Health
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- Written by: Editor
SACRAMENTO – On Tuesday, state Sen. Mike McGuire, chair of the Senate Human Services Committee, continued to put the pressure on the Department of Developmental Services to ensure the administration's plans for closure of the Sonoma Developmental Center will include agreements for residents regarding resources they need to thrive in the years to come, including housing, specialized medical services and programming.
“According to the administration’s plan as it’s currently laid out, the Sonoma Developmental Center would be the fastest closure in our state’s history. I understand that we’re trying to show the federal government progress, but arbitrary deadlines that are driven by dollar figures have no place in this process,” McGuire told the crowd of families, residents, staff, local and state officials attending the Joint Hearing of the Senate Human Services Committee and the Health and Human Services Budget Subcommittee.
“This is truly a defining moment for our state as major changes are made to the system of care for California’s developmentally disabled residents. We need to advance a plan that puts the needs of developmentally disabled residents first and we need to learn from lessons of past closures, and not make those same mistakes twice,” McGuire said.
The hearing focused on the significant budget crisis impacting California’s developmentally disabled community and the impact on residents and families, along with the impending closure of California’s developmental centers.
When the developmental centers close, the demand for community-based and regional center services will increase dramatically, adding pressure to a system that has been operating over the past decade with numerous budget cuts, such as rate freezes and provider payment reductions.
“All of these budget reductions have strained the regional centers, making it difficult to meet the demand for community services. As we continue to close down developmental centers, we need to reinvest in the regional center system and a deal on the managed care organization tax – which the legislature will vote on this Thursday – would be a good start,” McGuire said.
McGuire, who represents the region that includes the Sonoma Developmental Center, which is scheduled for closure in 2018, has spent the past year working with state and local officials, families, residents, staff and providers to ensure a safe and seamless transition for the nearly 400 medically fragile residents who call the SDC home.
The closure plan released last fall by the Department of Developmental Services for the Sonoma Developmental Center lacked important specific details about patient transition and placement services in the community.
An important aspect of Tuesday's hearing was to receive first-hand accounts of the lessons learned from previous closures of Developmental Centers in California directly from patient advocates and families.
Currently, California ranks last in the nation in funding per qualified individual with developmental disabilities.
In fact, California spends less than half of the national average and also has among the nation’s highest caseload ratios, according to a report released by the Association of Regional Center Agencies.
At the same time, between July 2011 and December 2014, 435 residential facilities closed, which amounts to 2,300 beds lost.
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- Written by: Editor
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Adventist Heart Institute is pleased to announce that Lou Ivanovic, MD, has joined its team of cardiac specialists.
Ivanovic welcomes patients throughout Lake County at clinic locations in Lakeport and Clearlake. He also will see patients at St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake.
Highly regarded by both patients and fellow physicians, Ivanovic has pursued a distinguished career as a specialist in cardiac medicine.
He earned his medical degree from the University of Belgrade Medical School in Serbia, then completed a residency at West Suburban Hospital Medical Center in Oak Park, Illinois, and a clinical fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Having discovered a deep interest in preventing as well as treating diseases of the heart, Ivanovic completed advanced training through a peripheral vascular interventional training program at St. John Medical Center in Springfield, Ill., and is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease.
He has extensive training and experience in both clinical and interventional cardiology, which relies on less-invasive techniques to treat structural diseases of the heart.
A gifted teacher, throughout his career Ivanovic has maintained a teaching appointment at Loyola University Medical School in Chicago and has trained hundreds of young doctors now in practice throughout the country.
He joins the Adventist Heart Institute from the Chicago Cardiology Institute, where he was a senior partner.
“We feel very fortunate to have Dr. Ivanovic join us,” said Marc Shapiro, MD, chief medical officer for St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake. “In addition to his impressive clinical skills, his ability to form working partnerships with his patients and inspire them to believe they can take charge of their own cardiac health is remarkable. Dr. Ivanovic brings a positive approach and emphasis on prevention and early intervention that will make a great difference here in our community.”
The Adventist Heart Institute spans six counties, four hospitals and nine clinic locations, including two clinics right here in Lake County.
The multispecialty team provides comprehensive cardiac care, bringing together some of the most talented cardiac health professionals and cutting-edge technology on the West Coast.
Cardiologists, electrophysiologists, and heart and vascular surgeons, along with a dedicated team of specialist cardiac support staff, provide a full spectrum of cardiac medicine from prevention to diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation, with an emphasis on whole-person treatment.
