Health
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SACRAMENTO – On Wednesday Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the following appointments to the California Department of State Hospitals.
Pamela Ahlin, 51, of Folsom, has been appointed director of the California Department of State Hospitals, where she has served as chief deputy director since 2014 and was a deputy director from 2012 to 2014.
Ahlin was executive director at Coalinga State Hospital from 2008 to 2012, where she was a hospital administrator from 2005 to 2007.
She served as a staff services manager at Wasco State Prison from 2001 to 2005 and was an associate governmental program analyst at the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison, Corcoran from 1997 to 2001 and at Corcoran State Prison from 1996 to 1997. Ahlin served as a correctional officer at Avenal State Prison from 1991 to 1996.
She serves as the California Department of State Hospitals’ representative on the California Rehabilitation Oversight Board and is secretary of the Western Psychiatric State Hospital Association board.
Ahlin earned a Master of Arts degree in leadership and organizational development from Fresno Pacific University.
This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $173,349. Ahlin is registered without party preference.
Stephanie Clendenin, 44, of Antelope, has been appointed chief deputy director at the California Department of State Hospitals.
Clendenin has been chief deputy director at the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development since 2011, where she has served in several positions since 1994, including acting director in 2011 and acting chief deputy director from 2009 to 2011.
She was a staff services manager at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection from 2005 to 2006 and served in several positions at the California Department of Finance from 1998 to 2000, including staff administrative analyst and associate administrative analyst.
This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $145,536. Clendenin is a Republican.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – In 2014, Sutter Lakeside contributed to more than 30 local organizations and programs to positively impact people’s health throughout Lake County.
“Our No. 1 goal is always to deliver outstanding care to Lake County, and there are many organizations and events in our communities that share this goal,” said Sutter Lakeside Chief Administrative Officer Siri Nelson. “It’s not only our pleasure, but our responsibility to help these organizations.”
Sutter Lakeside provided funds and support this year to the American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, Lake Family Senior Center, March of Dimes, Mendocino College, Rotary Club and Terrace Middle School, to name a few.
One of the largest contributions went to sponsor the Lake County Office of Education Hero Project, a free, ongoing program that provides technology-based and live resources to help community members improve their parenting skills. Why? The program’s tagline says it all: “Because Every Child Needs a Hero.”
Another large Sutter Lakeside donation went to the Mendocino College Nursing Program to help train more registered nursing students in Lake County.
“The donation helped us retain a full-time faculty member for our nursing program,” says Mendocino College Nursing Director Barbara French, Ph.D. “Without Sutter’s generosity we were likely going to have to cut student admissions and accept a new class every two years instead of annually.”
In addition, Sutter Lakeside has participated in many health-related events throughout the year, from various Lake County health fairs to the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, the Community Care AIDS Walk, the local Habitat for Humanity dinner, the Senior Center Meals on Wheels and the Sponsoring Survivorship Breast Cancer Walk.
“At Sutter Lakeside, our mission extends beyond the walls of our care facilities,” Nelson said. “We feel strongly about putting our mission into action by investing in local programs and events that promote health in our community.”
To learn more about Sutter Lakeside, visit www.sutterlakeside.org/ .
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California Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ron Chapman warned consumers not to eat all varieties of Happy Apple brand caramel apples because they may be contaminated with listeria monocytogenes.
CDPH is coordinating with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other state and local agencies in the investigation of 29 cases of listeriosis in 10 states which appear to be linked to the consumption of multiple brands of caramel apples.
All 29 cases have been hospitalized and five deaths have been reported. A single case-patient in California has died.
Happy Apple Co., with manufacturing facilities in Orosi, Calif., and Union, Missouri, is voluntarily recalling all varieties of Happy Apple brand caramel apples after learning of the recall of apples used to produce the caramel apples by one of their apple suppliers.
These caramel apples were packaged in clear, plastic containers as a single pack, three-, four-pack or eight-pack.
All Happy Apple brand caramel apples with “best if used by dates” between Aug. 25, 2014, and Nov. 23, 2014, are being recalled.
The Happy Apple brand caramel apples were sold at multiple retail, club and discount store locations throughout California, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.
Although the recalled caramel apples are not likely to remain on grocery store shelves, consumers may still have the caramel apples in their homes.
Anyone in possession of the recalled caramel apples should place them into a garbage bag and dispose of them in the trash.
The CDC continues to recommend that U.S. consumers not eat any commercially produced, pre-packaged caramel apples, including plain caramel apples as well as those containing nuts, sprinkles, chocolate, or other toppings, until the investigation can determine all of the brands that may be implicated in the outbreak.
Whole in-tact apples, apple based beverages such as juice or cider, and apple sauce do not appear to be associated with this outbreak.
Symptoms of listeria infection may include high fever, headache and neck stiffness.
Infants, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are at highest risk for severe illness and death.
Listeria infection in pregnant women can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth, premature delivery or infection of the newborn baby.
More information is available at the following link http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/discond/Pages/Listeriosis.aspx .
CDPH recommends consumers experiencing any ill effects after consuming caramel apple products should consult with their health care provider.
Consumers that observe the recalled caramel apples being offered for sale are encouraged to report the activity to the CDPH toll free complaint line at 800-495-3232.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On a very rainy Dec. 10, Gail Ayzenberg and Linda Simayon from United Medical Institute in Sacramento paid a visit to St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake to present a generous $5,000 gift.
The gift, to be split between the cardiopulmonary and imaging departments, was given as a show of appreciation for the excellent technical training that their students receive at St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake.
Department directors Kevin Cole and Amber Thompson were honored, along with ultrasound technician Jeannie Cerna and Donna Compton, vascular sonographer.
“It is refreshing to see a medical facility that truly cares about the individual patient instead of viewing everything only through the prism of business,” Simayon told hospital staff.