Health
WILLITS, Calif. – In keeping with the historical esteem of Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital’s legacy, it’s off to the races to move into the new hospital.
Howard Memorial Hospital officially received staff and stock certificate of occupancy from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, or OSHPD, on Aug. 11.
OSHPD is required by the state to review all new hospital plans and designs to ensure that they meet all special building code requirements. The agency also oversees all aspects of hospital construction.
According to Rick Bockmann, president and chief executive officer of Howard Memorial Hospital, “It has been a long time coming, but now we are that much closer to moving in to our community’s brand new state-of-the-art hospital. As you can imagine, this is an exciting time for our employees, physicians and community.”
With OSPHD approval, this means that Howard Memorial Hospital is now allowed to bring people into the building and stock the building as a hospital.
One of the next steps is to secure licensure from the California Department of Public Health, or CDPH.
“Once CDPH has a chance to thoroughly review our personnel’s competencies we will then be ready to open the hospital on Oct. 15, 2015. For now, our clinic teams are hard at work, learning the ins-and-outs of the new facility and the new technology that comes along with it and making sure we have everything in place for patient move-in,” explained Bockmann. “There is much work ahead but I am proud of our efforts on behalf of the communities we serve.”
With this development, Howard Memorial Hospital is pleased to announce a grand open house scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 13, from 1 to 4 p.m., where the community will have a chance to get a behind-the-scenes tour of the new facility.
“This is a pivotal milestone. Having grown up here, I know how much we need this hospital. It was a great privilege to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Amy Ford, senior project manager over hospital construction.
“We are excited to show the community their brand new hospital. Everyone is invited to our Grand Open House. This is their chance to see all the rooms and the equipment without actually being patients themselves,” shares Bockmann.
The new hospital offers private rooms with bathrooms, state-of–the-art operating rooms, a spacious emergency department with trauma bays, a helipad, and Roots – an organic farm-to-fork restaurant.
Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital is a 25-bed acute care hospital recognized internationally for its dedication to high quality patient-centered care.
Services include the Orthopedic Joint Center of Northern California, state-of-the-art radiology imaging, laboratory, in-patient and out-patient surgery, 24-hour emergency services, physical therapy and a soon-to-be full-service restaurant.
For more information about these services please visit www.howardhospital.com .
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SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Office of Health Equity (OHE) has released a strategic plan, Portrait of Promise: The California Statewide Plan to Promote Health and Mental Health Equity, that examines health and mental health equity, and the social, economic, and environmental conditions that affect health.
These social determinants of health shape the health of communities.
“As a physician and a public health officer, I have seen firsthand how those who suffer the stresses of poverty and discrimination also suffer disproportionately from conditions that shorten lives and lower quality of life,” said Dr. Karen Smith, CDPH director and state health officer. “With a better data-based understanding of the causes and consequences of inequity, we will be better prepared to take the steps to improve the health of all Californians.”
OHE was formed within CDPH in order to eliminate unjust and preventable disparities in health and mental health for all California residents.
Portrait of Promise is the first demographic report and statewide strategic plan for OHE. It presents evidence on the root causes of health inequities and offers strategies on how to address them.
According to Portrait of Promise: The California Statewide Plan to Promote Health and Mental Health Equity, almost one in four children in California lives in poverty, which is one factor that negatively impacts health. Other inequities include:
· The death rate for African Americans is higher than all races/ethnicities
· African American families are twice as likely as White families to suffer the loss of an infant
· Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQQ) youths attempt and complete suicide more often than their straight peers
· Compared with the salaries paid to men, women still make less for the same work
“The data shows that income, education level, race, ethnicity, employment status, gender identity and sexual orientation are all related to health and health outcomes for Californians. Beyond the social and moral implications of inequities, there is also a financial burden to be paid as well.” said Jahmal Miller, deputy director of OHE.
Portrait of Promise calls for better data collection and analysis to identify and respond to inequities, strategic communication to build awareness and enlist support in the fight against them, and changes in infrastructure aligned with the equitable health needs of the community.
The strategic plan calls for leveraging the collective strengths of public and private resources in order to address the causes of the disparities.
To receive notices related to the Strategic Plan and OHE affairs, the public may subscribe at
“Portrait of Promise: The California Statewide Plan to Promote Health and Mental Health Equity” is available on the CDPH Web site, www.cdph.ca.gov .
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