Health
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – At Lakeside Health Center, employees went to bat for Everett Fields to get him a new wheelchair.
Some years ago, Fields broke his back in a diving accident. He’s been using a wheelchair ever since.
At first, he said, he used a typical hospital wheelchair, but his life changed for the better when he got a lightweight chair; it made him more mobile.
Because Medicare only pays for a new wheelchair every five years, Fields must take good care of his equipment.
About a year ago, his old chair was wearing out and when he saw Dr. Jo Ann Rosenfeld at a medical appointment, she asked about it.
Fields was due for a new chair, so Dr. Rosenfeld and the team at Lakeside worked with Fields to request a new wheelchair.
Over the course of the year, each time Fields came in for a medical appointment, Dr. Rosenfeld would ask, “Did you get your wheelchair yet?” And the answer was always no.
This is when Dr. Rosenfeld began writing letters and making phone calls.
Even when patients meet the criteria for equipment or treatment, they still have to complete lengthy and sometimes complicated steps to get what they need.
Without the intervention of Dr. Rosenfeld and others, Fields probably would not have gotten a new wheelchair.
One of the requirements to get the new equipment is to get a physical therapy evaluation, so Dr. Rosenfeld set that up. Another is to complete several forms, which Fields did.
“Dr. Rosenfeld was great. She was really diligent about it. When I told her I still hadn’t gotten the wheelchair months later, she was flabbergasted,” Fields said.
Eventually, Fields got his new equipment, and he is very grateful. Dr. Rosenfeld described the color as “racing green.”
Fields says he has been coming to Lakeside for years, and that he appreciates how friendly the staff is and how quickly they always get him in to see the doctor.
“It’s a 10-minute wait. Tops!” he said. “I go right up to the desk and the whole staff is really good there. They’re very informative.”
He sais he definitely recommends Lakeside to his friends and family.
For more information about Lakeside Health Center, visit www.mchcinc.org or call 707-263-7725.
Lakeside Health Center is owned an operated by Mendocino Community Health Clinic, a local nonprofit organization providing access to health care for all.
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UKIAH, Calif. – When David Chan, DO, left the Ukiah Valley 12 years ago he didn’t quite know where his path would lead.
He knew he wanted to join the medical profession, but really didn’t have any idea of where his adventure would take him.
So with that goal in mind he left the Ukiah Valley to pursue his dream.
With his dream in mind, Dr. Chan set out for Southern California and became a doctor of osteopathy at Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific in Pomona.
Deciding to specialize in internal medicine, Dr. Chan moved to the north side of Chicago to complete a residency training program in internal medicine at the University of Chicago Northshore Hospital in Evanston, Ill.
When it came time to determine where his dream would take him next, Dr. Chan said, “Ukiah just kept sounding better and better. Though I grew to love Chicago, I remember what it was like having a closely knit small community to grow up in, and I loved it – I want my family to experience this same joy I had as a child. As a former Ukiah Puma, Pomolita Panther, and Ukiah Little League ballplayer, returning home brings back many wonderful memories that I look forward to sharing with my wonderful wife, Stephanie (who will also be joining the medical staff later this year), and our first child who is on the way.”
Returning home means so much more because he will also be continuing the legacy of his father, family practitioner, Theron Chan, MD, who has been providing high quality medical care for 36 years.
“I am proud of my son because he has become a man of compassion with a good heart,” the elder Dr. Chan said.
Likewise for the younger Dr. Chan, “I’m very excited to be working alongside my father [Dr. Theron Chan] with a goal of providing the same high quality care to our community.”
As for what types of patients Dr. David Chan enjoys seeing, “I chose internal medicine as my specialty because it really allows me to treat a wide variety of conditions, while at the same time developing life-long relationships with my patients.”
Dr. David Chan is now accepting new patients at the Ukiah Valley Rural Health Center Internal Medicine Office located at 260 Hospital Drive, Suite 103, in Ukiah.
He specializes in diagnosing, treating, and caring for complex diseases affecting adults.
To schedule an appointment please call 707-463-7490.
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SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is warning the public about fraudulent phone callers seeking to deceive people into revealing sensitive personal health and financial information.
The callers, who claim to be representatives of CDPH, contact people to inquire about a surgery or medical procedure in hopes of obtaining personal information such as bank accounts and medical history.
CDPH does not make such calls.
Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the CDPH and state health officer, said the public needs to be careful about sharing their personal information.
“People should be cautious about unsolicited phone calls regarding their personal health,” said Dr. Chapman. “These callers can be very convincing but no one should ever give out their financial or medical information during an initial telephone call. If you receive one of these calls, you should hang up immediately and report it.”
Based on complaints received by CDPH, the callers are often male with heavy foreign accents and primarily target women, some of whom may have had surgical mesh or bladder sling surgery.
The callers may hint at offers of compensation and attempt to lure consumers into giving out private information.
If you receive such a call, do not provide the caller with any personal information such as your address, date of birth, Social Security number, any banking or credit card information, or any health-related information.
Instead, hang up and contact the Attorney General's Office at 800-952-5225 or online at http://oag.ca.gov/contact/consumer-complaint-against-business-or-company to report the call.
Consumers also can file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ .
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake has announced the appointment of Colleen Assavapisitkul, RN, as its new chief nursing officer.
The appointment is part of an ongoing initiative by Adventist Health, the hospital’s parent organization, to increase operational effectiveness and local accountability through executive leadership.
Assavapisitkul is known for her passionate service in patient care, and for her dedication in her previous roles at St. Helena as director of quality/infection control and most recently as administrative director of patient care.
Over the past two and half years she has earned a strong reputation for focusing on improving quality standards, outcomes, and patient experience.
A career in health care that has spanned a variety of settings, including Hawaii, Oregon and Bangkok, Thailand, has provided Assavapisitkul with broad experience in patient care and infection control.
“I know Colleen personally as someone who truly leads with mission in mind, listens to her nursing team, and involves medical staff leaders in the process of guiding the clinical affairs of our health care delivery system,” said David Santos, chief executive officer of St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake. “We give her our complete support, along with our commitment to excellence, and I am confident that she will play a pivotal role in leading us to our common goal: national preeminent status among critical access hospitals.”
St. Helena Hospital is part of Adventist Health, a faith-based, not-for-profit integrated health care delivery system serving communities in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. Visit www.sthelenahospitals.org for more information.