its patients, case management.
MCHC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jerry Douglas said, “I think part of the reason we’re so successful is because we use a team approach. Each clinician or staff member contributes his or her particular expertise, so patients get the best from everybody.”
MCHC is a designated Patient-Centered Medical Home, which means the MCHC healthcare team collaborate with the patient in making healthcare decisions. By strengthening the relationship between patients and providers, MCHC is can prescribe treatment that best fits with a patient’s unique needs, culture, values and preferences.
“By combining our healthcare expertise with the patient’s knowledge about themselves and what will work best for them, we are able to work with patients to develop practical, workable solutions to their healthcare problems,” said MCHC Quality Improvement Director Dr. Jaisingh Niemer.
Dr. Niemer explained that MCHC continually strives to improve quality and meet the highest national standards. “We work with patients to help them meet their healthcare goals, supporting them along the way,” he said. Not only does MCHC help patients address existing health problems, it also encourages patients to be proactive about their care by reminding them to come in when it is time to get routine screenings and preventive care for chronic conditions.”
“The other thing that sets us apart from a big, metropolitan health center is the fact that the people who work here tend to live here, too. Our patients are members of our community. It’s more personal,” Dr. Douglas said.
MCHC is a local nonprofit organization providing access to comprehensive healthcare for people in Ukiah, Willits and Lakeport. All MCHC health centers accept Medi-Cal, Medicare, Covered California insurance and other insurance.
Learn more at www.mchcinc.org.
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- Written by: California Department of Public Health
Salmonella, E. coli and Campylobacter are bacteria most commonly recognized for causing foodborne illness in the United States each year.
Most of these cases are mild and cause symptoms for only a day or two, but some cases are more serious.
However, there are some easy and effective steps you can take to help lessen your chance of contracting a foodborne illness.
“You can protect yourself, your family and your friends from foodborne illness by following simple safety tips for properly preparing and handling food,” said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith.
Following these four “C’s” can prevent foodborne illnesses:
Chill:
– Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Bacteria can grow in foods kept in the temperature “danger zone” (41°F-135°F) / (5 °C-58 °C) for an extended period of time.
– Refrigerate leftovers to less than 41°F / 5 °C as soon as possible, but definitely within two hours.
– Use shallow pans and loosely cover while in the refrigerator to allow warm air to escape and facilitate cooling.
– Select cold foods at the grocery store last and put them away first when you get home to keep them cold.
– Refrigerated foods packaged in hermetically sealed or vacuum packaged containers should always be stored in the refrigerator. Storing these types of vacuum packaged products at room temperature could allow the production of Botulism toxin.
– Follow package instructions, especially when it comes to keeping foods refrigerated.
– Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator or in a microwave immediately prior to cooking. Never thaw frozen foods on the counter.
Clean:
– Wash your hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food. Humming “happy birthday” twice while washing hands is a good way to ensure you are washing long enough.
– Scrub cutting boards with hot, soapy water after preparing each item and before moving on to the next food. If your cutting board has deep grooves or cut marks, which make it difficult to clean, consider replacing it.
– Wash and thoroughly rinse utensils and cutting boards with soap and water. Thoroughly cleaning them with a bleach solution (made of one tablespoon of unscented liquid bleach diluted in one gallon of water) will provide effective sanitation action.
– Cover any cuts or skin abrasions on your hands to avoid contaminating the food.
– Keep pets and household chemicals away from food preparation areas.
Prevent cross contamination:
– Keep raw and cooked foods separate.
– Use separate cutting boards and knives for chopping ready-to-eat produce and raw meats.
– Never rinse raw poultry because it spreads germs around the kitchen sink, which can serve as a source of contamination for other foods.
– Discard used marinades.
– Use clean utensils and plates to remove cooked foods from grills and pans. Never place cooked foods back into the dish that held the raw or uncooked foods.
– Separate raw and uncooked meats from ready-to-eat items when shopping at the grocery store. Place raw meats in disposable, plastic bags away from other foods.
– If you use reusable shopping bags for groceries, designate specific bags for meats to avoid cross-contamination. Wash and dry bags as they become soiled.
– Store bags used for groceries at home in a manner which protects them from other sources of contamination such as pets, children, and chemicals.
– Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator in water-tight containers to prevent juices from leaking onto ready-to-eat and cooked foods.
Cook:
– Use an accurate thermometer to measure the final internal temperature of meat and meat products. Color is an inaccurate way to determine if meat is sufficiently cooked.
– Measure the temperature in the thickest part of the food, ensuring the thermometer does not touch bone or the cooking pan which can give you an inaccurate reading.
– Wash thermometers after each use.
– Wait until foods are completely cooked before taste testing.
– When using a microwave to cook or reheat food, be sure to rotate or stir the food to facilitate thorough heating.
– Additionally, some labels recommend a “resting time” for the food after cooking before it should be served. Those instructions should be followed in order to allow the heat to evenly distribute.
Visit CDPH’s Cooking Raw Meats Web page for additional information.
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