Lake County News,California

Health

: Elizabeth Larson; Posted On Wednesday, 26 July 2023 00:53; 26 July 2023

Adventist Health Clear Lake receives Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — An estimated 24% of residents in Lake County are 65 years or older, and that number is expected to grow over the next decade.

Adventist Health Clear Lake has achieved Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians, or ACEP, a professional organization of emergency medicine physicians in the US.

This accreditation means that the hospital’s emergency services provide the necessary expertise, equipment, and staff to deliver excellent care to older patients.

As an accredited geriatric emergency department, Adventist Health Clear Lake’s protocol-driven approach to treating geriatric patients ensures superior, tailored care.

To achieve accreditation, Adventist Health Clear Lake’s emergency department staff focused on standardizing approaches to care for common geriatric issues; ensuring optimal transitions of care from the emergency department to other settings, including inpatient units, home or rehabilitation and long-term care centers by accomplishing a series of geriatric-focused quality improvements.

“We are very proud of the tremendous work that our team did to receive this accreditation as a Accredidated Geriatric Emergency Department that provides quality care for our communities older adults population,” said Misty Cantrell, patient care executive at Adventist Health Clear Lake. “Following best practices and added measures in mind, our Emergency Department is here to ensure compassionate, specialized care to this population that we are dedicated to supporting.”

Requirements for the Geriatric Emergency Department accreditation begin with demonstrating that the participating emergency department includes both a physician and nurse with specialized geriatric training on staff, meets environmental criteria such as easy patient access to water and mobility aids, and has a geriatric quality improvement program.

Studies show that approximately 60% of Medicare patients admitted to the hospital arrive through the emergency department, and multiple studies also note the vulnerability of older adults after an emergency visit.

Adventist Health Clear Lake leadership said these accreditations continue to raise the bar for care in rural communities across Lake County.

: Elizabeth Larson; Posted On Tuesday, 04 July 2023 00:50; 04 July 2023

MCHC welcomes psychiatric provider Roshanda Grayson-Thomas

**Roshanda Grayson-Thomas. Courtesy photo.**

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — MCHC Health Centers is excited to announce the arrival of Roshanda Grayson-Thomas, a certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner who will provide telehealth to patients in both the Lake and Mendocino counties while continuing to reside in her hometown in northwest Indiana.

“Mendocino County reminds me of the small community I come from,” Grayson-Thomas said. “Places like Ukiah and Laytonville have the same issues as other small communities across the country.”

With her training, Grayson-Thomas could work anywhere. She chose MCHC because she believes this is where her work will have the biggest impact.

Her arrival doubles the number of psychiatric nurse practitioners at MCHC, which she hopes will make a big difference for the community. She also said she believes MCHC’s team-based approach allows patients to get better care because providers from various specialties can collaborate.

MCHC CEO Rod Grainger said he was pleased to be able to expand access to care, especially psychiatric health support, given the community’s ever expanding need.

“Roshanda is a great fit. She understands the challenges our patients face and is incredibly well trained to support them,” he said.

Grayson-Thomas said her primary role is psychiatric medication management and is thankful MCHC’s system allows her to work hand-in-hand with therapists and other providers. She noted that no amount of medication can fix all of a person's problems, so for a patient to get the best care, providers need to understand what is going on physically, mentally, and socially.

“Mental health impacts physical health and vice versa. Having all the components of health care together in one place means patients don’t have to get a referral and wait two years to see someone. Instead, MCHC’s approach can get patients the care they need right away and providers can get a view of a patient's overall health instead of just one piece of it,” Grayson-Thomas explained.

MCHC’s holistic approach to health makes it easier for multiple providers to work with a patient to create a common plan that helps them meet their goals and live a more productive life.

Helping people has been a lifelong passion for Grayson-Thomas who became interested in medicine at the young age of 15 when she nursed her then-friend (now husband) back to health from a motorcycle accident that left him nearly paralyzed. Helping him through his recovery made her realize she wanted to “make a difference in people’s lives.”

Initially, Grayson-Thomas planned to help others by becoming a teacher, but at age 19 she shifted to health care and has never looked back.