“Cardiology is a very exciting and dynamic field with extensive diagnostic and therapeutic modalities,” Ivanovic said. “This makes it very rewarding, as most patient problems can be either prevented or diagnosed early and successfully treated. Even advanced cardiac disease has multiple solutions. What I’m most passionate about is prevention and interventional treatment. My belief is that cardiovascular disease can be prevented and treated successfully. My goal is to restore full patient functionality and longevity.”
Ivanovic takes great pride in working closely with his patients to provide highly personalized care, with emphasis on education to empower patients to manage their own health, from prevention through choosing diagnostic and therapeutic options.
He is currently seeing Lake County at both Clearlake and Lakeport clinics.
To schedule an appointment in Lakeport, please call 707-263-6346. To schedule an appointment in Clearlake, call 707-995-3764.
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- Written by: Morgen Wells
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Beginning March 11, Sutter Lakeside Hospital will no longer offer breast biopsy services.
The traveling biopsy service, United Medical Systems, which contracts with the hospital, will no longer operate in the state of California.
“Our sister affiliate, Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation, will partner with Sutter Lakeside patients to ensure the patients’ needs are met,” said Sutter Lakeside Hospital Chief Administrative Officer Siri Nelson.
SPMF also uses the Sutter Electronic Health Record, so doctors, nurses, and techs across the system can seamlessly communicate with one another and provide continuity of care.
“We’re bringing 3D mammography and image-guided biopsies to Sutter Lakeside Hospital in 2017, Nelson said. “In the meantime, we’re working to provide a local solution for our patients.”
Sutter Lakeside Hospital’s committed imaging staff will help patients schedule biopsy appointments with Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation in Santa Rosa, though patients should check with individual insurance providers for more specific coverage information.
Mammography and breast MRI services will not be affected.
To learn more about Sutter Lakeside, or schedule a tour, please visit www.sutterlakeside.org/ or call 707-262-5121.
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- Written by: Editor
The health advisory regarding Dungeness crabs caught along the California coast has been lifted from state waters in all areas south of Latitude 38° 00' N, near Point Reyes.
California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith lifted this advisory on Thursday due to recent tests showing that traces of domoic acid have declined to low or undetectable levels in Dungeness crabs caught near Monterey, Half Moon Bay, San Francisco and Point Reyes.
This partial lifting comes after the Dec. 31, 2015, announcement regarding Dungeness and rock crab caught between the Santa Barbara/Ventura County Line and Latitude 35° 40' N (near Piedras Blancas Light Station, in San Luis Obispo County).
The advisory remains in effect for Dungeness crab caught in state waters north of Latitude 38° 00' N and for rock crabs caught in state waters around Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, the San Miguel Islands and areas north of Latitude 35° 40' N (near Piedras Blancas Light Station, in San Luis Obispo County), due to continued elevated levels of domoic acid in crabs caught in those areas.
CDPH and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment concur that Dungeness crabs caught along the coast south of Latitude 38° 00' N are safe to consume.
However, as a precaution, consumers are advised to not eat the viscera (internal organs, also known as “butter” or “guts”) of crabs.
The viscera usually contain much higher levels of domoic acid than crab body meat. When whole crabs are cooked in liquid, domoic acid may leach from the viscera into the cooking liquid.
Water or broth used to cook whole crabs should be discarded and not used to prepare dishes such as sauces, broths, soups or stews (for example, cioppino or gumbo), stocks, roux, dressings or dips.
The best ways to reduce risk are:
1) Remove the crab viscera and rinse out the body cavity prior to cooking, or
2) Boil or steam whole crabs, instead of frying or broiling, and discard cooking liquids.
Symptoms of domoic acid poisoning can occur within 30 minutes to 24 hours after eating toxic seafood.
In mild cases, symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache and dizziness.
These symptoms disappear within several days. In severe cases, the victim may experience trouble breathing, confusion, disorientation, cardiovascular instability, seizures, excessive bronchial secretions, permanent loss of short-term memory (a condition known as Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning), coma or death. There have been no reported illnesses associated with this year’s domoic acid event.
Domoic acid accumulation in seafood is a natural occurrence that is related to a “bloom” of a particular single-celled plant. The conditions that support the growth of this plant are impossible to predict. While the bloom that occurred earlier this year has dissipated, it takes a period of time for the organisms feeding on the phytoplankton to eliminate the domoic acid from their bodies.
CDPH will continue to coordinate its efforts with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the fishing community to collect crab samples from the central and northern California coast until the domoic acid levels have dissipated.
To receive updated information about shellfish poisoning and quarantines, call CDPH’s toll-free Shellfish Information Line at (800) 553-4133. For additional information, visit CDPH’s Natural Marine Toxins: PSP and Domoic Acid Web page and CDPH’s Domoic Acid health information Web page.