SACRAMENTO – California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Director and State Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith is reminding everyone to stay cool and hydrated as temperatures around the state continue to climb.
“California residents need to prepare themselves for what’s looking like a very hot, dry summer,” Dr. Smith said. “July and August are generally the hottest months of the summer season and we are already seeing very high temperatures. It is important that everyone stay cool, stay hydrated, stay inside and take other precautions to prevent heat-related illness.”
Extreme heat poses a substantial health risk, especially for vulnerable populations including young children, the elderly, those with chronic diseases or disabilities, pregnant women and people who are socially isolated.
Heat-related illness includes: cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke and death. Warning signs of heat-related illnesses may include heavy sweating, muscle cramps, weakness, headache and nausea.
Vomiting, paleness, tiredness and dizziness can also be indicators of heat-related illness.
In areas where air quality is poor, people with heart disease, asthma or other respiratory diseases should reduce or eliminate their outdoor activities.
Summer schools and programs with children who have sensitive conditions, including heart disease, asthma and other respiratory diseases, should conduct activities indoors as much as possible.
Smith offers the following tips to stay safe during this period of excessive heat:
– Drink plenty of water or juice, even if you are not thirsty. Avoid alcohol.
– If you don’t have air conditioning, visit a cooling center or a public place with air conditioning (such as a shopping mall or library) to cool off for a few hours each day.
– Avoid outdoor physical exertion during the hottest parts of the day. Reduce exposure to the sun from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. when UV rays are strongest, and keep physical activities to a minimum during that time.
– Wear a wide-brimmed hat to cover the face and neck, wear loose-fitting clothing to keep cool and to protect your skin from the sun
– Regularly check on any elderly relatives or friends who live alone. Many may be on medications which increase likelihood of dehydration.
– To prevent overheating, use cool compresses, misting, showers and baths. Get medical attention if you experience a rapid, strong pulse, you feel delirious or have a body temperature above 102 degrees.
– Never leave infants, children, elderly or pets in a parked car. It can take as little as 10 minutes for the temperature inside a car to rise to levels that can kill.
– Wear sunglasses that provide 100 percent UVA and UVB protection. Chronic exposure to the sun can cause cataracts.
– Liberally apply sunscreen (at least SPF 15) 15 minutes before venturing outdoors and re-apply at least every two hours – sunscreen may reduce the risk of skin cancer, the number one cancer affecting Californians.
Get more hot weather tips on CDPH’s Web site, www.cdph.ca.gov .
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is updating its warning to consumers regarding certain seafood caught in Monterey, Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara counties due to the detection of dangerous levels of domoic acid, a naturally occurring toxin.
Previously, the CDPH health advisory dated June 8, 2015, warned consumers not to eat recreationally caught mussels and clams and included the internal organs (viscera) of scallops and the internal organs of commercially or recreationally harvested anchovy, crabs and sardines.
CDPH’s current test results of a variety of seafood samples have detected elevated domoic acid levels in the meat as well as the internal organs and viscera in several species.
CDPH is updating its health advisory to warn consumers not to eat recreationally harvested mussels and clams, commercially or recreationally caught anchovy and sardines or commercially or recreationally caught crabs taken from Monterey, Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara counties.
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. CDPH will continue its efforts to collect a variety of molluscan bivalve shellfish, fin fish and crab samples from these areas to monitor the level of domoic acid in seafood.
This warning does not apply to commercially sold clams, mussels, scallops or oysters from approved sources. State law permits only state-certified commercial shellfish harvesters or dealers to sell these products.
Shellfish sold by certified harvesters and dealers are subject to frequent mandatory testing to monitor for toxins.
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 event.
To receive updated information about shellfish poisoning and quarantines, call CDPH’s toll-free Shellfish Information Line at 800-553-4133 or visit www.cdph.ca.gov .
U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA) on Thursday announced that his bipartisan legislation to improve the Medicare Advantage (MA) program for seniors passed the House by voice vote.
The Increasing Regulatory Fairness Act (H.R. 2507), co-authored by Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) would expand an annual comment period for proposed payment rates and regulatory changes for MA plans.
“This legislation will double the time that stakeholders have to provide constructive feedback on Medicare Advantage rates and policy changes,” said Thompson. “As more Medicare beneficiaries sign up for Medicare Advantage, it is important that stakeholders have time to provide thoughtful input so that access to Medicare Advantage plans can keep pace with the growing number of enrollees.”
Each year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) publishes its Medicare Advantage call letter and rate notice, which outlines payment rates and changes for the nearly 2,000 plans that serve our MA population.
Nearly 10 years ago, the call letter and rate notice were less than 20 pages long. However, since then, enrollment in Medicare Advantage has nearly tripled from 5.4 million to 16 million, Medicare Advantage policy has become more complex, and the call letter and rate notice has grown to more than 150 pages.
At the same time, the time between the publishing of the draft notice and the final notice, which is currently 45 days, has remained unchanged.