She started as a certified nursing assistant and quickly became a licensed practical nurse. Working in a retirement community, she spent time with elderly patients whose families rarely visited. It was here that Grayson-Thomas recognized the vast need in health care for greater mental health services.

“The patients I worked with at the retirement community didn’t have family to visit, so I became a family member to them. I would have conversations with them, look at pictures with them, and offer them the companionship they needed,” she said.

After going back to school to become a registered nurse, Grayson-Thomas began working in a hospital psychiatric ward where she knew she was getting closer to her purpose.

It became clear to Grayson-Thomas that psychiatrists were getting older and retiring, and that there were fewer providers to meet the growing demand. She went back to school in 2017 and became a psychiatric nurse practitioner in 2020.

Grayson-Thomas is excited to start working for MCHC, and pleased she can continue to live in her community while providing all the benefits of telehealth to her patients.

“Telehealth means an internet connection or phone system is all a person needs to make their appointment. Consistency can be very important for patients who need refills of their medication or to have regular check-ins,” Grayson-Thomas said. “Telehealth allows people to seek mental health services where they are comfortable, in their home… It allows for more privacy and doesn’t require them to come into the clinic for every office visit, which can be hard.”

Although Grayson-Thomas believes the stigma around seeking mental health services has decreased in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, it still exists. She encourages people to seek care before their problem worsens.

“My motto is, ‘It’s OK to not be OK.’ The sooner someone notices their norm is out of whack and seeks mental health services, the better,” Grayson-Thomas said. “Small depression isn’t small. It can start as two days in bed, then five, then a week … Mental symptoms get worse just like physical symptoms. Seek services before you are behind the eightball and it’s harder to recover.”

The ability to reduce the harm caused by serious mental illness, up to and including hospitalization, is one of the biggest reasons Grayson-Thomas chose to work in outpatient care.

Hospitalizations can be mentally and financially draining. Grayson-Thomas enjoys getting people the psychiatric care they need early enough to avoid a hospital visit.

As an African American woman in health care, Grayson-Thomas takes pride in helping communities that have been traditionally overlooked and underserved. It is one of the reasons she felt she would mesh well with MCHC and its mission as a federally qualified health center to provide culturally competent care.

“My approach is a little different. A lot of minority groups have never seen a colorful woman like me in health care,” Grayson-Thomas said with a smile. Then, more seriously, she continued, “I know where they come from and I don’t judge.”

To get a better sense of Mendocino County, Grayson-Thomas traveled out from Indiana to immerse herself in the community she will be serving.

Grayson-Thomas did eventually fulfill her original dream of teaching. In addition to working directly with patients, she is an instructor at Ivy-Tech Community College where she teaches the next generation of nurses. She also passed on her passion for nursing and helping others to her four children. Her eldest is working as a registered nurse at the University of Chicago and her second eldest is currently studying to become a nurse.

Grayson-Thomas, who is currently accepting new patients at MCHC, encouraged anyone who thinks they might benefit from behavioral health support to call for an appointment without delay.

MCHC Health Centers includes Hillside Health Center and Dora Street Health Center in Ukiah, Little Lake Health Center in Willits, and Lakeview Health Center in Lakeport. It is a community-based and patient-directed organization that provides comprehensive primary health care services as well as supportive services such as education and translation that promote access to health care.

: Elizabeth Larson; Posted On Thursday, 08 June 2023 01:53; 08 June 2023

Ways and Means Committee passes Thompson-Smith legislation to streamline Affordable Care Act reporting requirements

On Wednesday, the House Ways and Means Committee passed Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) and Rep. Adrian Smith’s (NE-03) Employer Reporting Improvement Act with a bipartisan vote. The bill now goes to the House floor for consideration.

“I am glad that the Ways and Means Committee today passed my bill reducing administrative burdens and making it easier for businesses to comply with the Affordable Care Act,” Thompson said on Wednesday. “This bill will streamline reporting requirements so companies can focus on what they do best — creating jobs and growing our local economies.”

“The Employer Reporting Improvement Act is an important step toward streamlining employer reporting requirements,” said Rep. Smith. “Now more than ever, employers need certainty to navigate the evolving needs of the workforce, and I’m glad to see this bipartisan bill favorably reported out of the Ways and Means Committee.”

