Friday, 29 March 2024

Health

FAIRFIELD, Calif. — Partnership HealthPlan of California, or PHC, has awarded more than $8 million in a second round of state Department of Health Care Services grant funding for community organizations through the CalAIM Incentive Payment Program.

This brings the total to nearly $16.5 million. The grants are awarded to organizations across the 14-county region served by PHC, which administers Medi-Cal benefits for more than 600,000 members.

The grant program supports the launch and sustainability of CalAIM — California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal — a multi-year initiative by DHCS to improve the quality of life and health outcomes of individuals on Medi-Cal by implementing broad delivery system, as well as program and payment reform.

Specifically, the grant program awards funds to providers of Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports, two key elements of the CalAIM initiative.

“We know that health and wellness are about more than a primary care provider treating a patient in a clinic,” said PHC Chief Executive Officer Liz Gibboney. “Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports are part of a broader approach to caring for our members, and we’re happy to support these providers by awarding funds on behalf of DHCS.”

The CalAIM initiative utilizes the Medi-Cal program to help address the multifaceted challenges facing California's most vulnerable residents such as individuals experiencing homelessness, behavioral health care access, children with complex care needs, the growing number of justice-involved populations who have significant clinical needs and the growing aging population.

More information is available at www.partnershiphp.org/Community/Pages/CalAIM.aspx.

Details on the first round of grants can be found here.

Below is a list of the organizations awarded funding in the second round of the PHC CalAIM Grant Program.

Adventist Health: $901,712
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa: $66,949
Collabria Day Program: $ 335,892
Committee on the Shelterless (COTS): $436,213
Community Action Marin: $362,116
County of Humboldt Public Health Nursing: $93,375
Nation's Finest: $252,723
Dignity Community Care: Yolo Adult Day Health Center: $281,333
Hope Center: $188,480
Lutheran Social Services of Northern California: $62,643
Marin City Health and Wellness Center: $417,498
Mendocino County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services: $339,106
Redwood Quality Management Co.: $54,272
Ole Health: $431,913
Redwoods Rural Health Center: $370,231
CommuniCare Health Center: $500,000
Long Valley Health Center: $500,000
ResolutionCare, PC Total: $519,721
Ritter Center: $761,758
Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency: $644,243
Sonoma Valley Community Health Center: $217,106
Winters Healthcare: $53,000
Yolo Wayfarer Center dba Fourth and Hope: $425,718

Partnership HealthPlan of California is a nonprofit community-based health care organization that contracts with the state to administer Medi-Cal benefits. PHC provides quality care to over 600,000 Medi-Cal members. Beginning in Solano County in 1994 PHC now provides services to 14 Northern California counties – Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Marin, Mendocino, Modoc, Napa, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Trinity and Yolo.

Colleen Assavapisitkul. Courtesy photo.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. — Adventist Health announced the appointment of Colleen Assavapisitkul, MSN, RN, CENP, HACP, as president at Adventist Health Clear Lake.

In this role, she will lead the work of Adventist Health Clear Lake in serving the residents of Lake County and contribute to strategic growth while ensuring that strategies align with and support daily operations.

“With a strong background in nursing and leadership, we are confident in the knowledge, capability and dedication Colleen will bring to this role,” said Kerry Heinrich, president and CEO of Adventist Health.

Assavapisitkul’s career in health care includes broad experience in many clinical settings and locations, including Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and Bangkok, Thailand.

She has served with Adventist Health Clear Lake in leadership roles for over 10 years, and as vice president of patient care for the hospital since 2016.

Assavapisitkul’s leadership with the organization began in 2011 when she joined as director of quality/infection control. She then served as administrative director of patient care before being promoted to chief nursing officer in 2014.

"Over the 10 years I’ve worked in Clearlake leading the care of our patients, I’ve been inspired and motivated by our employees, providers, and partners and I look forward to building on our success,” Assavapisitkul said. “As we continue our journey to achieve our vision for Lake County and beyond, we will leverage past achievements and continue to pave the way for an excellent experience for our patients, their families, and our entire community.”

During her time with Adventist Health Clear Lake, Assavapisitkul has been instrumental in opening a new emergency department, improving quality scores and building a strong clinical team focused on providing leading care.

“I’m thankful to Colleen for stepping into this role,” said Judson Howe, president of Adventist Health’s North Coast Network. “Having worked with Colleen in neighboring Mendocino County, I have watched and admired Colleen’s abilities to lead our exceptional team through many milestones and challenges. With our continued focus on alignment and strengthening our hospitals individually and collectively as a network, I’m grateful to have Colleen continuing to provide stability and leadership."

LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport Seventh-day Adventist Church invites the community to a seminar on immunity.