During this 45-day period, in which there are only 15 days to comment on the proposed changes in the program, stakeholders are expected to review 150 pages of regulatory changes, and understand the impacts of the proposed policy changes on a program that provides medical care to over a third of Medicare beneficiaries.
The small timeframe also deprives CMS of thoughtful, constructive feedback that is necessary to improve a program on which seniors rely.
H.R. 2507 will expand the current cycle from 45 to 60 days, allowing for 30 full days – or double the current time allowed – to analyze and provide feedback on the draft call letter and rate notice.
Thompson is proud to represent California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Mike Thompson Griffith (D-CA) was joined today by Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Joyce Beatty (D-OH), James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), and Gregg Harper (R-MS) in introducing the Furthering Access to Stroke Telemedicine (FAST) Act (H.R. 2799).
This bipartisan bill expands access to stroke telemedicine (also called “telestroke”) treatment in Medicare, and has earned the support of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and the American Academy of Neurology. Similar legislation (S.1465) has been introduced in the Senate.
“When having a stroke, time is of the essence,” said Congressman Thompson. “Every tool in the toolbox should be available. This bill will save lives by allowing stroke patients to be treated quickly via telemedicine no matter where they are located.”
Congressman Griffith said, “At a 2001 event, my then-colleague Virginia Delegate Bob Bloxom suddenly began having a significant stroke. Two doctor-delegates, John O’Bannon and George Broman, promptly rushed to his aid. Dr. O’Bannon, a neurologist, phoned for an ambulance, and informed the paramedics of Bob’s condition. Doctors were soon able to administer to Bob the clot-busting Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA), after which he recovered rapidly. To everyone’s astonishment Bob returned several days later to the Virginia House of Delegates, making remarks on the floor with no discernable impact to his speech or motor functions. tPA and telestroke ought to be readily available to help improve the chances of recovering from a stroke. I thank my colleagues for joining me in this effort.”
Congresswoman Beatty said, “As a stroke survivor, I know the magnitude of this disease and its often life changing effects. Each year nearly 800,000 Americans have a stroke and we should do more to provide the tools needed to better assist and decrease recovery times of stroke survivors. Advances in stroke treatment like telestroke have proven highly effective in improving the quality of stroke care that patients receive. I thank Congressman Griffith for putting forward this important legislation and thank all the stakeholders for educating and leading the charge in stroke prevention and treatment.”
Congressman Sensenbrenner said, “As the leading cause of serious long-term disability, improving treatment for stroke patients is critical. This important legislation expands patient access to telemedicine through modern technology, while saving taxpayer money. Far too many lives are lost to stroke each year. Passing the FAST Act will increase the odds of recovery and reduce the harmful effects of stroke on American families.”
“To increase access to timely stroke diagnosis and high quality care; innovative strategies like telehealth are paving the way forward and focusing on what matters most: connecting patients with quality and well-timed care,” said Congressman Harper. “It is prudent that Congress supports legislation that will help increase the percentage of ischemic stroke patients being diagnosed within 3-4 hours, so that patients are able to receive therapies to avert or reduce disability. Telestroke technology is broadening patients’ access to care regardless of distance and is ultimately reshaping how healthcare is delivered.”
“All Americans deserve access to high quality stroke care regardless of where they live,” said American Heart Association/American Stroke Association President Elliott Antman, M.D. “That’s why this bill is so essential – it removes a barrier for Medicare beneficiaries so they can receive the improved quality treatment telestroke provides. The association urges Congress to pass this important legislation that will help prevent long-term disability and improve the lives of all of our nation’s stroke survivors.”
“Telemedicine has the potential to improve the lives of millions of individuals suffering from chronic conditions. Stroke is a condition that needs to be treated immediately in order to minimize damage to the brain. This legislation focuses on expanding access to a proven method for treating strokes quickly,” said Terrence L. Cascino MD, FAAN, President of the American Academy of Neurology. “Stroke patients with access to a neurologist have significantly better outcomes than those that do not. Reimbursing for telestroke consultations under Medicare will dramatically increase the number of beneficiaries who have timely access to neurologist, ultimately producing steep reductions in disability while saving the federal government money. It’s a win-win.”
Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death for Americans and contributes greatly to long-term disability and dementia some survivors.
Through telestroke, a patient having a stroke can gain access to specialists through the use of interactive videoconferencing, even if the hospital at which the patient is receiving treatment does not have a stroke neurologist available around the clock.
Telestroke can expand the diagnoses of ischemic strokes and allow patients to more quickly be treated with Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA), a drug that helps dissolve blood clots and reverse disability if administered within the first three to four and a half hours after a stroke.
Currently, Medicare only covers telestroke in the most rural, underserved areas. This legislation, the FAST Act, would expand coverage nationwide.
Additionally, the American Heart Association estimated it would save approximately $119 million in Medicare spending annually by reducing the need for rehabilitation and nursing home stays.
Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.