The Employer Reporting Improvement Act:

• Protects privacy by eliminating the requirement that employers collect not only their workers’ Social Security Numbers (SSNs) but their workers’ dependents’ SSNs.
• Allows electronic submission of certain forms to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) which previously had to be faxed.
• Provides employers a notice before the IRS levies penalties against them if they are not complying with Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements.
• Gives the IRS more time to go after bad actors who don’t meet their ACA obligations to provide their employees with coverage that meets certain standards.

Thompson represents California’s Fourth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.

: Elizabeth Larson; Posted On Saturday, 15 July 2023 02:10; 15 July 2023

New Rapid Care clinic now open in Lakeport

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Adventist Health is pleased to expand services to Lake County with the opening of a Rapid Care clinic in Lakeport.

Rapid Care clinics offer quick attention for minor medical conditions, such as allergic reactions, bug bites, body and muscle aches, colds, flus, fevers, coughing and wheezing, cuts and lacerations, persistent headaches, eye and ear infections, sprains, rashes, itching and much more.

Rapid Care clinics are staffed with quality health care professionals who are trained and have extensive experience with managing those minor health concerns that may not require a visit to the emergency room, but need immediate attention.

The Rapid Care clinic in Lakeport is the second Rapid Care clinic opened by Adventist Health Clear Lake this year, following the January opening of Rapid Care in Clearlake.

The Lakeport Rapid Care clinic is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is conveniently located inside the existing primary care and pediatric clinic suite at 487 S. Main St.

More information about Rapid Care and the differences between Rapid Care services and the full-service Emergency Department at Adventist Health Clear Lake, visit www.AdventistHealth.org/LakeCountyRapidCare.

: Elizabeth Larson; Posted On Tuesday, 13 June 2023 01:37; 13 June 2023

MCHC welcomes chiropractor Dr. Joseph Iaccino

LAKEPORT, Calif. — MCHC Health Centers is pleased to announce the arrival of Dr. Joseph Iaccino, a chiropractor who will serve patients primarily at Lakeview Health Center in Lakeport and Hillside Health Center in Ukiah.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Matt Swain said, “Dr. Iaccino is a great addition to our team. Chiropractic care can bring enormous relief to patients experiencing certain types of pain.”

After five years in private practice in Boise, Idaho, Dr. Iaccino moved to Yuba City to join Ampla Health, a federally qualified health center, or FQHC, similar to MCHC, where he spent the pandemic serving patients.

Now, after a short stint at another local health center, Dr. Iaccino is excited to be working for an FQHC once again, a setting where he feels he can do his best work and also one that allows him to support patients who might not otherwise have access to chiropractic care.

“Chiropractors are usually lone wolves, but the future of medicine is a team-based approach.” Dr. Iaccino said. “There are certain things I can’t address—that are outside my scope of practice. Being able to knock on the door down the hall and talk to a provider who can address a patient’s needs allows me to focus on what I am good at and for the patient to get access to even more of what they need.”

Open communication is key to his practice, Dr. Iaccino explained. The hands-on nature of chiropractic care can make it easier to build trust, and Dr. Iaccino’s patients often share a wide variety of health issues with him — some that are not related to chiropractic care.

Being able to communicate with other providers who work with his patients means potential problems can be caught and addressed much faster than they might be otherwise.

Not only does MCHC’s team-based model align with Dr. Iaccino’s approach, Its focus on whole-person care is a great fit. Dr. Iaccino explained that he pays attention to the whole body, not just the area in pain.

He says he looks to see what is moving well and what needs to move better. Hey then employs a two-step approach that uses chiropractic adjustment tools followed by soft tissue work rather than the jarring manual adjustments popularized by Tik Tok and other social media sites.

Dr. Iaccino said the mellower approach to adjustment paired with changes to a patient's posture and nutrition can create big changes in patients’ lives.

For Dr. Iaccino, the most rewarding parts of his job are the everyday wins he sees in his practice.

“When a patient comes in with a headache and leaves without one, that’s a great feeling.” Dr. Iaccino said.

Dr. Iaccino said he hopes to make a positive impact in the communities he will serve in his new position, especially Lake County where he has deep family ties.

