LAKEPORT, Calif. – Sutter Lakeside Hospital’s monthly Stroke and Chronic Illness Support Group is meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 28, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the human resources conference room at the hospital.
Sutter Lakeside Hospital intern pharmacist Daniel Elmatari will discuss “The ABC’s of Managing Multiple Medications at Home.”
This month’s topic will focus on tools for organizing and managing multiple medications, and dispel medication myths.
There also will be time for discussion and questions about medication.
The group, led by Sutter Lakeside Hospital social worker Nikki Bullock, M.S.W., provides emotional support and resources to individuals and families impacted by chronic or advanced illness, or stroke.
Each month, guest speakers will discuss relevant topics including how to live with advanced illness, manage multiple medications, and cope with loss.
Meetings will be held the last Wednesday of every month from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
Please contact Nikki Bullock for further information by emailing
SACRAMENTO – Raw milk produced by Organic Pastures Dairy of Fresno County with a code date of Oct. 24 is the subject of a statewide recall and quarantine order announced by California State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones.
The quarantine order followed the confirmed detection of campylobacter bacteria in raw whole milk.
No illnesses have been reported at this time.
Under the recall, Organic Pastures Dairy brand Grade-A raw milk labeled with a code date of Oct. 24 is to be pulled immediately from retail shelves, and consumers are strongly urged to dispose of any product remaining in their refrigerators.
CDFA inspectors found the bacteria as a result of product testing conducted as part of routine inspection and sample collection at the facility.
According to the California Department of Public Health, symptoms of campylobacteriosis include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. Most people with campylobacteriosis recover completely.
Illness usually occurs two to five days after exposure to campylobacter and lasts about a week.
The illness is usually mild and some people with campylobacteriosis have no symptoms at all.
However, in some persons with compromised immune systems, it can cause a serious, life-threatening infection. A small percentage of people may have joint pain and swelling after infection.
In addition, a rare disease called Guillain-Barre syndrome that causes weakness and paralysis can occur several weeks after the initial illness.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Sutter Lakeside Hospital is proudly celebrating National Care Management Week this week, which highlights the partnership between case managers and patients.
National Care Management Week began in 1998 and was established as the second full week of October to showcase the ways that case managers improve patient experience.
Case managers assess, plan, and facilitate care coordination, and advocate for services to meet an individual’s comprehensive health needs to promote quality, cost effective outcomes, according to the Case Manager’s Society of America.
Case managers at Sutter Lakeside Hospital include Cherie Hensley, RN, Cheryn Chips, RN, Lanie Navarro, RN, and Lora Robinson, RN; case managers arrange transportation, communicate with patient families, locate patient resources, arrange home health care and plan care conferences.
Nikki Bullock, MSW, serves as Sutter Lakeside Hospital’s social worker.
“Case managers are an important link in the chain of communication between doctors, nurses and patients,” said Siri Nelson, chief administrative officer of Sutter Lakeside Hospital. “We’re proud of our team’s collaboration to deliver the best patient experience possible.”
For more information about Sutter Lakeside Hospital, visit www.sutterlakeside.org or call 707-262-5085 to schedule a tour.
SACRAMENTO – In the coming months, millions of Californians will be making an important decision: choosing a health plan during the open enrollment period through their employers or with Covered California, the state’s health insurance exchange.
Help in making that decision is available through the newest edition of the online quality Report Cards provided by the California Office of the Patient Advocate (OPA).
The California Department of Insurance also makes the PPO Report Card available at its Web site, www.insurance.ca.gov .
Available in English, Spanish and Chinese, the Report Cards allow consumers to compare the quality of care that more than 16 million commercially insured consumers receive from the state’s 10 largest HMOs, six largest PPOs, and more than 200 medical groups.
The quality information includes clinical as well as patient experience data and is available at www.opa.ca.gov .
“We’ve made it even easier for consumers to compare plans and medical groups based on what really matters to them by doing a side-by-side comparison of just two plans or a couple of groups,” said Elizabeth Abbott, OPA director and long-time consumer advocate. “Consumers can also sort the groups and plans by county, organization name, or by those that received the top rating score in their area. We think it is important that consumers can find the facts they need quickly and make a better informed decision with a very easy to use application.”
Users can also drill-down online to see specific plan performance on topics of greatest interest to them, such as diabetes care, checking for cancer, and behavioral and mental health care.
“We want all Californians to be able to make the best health care decisions possible and the Report Cards are an invaluable resource,” Abbott said. “The Report Cards are now available on a mobile application which you can download from the OPA Web site, allowing users to check the new quality star ratings from wherever they are.”
For detailed information about the 2015-2016 Edition of the Health Care Quality Report Cards, visit www.opa.ca.gov or call 916-324-6407.