Health
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- Written by: Morgen Wells
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lake County Tribal Health Consortium celebrated the one year anniversary of its pediatrics and obstetrics clinic by giving back to the community.
Tribal Health donated $50,000 to the Sutter Lakeside Hospital Foundation to support the installation of a General Electric SenoClaire 3D Breast Tomosynthesis mammography unit in SLH’s mammography suite.
The GE mammography unit leads the industry in cancer detection by taking 3D images of breast tissue, allowing radiologists to see tissue calcification before it spreads, as well as determine when an image is a false positive.
“Having lost my mother to breast cancer a year ago, I personally know the importance of screening and early detection,” said Ernesto Padilla, executive director, Lake County Tribal Health Consortium. “Tribal Health has made it a priority to screen our female patients for breast cancer since Native American women have a higher cancer mortality rate than women of other ethnicities.
“I am fortunate to work for a progressive and generous Board of Directors who know that Lake County cannot grow as a community without helping our neighbors,” said Padilla. “Our partnership with Sutter Lakeside is an important piece of the puzzle as we strive to build a comprehensive medical home for our patients, providing access to the best primary, specialty, and technologically advanced care without leaving Lake County.”
Cancer rates in Lake County are significantly higher than the state average, while county screening rates are lower.
Breast cancer, which accounts for one in three cancers in women, killed more than 40,000 women in the United States in 2014.
One in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, and it is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
Early diagnosis and immediate treatment are vital to winning the fight against the disease.
Sutter Lakeside Hospital, which began fundraising for a 3D mammography unit in 2015, will begin construction as soon as possible.
The project is part of a match-grant campaign in conjunction with Sutter Health, which will double the funds raised by the community.
“We are so grateful for Tribal Health’s support,” said Siri Nelson, chief administrative officer, Sutter Lakeside Hospital. “Their incredible generosity allows us to bring 3D mammography to Lake County sooner than planned. It is because of community partners like them that we can fulfill our commitment to excellence in health care.”
In addition, the GE SenoClaire unit will allow for diagnostic biopsy, a service that is currently unavailable.
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California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith today warned the public about the danger of consuming illegally manufactured Mexican-style soft cheeses, often sold by street vendors.
“These cheeses are often made with raw, unpasteurized milk and under unsanitary conditions,” said Dr. Smith. “We are seeing a dramatic increase in the number of reported Salmonella cases, particularly in the Hispanic community.”
Since November 2015, at least 50 patients have been infected with three different strains of Salmonella. No deaths have been reported, but hospitalization has been required in several cases.
The investigation into these cases is ongoing, but several patients have reported consuming potentially unpasteurized Mexican-style cheese purchased from street vendors before they became ill.
Symptoms of Salmonella infection include fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea which may be bloody.
While most individuals recover in four to seven days without medical intervention, some may develop complications that require hospitalization.
Infants, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are at highest risk for more severe illness.
CDPH recommends consumers experiencing any ill effects after consuming soft cheeses should consult their health care provider.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) recommends purchasing cheeses made by licensed manufacturers and kept in refrigerated cases at retail stores.
More safety information is available through CDFA’s, “Illegal Cheese Can Make You Sick!” at www.cdph.ca.gov .
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- Written by: Editor
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake announced the appointment of Colleen Assavapisitkul, RN, BSPA, HACP, to vice president of patient care.
The new role is part of a continued effort by St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake to establish an exceptional team dedicated to health and wellness in Lake County.
Assavapisitkul’s leadership at St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake began in 2011 when she joined the organization as director of quality/infection control.
She served as administrative director of patient care before being promoted to chief nursing officer in 2014.
During her time with the hospital, Assavapisitkul was instrumental in opening the new Emergency Department, improving quality scores and building a strong clinical team focused on providing excellent care.
“Colleen puts patient experience first, empowers her nursing staff and has been a pivotal member of our leadership team as we’ve introduced new initiatives and further strengthened our efforts around quality and service,” said David Santos, president and CEO of St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake. “She shares the commitment to excellence that characterizes our organization and is a true embodiment of our mission to share God’s love by providing physical, mental and spiritual care.”
As vice president of patient care, Assavapisitkul will use her experience as a nurse and health care leader to provide enhanced vision and administrative accountability.
Her focus includes further improvements in clinical quality, patient experience and staff engagement.
“It is a privilege to partner with each member of our staff as we serve our patients and influence the health and vitality of our community,” said Assavapisitkul. “I am proud to be working with a team that has the experience and passion to lead us to the next level of excellence in patient care.”
Assavapisitkul’s career in health care includes broad experience in a number of clinical settings, including service in Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and Bangkok, Thailand.
St. Helena Hospital is part of Adventist Health, a faith-based, nonprofit integrated health system serving more than 75 communities in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. Visit www.sthelenahospitalclearlake.org for more information.
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- Written by: Morgen Wells
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Sutter Lakeside Hospital is pleased to report a five star rating in sepsis care, stroke intervention and pneumonia by Healthgrades.com.
Healthgrades, which is based in Denver, CO, connects more than one million people a day to health care providers by listing information about provider experience, patient satisfaction scores, and hospital quality.
Providers also use Healthgrades to ensure accurate representation of their practice.
“Sutter Lakeside Hospital is excited to receive recognition for providing patients with the best care in Lake County,” said Siri Nelson, chief administrative officer, Sutter Lakeside Hospital. “Our dedicated staff works continuously to improve patient care, and we’re thankful to be part of a broader system who provides invaluable support.”
Sutter Lakeside Hospital is the only certified stroke center in Lake County, and has been recognized by the Joint Commission, the American Heart Association, and the American Stroke Association for its excellent care of stroke patients.
Because of Lakeside’s affiliation with other Sutter locations, neurointerventionalists at Sutter California Pacific Medical Center are able to read a stroke patient’s CT scan through telemedicine while the patient is still at Sutter Lakeside Hospital.
Because the brain loses 32,000 cells per second during a stroke, timely care is paramount.
“Our streamlined treatment of stroke patients allows us to rapidly begin life-saving intervention,” said Dr. John Stein, MD, director of Emergency Medicine. “Our ability to teleconference with neuroimaging specialists means we can look at the patient’s brain scan together in real time.”
Sepsis, a life-threatening response to a bodily infection, is the top killer of hospital patients. Sutter Lakeside Hospital has targeted sepsis for the last four years, and has seen a dramatic increase in positive outcomes.
Sutter Lakeside Hospital leads the Sutter Health system in the lowest sepsis mortality rates.
“We identify sepsis upon a patient’s arrival,” said Stein. “As a nurse assesses a patient, our electronic record system will alert a nurse that a patient may be septic and we can treat it quickly.
“Because of our aggressive screening for infection, we are also able to catch pneumonia, which can affect anyone, not just the young or the old. Pneumonia is common, but Sutter Lakeside’s vigorous concentration on identifying infections means we can start fighting it earlier.”
To learn more about Sutter Lakeside, or schedule a tour, please visit www.sutterlakeside.org/ or call 707-262-5121.