Health
WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Reps. Mike Thompson (CA-5) and Jared Huffman (CA-2) this week passed an amendment in the U.S. House of Representatives that would provide the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) with $1 million in additional resources to protect our nation’s food supply and help the OIG conduct more efficient investigations into food recalls, like the recall at Rancho Feeding in Sonoma County.
The amendment, which is fully paid for, was offered to H.R. 4800, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2015.
“With the Rancho recall, I witnessed firsthand the need for USDA’s inspectors to have more resources so they can conduct better and more efficient investigations,” said Thompson.
“From the beginning of the Rancho recall, public safety has been our number one concern,” he said. “We can’t let food get out that puts the health and safety of the American public at risk. That is why it is important that the Office of Inspector General has sufficient resources so they can do their job and ensure our food is safe. This amendment provides them with that support.”
“The Rancho recall clearly demands a serious investigation. Many of my ranching constituents are facing serious financial losses and they can’t get any information from USDA about what happened. We have more information from CNN than we have gotten from USDA – this is completely unacceptable,” said Huffman.
“The public has a right to know what happened, how the process broke down, and who will be held responsible for it. Our amendment ensures the USDA Inspector General’s office has the resources needed to swiftly complete the investigation, close the case, and ensure we get answers so we can prevent this from happening again,” Huffman added.
In February, Rancho Feeding, a Sonoma County-based slaughterhouse, recalled all 8.7 million pounds of beef it processed in 2013.
The USDA was slow to share information about the nature of the recall and what would happen to the beef already processed by Rancho.
The recall put jobs, businesses, and livelihoods at risk, and the length of the USDA investigation, coupled with the lack of information, increased uncertainty for business and consumers.
Specifically, Thompson and Huffman’s amendment transfers $1 million from the USDA Departmental Administration account to the USDA OIG.
These resources will help ensure that the OIG, the office tasked with ensuring the integrity of USDA operations, has the support it needs from Congress to do its job and ensure our food is safe.
Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
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UKIAH, Calif. – When the need for an otolaryngologist arose in Mendocino county Susan R. Cordes, M.D. a renowned otolaryngologist answered the call because of her deep sense of mission and purpose.
“Academic medicine is experiencing enormous change in the current health care environment. As this change occurred at my home institution, it caused me to evaluate my situation and goals for the remainder of my career,” said Dr. Cordes.
“I decided that the timing was right to seek an opportunity in a different area geographically as long as I could maintain some of my academic interests such as humanitarian work and national academy involvement,” she said. “When I visited this area, I was impressed by the quality of the medical community and the natural beauty in Mendocino County, so I felt like this is a place where I could feel comfortable and have an enjoyable medical practice and life.”
“I am thrilled that Dr. Cordes will be joining the medical staff at UVMC,” said Ukiah Valley Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Gwen Matthews. “She brings with her a high degree of academic and surgical excellence. I know our community will be blessed by her knowledge and surgical precision.”
Regarding Dr. Cordes joining her practice, otolaryngologist Laurie E. Spence, M.D., said, “I am thrilled to welcome Susan Cordes, MD to Ukiah. As a nationally-recognized otolaryngologist, she brings 16 years of experience and up-to-date, university level knowledge that will benefit our medical community and patients in Mendocino and Lake [and surrounding] counties.”
“With Dr. Coursey retiring at the end of this month I know he has been looking to find the right partner for Dr. Spence. I think that we finally have found the perfect match with Dr. Cordes. Dr. Spence is also a highly skilled ENT with an academic background; I know their skills will complement each other and benefit our community for generations to come,” said UVMC Chief Medical Officer Marvin Trotter, M.D.
Dr. Cordes has a deep sense of mission that is fulfilled by her involvement in AMPATH, Academic Model for Providing Access to Healthcare.
“I am privileged to be involved in the Indiana University-Kenya AMPATH Partnership. I initiated ENT involvement in the program in 2009 and have retained an appointment at Indiana University to continue that work,” she said. “I keep in frequent contact with my Kenyan ENT colleagues; we are currently working on approval for our first joint ENT research project.”
In addition to participation in AMPATH, Dr. Cordes is actively involved in the humanitarian efforts of the American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, and serves as vice chair of the humanitarian efforts committee.
If you happen to become a patient of Dr. Cordes she says you can expect a thorough examination and a complete explanation of their care plan. “The option of surgery will only be discussed after considering all possible treatment options and will be offered when the benefits of the surgery outweigh the risks which are an inherent component of every surgical procedure.”
Dr. Cordes also brings new services to our community, “I am experienced in balloon sinuplasty, an alternative or adjunct to traditional endoscopic sinus surgery, Coblation technology for tonsillectomy, snoring, nasal congestion, sleep apnea and other procedures. In addition, I have considerable experience in the treatment of head and neck cancer.”
During her personal time you may encounter Dr. Cordes, her husband Kyle, and their two small rescue dogs at the local dog park, out for a walk or jogging around town.
“I look forward to exploring this part of the country – from the local wineries and natural beauty to seeing what San Francisco has to offer beyond the usual tourist attractions,” she said. “Kyle and I are excited to learn more about Ukiah and Mendocino county, and to find ways we can become involved in the community.”
Dr. Cordes is joining otolaryngologist Laurie Spence, M.D., and is now accepting new patients at the Ukiah Valley Medical Center Outpatient Clinic located at 1165 S. Dora St., Suite C-2, in Ukiah.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Cordes, please call 707-462-8855.
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