His father is the retired superintendent for Upper Lake School District and his sister is currently an elementary school teacher in the county.

In fact, Dr. Iaccino substitute taught in the area while getting his master’s degree in human nutrition and functional medicine.

This familial connection paired with his love of the beauty of Lake County made it an easy decision for him to provide care to his community.

When Dr. Iaccino is away from the office, he spends much of his time with his beloved furry companion Ari, an Airedale terrier, exploring California from the coast to Tahoe to Yosemite and everywhere in between.

Dr. Iaccino said he loves hiking, backpacking and camping with his four-legged sidekick.

: Elizabeth Larson; Posted On Tuesday, 06 June 2023 00:25; 06 June 2023

Free job training and incentives now available for California caregivers

To continue to build California’s health care workforce, the California Department of Aging, or CDA, is announcing the launch of the CalGrows workforce training and development program.

CalGrows is now open for registration with hundreds of courses available to caregivers working with older adults and adults with disabilities, helping support Californians on a path to a career in health care and ensuring the state retains highly-qualified health care workers.

“Investing in and growing our health care workforce is critical to the health and safety of Californians,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “As the entire United States faces a health care worker shortage, the CalGrows initiative is yet another tool California is using to ensure our health care workforce remains strong by providing opportunities to those already caring for loved ones.”

CalGrows is grounded in the recognition that direct care jobs can be a gateway into a variety of personal and professional advancement opportunities.

The innovative program brings together dozens of training providers offering hundreds of virtual and in-person courses for caregivers across California.

Courses cover a range of topics, including Alzheimer's disease and related dementia, cultural diversity, food safety, infection control, provider, and consumer communication and more, with courses available in multiple languages.

“CalGrows training courses empower caregivers across California to learn valuable skills to improve the lives of those in their care and help further their careers,” said Susan DeMarois, director of the California Department of Aging. “As California’s population ages, we’ll need hundreds of thousands more direct care workers. The CalGrows program is an important milestone toward ensuring the state has the home care aides, care managers, dementia care specialists, activities coordinators, and other important roles necessary to support our aging population.”

“Care workers are more likely to be women and people of color, who are also at a higher risk for age-related illnesses,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health & Human Services Agency. “CalGrows demonstrates the State’s commitment to support caregivers, as well as those they care for, by providing training in six languages at launch, with more added soon, as well as career growth opportunities. This program is essential to help California achieve our goals in the Master Plan for Aging: to build a California for all ages and abilities.”

CalGrows can help build individual skill sets, job satisfaction, and growth opportunities to help further careers and the retention of skilled, experienced caregivers for older adults and people with disabilities.

Qualified applicants can also receive up to $6,000 in financial incentives.

Free training for paid direct care workers, home and community-based services caregivers, and unpaid family and friend caregivers is available through the CalGrows website at www.calgrows.org.

Most courses are available online, with others offered in person and are searchable by topic, location, language, and incentive.

Caregivers in the paid direct care workforce are also eligible for financial incentives and career pathway development benefits.

Through the CalGrows Innovation Fund grants launched earlier this year, $89 million was awarded to 78 organizations across California.

Grants were awarded to diverse organizations with innovative ideas to offer training and incentives for the direct care Home and Community-Based Services workforce and unpaid family and friend caregivers.

For self-directed care workers through In Home Supportive Services, optional training and compensations for training time are available through IHSS Career Pathways.

The Workforce for a Healthy California Initiative is part of the state’s broader strategy to build a health workforce that represents California’s diverse communities and provides people with the quality care they deserve, while addressing the growing workforce shortages throughout the state’s health and human services system.

The cornerstone of the Initiative comes from a once-in-a-generation, $1 billion plus investment from the 2022-23 state budget.

Health

Adventist Health Clear Lake receives Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation

MCHC welcomes psychiatric provider Roshanda Grayson-Thomas

Ways and Means Committee passes Thompson-Smith legislation to streamline Affordable Care Act reporting requirements

New Rapid Care clinic now open in Lakeport

MCHC welcomes chiropractor Dr. Joseph Iaccino

Free job training and incentives now available for California caregivers

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