Health
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SANTA ROSA, Calif. – On Monday, March 31, leaders of Redwood Regional Medical Group, the North Bay’s largest integrated physician-owned medical group specializing in radiology and cancer care, finalized an agreement to transfer the major portion of its operations in a five-county area to the fast-growing St. Joseph Heritage Healthcare/Annadel Medical Group and to St. Joseph Health.
This major milestone follows nine months of collaboration and negotiation between St. Joseph Health and Annadel representatives and Redwood Regional physicians who, since the mid-1950s, have filled vital health care needs for the people of Sonoma, Mendocino, Napa, Lake and northern Marin counties.
Effective on Tuesday, April 1, 19 of Redwood Regional’s 31 physicians will join Annadel Medical Group, while the outpatient imaging studies and oncology treatment provided by the group will continue through Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital and its parent organization, St. Joseph Health.
Twelve radiologists who have been part of Redwood Regional have formed a new group, Redwood Radiology Group, and will continue to provide diagnostic and interventional radiology services throughout the area.
Redwood Regional has served more than 500 patients per day out of eight area locations, a practice that Annadel Medical Group and St. Joseph Health, in collaboration with Redwood Radiology Group, will maintain.
With no interruption in care, patients can continue to access services from Annadel and St. Joseph Health at Redwood Regional’s pre-existing Sotoyome Street and Fountaingrove campuses in Santa Rosa, and at established sites in Petaluma, Healdsburg, Napa, Ukiah, Lakeport and Novato.
Collectively, these sites employ approximately 200 individuals who have been hired either by St. Joseph Heritage Healthcare or St. Joseph Health.
The physicians of Redwood Radiology will continue to be headquartered at 121 Sotoyome Street in Santa Rosa.
“North Bay communities have depended upon Redwood Regional Medical Group to provide advanced cancer care, surgical services, and radiology studies for many decades,” said Bob Just, regional chief operating officer of St. Joseph Heritage Healthcare, the medical practice foundation with which Annadel Medical Group partners. “The distinguished physicians and staff at Redwood have long been recognized for providing essential health care services throughout the region, and we are proud to partner with them to uphold the high quality of care their patients have come to expect.”
Leaders of all parties involved in the transition finalized terms of their agreement on Monday, March 31, bringing to fruition a process that began in July 2013.
This new partnership, consistent with nationwide health care trends toward greater integration between physician groups, hospitals, outpatient services and health systems, reinforces the parties’ shared capacity and mission to promote health and quality of life in the North Bay region.
Wayne Keiser, MD, an oncologist with Redwood Regional since 1977 who has presided over his medical group’s board of directors, cited his colleagues’ dedication to sustaining the work begun by Redwood’s founders and all who have since worked to expand access to their care.
“We are committed to our North Bay communities, to our patients, and to their ongoing care,” said Dr. Keiser, who along with radiologist Robert Feiwell, MD, has served as a co-chief executive for the group. “We look forward to an exceptional partnership with St. Joseph Health and a seamless transition for patients and their families.”
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LOWER LAKE, Calif. – In order to help students become healthier, the Lower Lake High School Ambassador program has been launched.
The LLHS Ambassadors’ goal is to create awareness about healthy living and fitness.
Their focus is to increase clinical visits as well as improve overall health and wellness on campus.
As student ambassadors their role is to help promote clinic services to other students on campus.
Konocti Wellness Center, located at the campus, is a collaborative effort between St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake and Konocti Unified School District.
The center is designed to provide students of the district a direct link between lifestyle changes and better health.
Konocti Wellness is now accepting new patients who are Konocti Unified students, grades kindergarten through 12th.
If you have a student in the Konocti Unified School District who would like to make an appointment please call 707-995-5630.
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Covered California and the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced that from Oct. 1, 2013, to Feb. 28, 2014, under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 33,111 consumers in mostly rural Northern California counties enrolled in subsidized and non-subsidized Covered California health insurance plans.
The new total represents a 19 percent increase from the 27,853 enrollments recorded through Jan. 31. An additional 35,842 consumers have been determined likely eligible for Medi-Cal in these counties.
The open-enrollment period for health insurance plans in Covered California’s marketplace ends March 31. Enrollment in Medi-Cal is year round.
The Northern California counties of Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne and Yuba represent about 4 percent of the statewide enrollment.
The local total includes 29,971 consumers eligible for financial subsidies.
These counties encompass Covered California pricing region 1. For Medi-Cal, these 22 counties represent 3 percent of those deemed likely eligible for Medi-Cal coverage.
The impressive pace of enrollments in the region is due in part to enhanced aspects of Covered California’s customer service.
The agency has increased staff to answer consumer calls, added phone lines, improved its website efficiency, expanded its live Web chat function and upgraded its Spanish-language Web pages. DHCS is continuing its work with counties and Covered California to process the vast number of applications and quickly deliver health coverage to all who are eligible.
For the five-month period ending Feb. 28, 880,082 consumers enrolled in plans statewide. The total increased to 923,832 through March 9.
Covered California also announced on Monday that it had enrolled more than 1 million consumers as of March 14.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Wednesday, March 19, the county of Lake is hosting a blood drive at the Lake County Courthouse at 255 N. Forbes St. in Lakeport between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The blood draws will take place in the Board of Supervisors’ Chambers on the first floor.
“This is something of tremendous value that costs nothing to give,” said District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown, who also serves as the chair of the North Coast Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Committee.
The blood drive is the brain child of Assistant Clerk of the Board of Supervisors Mireya Turner.
With so much negativity being reported on a daily basis, she thought it would be a good pick-me-up for the community.
“I started to think about things we could do in our community because when we step outside our own lives and do something that benefits others, it is a very empowering and positive experience,” said Turner.
Turner contacted the Blood Centers of the Pacific, which collects and distributes blood to 50 hospitals in the Northern California area, including Sutter Lakeside Hospital and St. Helena Clearlake Hospital here in Lake County.
During a 12-day period in January, blood collected by Blood Centers of the Pacific helped save the lives of more than 40 Northern California residents, ranging in ages from newborns to those in their 80s.
Each individual donation of blood has the ability to save up to three lives. Blood collected during this drive will be used locally in Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma counties.
Supervisor Brown says he’s proud of the residents in Lake County. “When you have a small community like ours, one of our major resources is the volunteers who are willing to give of themselves.”
Please call Sara Shucart at 707-263-2368 to schedule your appointment.
For more information or to schedule your appointment online, you can visit www.bloodheroes.com and click “Donate Blood” and enter the zip code: 95453.