LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Professional fitness instructors and fitness-related businesses and organizations are sought for participation in the countywide fitness event, “Move More 20+14 Field Day and Expo,” to be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26, at the Kelseyville High School Student Center.
There will be mini-fitness classes of 15 minutes each held throughout the day.
Instructors are being sought to lead these classes, which are designed to give expo attendees a sample experience of a variety of fitness activities available in Lake County – Zumba, Yoga, hula hooping, etc.
It is hoped instructors will bring a few of their own regular participants to take part in the mini-class.
Fitness and wellness exhibitors are also invited to apply for free table space available around the exhibition hall.
For more information, visit the Move More 20+14 Web site, http://www.climbtothepeakofhealth.org/for-fitness-professionals.html . There, you can fill in the online application, or download this form, https://app.box.com/s/zvctoa4ikgk115xyl7hn , and complete as instructed.
You may also contact Jessica Windrem, event organizer, at
Move More 20+14 is an activity of “Climb to the Peak of Health”, a countywide collaborative projected funded by a Community Transformation Grant awarded to St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake by the Centers for Disease Control. The goal of the overall grant project is to reduce chronic disease.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – Sutter Lakeside Hospital Volunteer Auxiliary President Joan Taylor is eager to find others like her to invest time in serving the needs of the hospital’s patients and staff.
Taylor is a nine-year member of the auxiliary. She joined the group in 2005 following her retirement from the California Department of Forestry; she wanted to stay busy with tasks that genuinely helped others.
April 6 through 12 marks National Volunteer Week.
Sutter Lakeside’s volunteers have been working diligently on behalf of the hospital since 1967 to assist with patient and family needs and to fundraise for hospital equipment.
The volunteer auxiliary is probably best known for their busy gift shop tucked away in the hospital lobby.
Over the years, their fundraising efforts have purchased furniture for the Family Birth Center, contributed to the Mobile Health Services Unit and stroke telemedicine campaigns, and acquired equipment for the Physical Therapy Department and technology for the Family Medicine Clinic.
Since 1998, the auxiliary has granted Sutter Lakeside Hospital employees with $77,120.29 in health care-related scholarships.
Since 2006, they have awarded approximately $39,000 in scholarships to local Lake County high school students interested in pursuing health care degrees.
“Many of us come from professional backgrounds and we have a lot to offer,” said Taylor. “All of us are very invested in the health care of our community. Volunteering makes us feel valued, as well. We always need more volunteers.”
The 28-member auxiliary volunteers work in the hospital’s surgical waiting room, help out in the Family Birth Center, and clerk in the gift shop.
They assist patients and family members, deliver flowers and books, help out in the Emergency Department, and create gift baskets to give to families in the Family Birth Center.
To become a Sutter Lakeside Hospital Volunteer Auxiliary member, individuals can request an application form by visiting the gift shop from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday or from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
All applicants must be interviewed, pass a background check and undergo a medical clearance. Costs for the medical clearance are covered by the hospital.
“I get so much pleasure from working at the hospital. It’s a hub for our community and the camaraderie that we have here is phenomenal. Why not come join us?” Taylor asked.
On Thursday, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the Social Security Administration (SSA) is now able to process requests for Medicare Part A and Part B Special Enrollment Periods, and reductions in Part B and premium Part A late enrollment penalties for certain eligible people in same-sex marriages.
This is another step HHS is taking in response to the June 26, 2013, Supreme Court ruling in U.S. v. Windsor, which held section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional.
Because of this ruling, Medicare is no longer prevented by DOMA from recognizing same-sex marriages for determining entitlement to, or eligibility, for Medicare.
“Today’s announcement helps to clarify the effects of the Supreme Court’s decision and to ensure that all married couples are treated equally under the law,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “We are working together with SSA to process these requests in a timely manner to ensure all beneficiaries, regardless of sexual orientation, are treated fairly under the law.”
While Medicare is managed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), SSA is responsible for determining eligibility for, and enrolling people in, Medicare.
For additional information, please visit http://medicare.gov/sign-up-change-plans/same-sex-marriage.html .
SACRAMENTO – Assembly Bill 1816, authored by Assemblymember Mariko Yamada (D-Davis), passed the Assembly Committee on Health with unanimous support on Tuesday.
This measure addresses slow, cursory or incomplete investigations of suspected abuse in long-term health care facilities by establishing timelines and procedures for completing an investigation into alleged abuse within a long-term care facility.
“I am pleased that we are one step closer to ensuring that residents in our nursing homes are in a safe and secure environment,” stated Yamada. “When a concern is raised about a resident at risk, we must act swiftly to investigate the matter in order to improve our state’s commitment to providing quality care to those who are among our most vulnerable population.”
Earlier this month, the California Legislature’s Joint Legislative Audit Committee, or “JLAC”, approved a request submitted by Assemblymember Yamada to audit the Department of Public Health's Licensing and Certification Division's regulation of long-term health care facilities.
Yamada co-chaired a joint oversight hearing with the Assembly Committee on Health which revealed thousands of backlogged complaints that have languished for years with incomplete investigations, leaving unanswered questions about safety concerns in long-term care health facilities, and the effectiveness of the state’s safety enforcement apparatus.
Support for this measure includes California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, California Association of Health Facilities, California Communities United Institute, California Long-Term Care Ombudsman Association and the Consumer Federation of California. AB 1816 will next be heard in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations.
Yamada is the chair of the Assembly Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care and represents the Fourth Assembly District which includes all or parts of Colusa, Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.