The event, titled, “To everything there is a season,” will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 15, at the church, located at 1111 Park Way (at the Park Way exit of Highway 29).

The seminar will feature Dr. Andrew Chung, MD and U.C. Master Gardener Gabriele O’Neill.

Dr. Chung will focus on plant and herb-based protocols that boost immunity.

O’Neill will focus on gardening tips to increase productivity, decrease water consumption, tips on planting timing, tips for planting within limited space, and tips on growing herbs with nutritional benefit in our area.

The seminar is sponsored by Spectrum of L.I.G.H.T.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – For the fourth time, the Centers for Medicare Service & Medicaid Services, or CMS, has awarded Sutter Lakeside Hospital a four-star rating.

“We’re truly honored at Sutter Lakeside to receive a four-star rating from CMS again. We first earned a four-star rating in 2018, and this accolade continues to reflect the pride our nurses, staff and physicians take in their work to care for and support our patients. As the only Critical Access Hospital in the Sutter network, we’re grateful to provide a high level of care to residents in our local communities,” said Pauline Orr, Sutter Lakeside chief nursing executive.

Critical Access refers to a CMS designation given to rural hospitals such as Sutter Lakeside to ensure access to healthcare in remote communities.

A Critical Access Hospital is licensed for 25 beds and must network with a hospital capable of taking high acuity patients.

Since 2016, CMS has assigned star ratings to hospitals. The rating system helps people make choices about where to receive non-emergency hospital-based care, like scheduled surgeries and procedures.

Hospitals that perform better on standard measures of quality, including readmission rates, safety and patient experience receive more stars. On average, hospitals across the nation receive three stars, but high performers can earn four or five.

The ratings reflect multiple aspects of quality. The Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating summarizes about 50 measures of healthcare quality for a given hospital in comparison with other facilities throughout the country, but some of those measures have greater emphasis.

Four heavily weighted categories ― patient experience, safety, readmissions and mortality ― account for more than 80% of a hospital’s overall star rating.

“Providing quality care and a great patient experience is our highest priority, and it’s also what makes our work in healthcare rewarding,” said Orr.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Middletown SDA Church Women's Ministries group will be presenting "Physical Therapy and God's Temple" at 11 a.m. on Sunday, June 26, at the church.

The event will be presented by Dr. Yazmar Sevilla-Perez (physical therapist) and Dr. Wilbert Perez (physician).

They will be discussing women's issues, such as postpartum, menopause and osteoporosis, and will demonstrate exercises that can help with such conditions.

Come and see how physical therapy and God's Word can improve your quality of life.

The church is located at 21640 Highway 29.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — An annual quarantine of all sport-harvested mussel species along the coastline of California, including all bays, inlets, and harbors is now in effect according to the California Department of Public Health.

The quarantine is in place to protect the public against poisoning as the toxins found in mussels can lead to severe illness and death.

Previous outbreaks have involved residents of inland counties as well as those along the coast.

This order does not apply to mussels harvested from Clear Lake. Neither does it apply to commercially sold clams, mussels, scallops or oysters. State-certified commercial shellfish harvesters or dealers are permitted to sell these products which are subject to frequent mandatory testing to ensure they are safe for consumers.

Paralytic shellfish poisoning, or PSP, and domoic acid poisoning, or DAP, are linked to microscopic phytoplankton which become concentrated in filter-feeding animals.

PSP affects the human central nervous system producing a tingling sensation around the mouth and fingertips within a few minutes to a few hours after eating toxic shellfish.

DAP can occur within 30 minutes to 24 hours after eating toxic seafood. More information about the annual quarantine, PSP, and DAP can be found on the California Department of Public Health’s Annual Mussel Quarantine Frequently Asked Questions webpage here.

The annual quarantine lasts from May 1 through Oct. 31. Neighboring counties have previously extended the quarantine order after monitoring programs continued to detect elevated levels of domoic acid and high numbers of algae that produce this toxin.

To receive updated information about shellfish poisoning and the annual mussel quarantine, call the California Department of Public Health’s toll-free Biotoxin Information Line at 1-800-553-413 or visit the California Department of Public Health Annual Mussel Quarantine Frequently Asked Questions or the agency’s Marine Biotoxin Monitoring Program.

Upcoming Calendar

30Mar
03.30.2024 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Lakeport Community Cleanup Day
30Mar
03.30.2024 9:00 am - 11:00 am
Second annual Bunny Brunch
30Mar
03.30.2024 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Lake County poet laureate inauguration
31Mar
03.31.2024
Easter Sunday
31Mar
03.31.2024 1:15 pm - 1:45 pm
Lakeport Rotary Club Easter Egg Hunt
1Apr
04.01.2024
Easter Monday
1Apr
10Apr
15Apr
04.15.2024
Tax Day

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