COMMUNITY EVENTS
Nominate a Coach for Life’s Champions
- Now: Link to official nomination form. Or contact Healings in Motion at (209) 234-2802.
- Oct. 7 (Thursday): The third annual Coach for Life’s Champions Award Dinner & Show will take place at the Waterloo Gun & Bocci Club, 4343 N. Ashley Lane, Stockton. Please save the date – it is going to be an evening that you will never forget. Celebrating the champions of stroke and traumatic brain injury in San Joaquin County will be speakers including Marty Lancer, “The Blind Traffic Jock” from Mega 100 radio and San Joaquin County Supervisor Steve Bestolarides. What’s the greatest part of the evening? Stroke and TBI survivors coming together for an evening of celebration with joy and dignity. For the third year, Healings in Motion is working to assist those in financial need with tickets. Every survivor is significant and a valuable component of this celebration. Go online or phone (209) 234-2802 for more information.
Launch the Getting Covered Campaign
Sept. 2 (today) 6 to 7:30 p.m.: Young Invincibles and AARP will host an intergenerational phone-in town hall meeting from Sacramento to discuss the expansion of dependent coverage to age 26 in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The listening line is (877) 229-8493. The PIN is 15119. The town hall will also launch Getting Covered, a campaign that will promote the dependent coverage provision and inform young adults and families how they can access the benefit. 8.8 million young Americans between the ages of 19 to 25 are currently uninsured. A key part of PPACA requires employers and insurance companies offering family coverage to continue that option for adult children up to their 26th birthday. As of Sept. 23, 2010, all eligible adult children will be able to enroll on their parent’s insurance at the start of the next benefits enrollment period. The Getting Covered website, www.GettingCovered.org, will provide critical information to help young adults and their families navigate the benefit. YI and AARP welcome health-care expert Greg Wang and Aaron Smith, co-founder of Young Invincibles. Ernie Powell of AARP will moderate the town hall with Ari Matusiak, co-founder of Young Invincibles. Participants will be able to pose questions and comments during the call. The meeting will also be streamed live at http://livestream.com/aarpadvocates
Wear Teal Friday to Increase Awareness of Ovarian Cancer
Sept. 3 (Friday) all day: September marks the nationwide observance of National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, as designated by the president of the United States. The first Friday in September is National Teal Day and the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance will lead the efforts of thousands of Americans wearing teal to increase awareness about the deadly disease. Teal is the ovarian cancer community’s color and serves as a reminder that ovarian cancer is the deadliest of all the cancers of the reproductive system and a leading cause of cancer death among women. To visually illuminate a disease that kills nearly 15,000 women a year, each state that demonstrates its commitment to advocating on behalf of the women it represents will be highlighted in teal on the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance’s website until the entire map of the United States is filled with teal resolve. For a full listing of September activities, visit www.ovariancancer.org.
Hospice of San Joaquin Invites Community to Make a Difference by Volunteering
Sept. 9 (Thursday) 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.: Hospice of San Joaquin welcomes the community to join its team as a volunteer. Hospice of San Joaquin is hosting an informational meeting which will educate all participating members on new skills including the basics of providing comfort care, allowing caregivers time off via respite care, understanding an interdisciplinary approach to care, and many other topics which ensure quality of life. This program offers understanding on the rewards of volunteering, it informs about ways to give back, and it grants members an opportunity to meet new people. This educational presentation will be held at Hospice of San Joaquin Administrative Offices, 3888 Pacific Ave., Stockton (across from University of the Pacific and just south of the Calaveras River). Information: (209) 957-3888.
Swing Fore Health
Sept. 20 (Monday) 10:30 a.m. registration: Sutter Gould Medical Foundation’s 2010 Golf Classic at Stockton’s Brookside Country Club will use proceeds from the 120 golfers who sign up to acquire capital equipment for its clinics and to help it care for those within the communities it serves. For details, contact Kerry Braley at (209) 955-3050 or braleyki@sutterhealth.org.
A Brain Performs Better When It’s Happy
Sept. 23 (Thursday) noon to 2:30 p.m.: You can raise your level of happiness, feel better and perform better when you think happy. Learn how at this special luncheon workshop. This special CV-RAPS (Central Valley – Recovery, Awareness, Preventing Strokes) program is at a different location this month: Robert J. Cabral Agricultural Center, 2101 E. Earhart Ave., Stockton (take Highway 99 Arch Road exit west toward Stockton Metropolitan Airport). Guest speaker is Edwin Edibiri, chief happiness officer of the I Am Happy Project. Edwin stands at the forefront of entrepreneurial spirit. With over 25 years experience in providing individuals and business owners training in inspiring possibilities, networking, goals setting, and time management, Edwin is committed to helping individuals and organizations create a brighter future. Edwin is the author of “Creating a Brighter Future: Pillars of Practice to Put Your Dreams into Action” and “Networking A to Z – A Bullish Approach”. Edwin is the inspiration behind the Global Happiness Summit and founder of the “I am Happy Project“-now in 51 cities in 16 countries. He is also the former host of a weekly radio and television show dedicated to empowering individuals in creating wealth and a brighter future. Tickets are $20 general and $7.50 for stroke survivors and caregivers. Lunch provided. Purchase tickets two ways: Call (209) 234-2802 or go online at www.brownpapertickets.com Event 122316.
Breast Cancer: Fact, Fiction or Phobia
Sept. 23 (Thursday) 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.: What is my risk of breast cancer? Is there any way I can prevent it? When should I have my first mammogram? Can surgery make the cancer worse? You can ask Dr. Dean Sloan, a board-certified general surgeon practicing at Gould Medical Group’s Stockton Medical Plaza I, third-floor classroom, 2505 W. Hammer Lane, Stockton. Sloan’s presentation is part of Sutter Gould Medical Foundation’s free Ask-A-Doctor Lecture Series. To register, due to limited seating, phone (209) 548-7860, then press option #2. Refreshments provided. More information: www.suttergould.org.
Preemie Party and Health Education Fair
Sept. 25 (Saturday) noon to 3 p.m.: Each year the Intensive Care Nursery at San Joaquin General Hospital, just west of Interstate 5 at Mathews Road in French Camp, holds a Preemie Party and Health Education Fair in honor of its former graduates and their families.
Memory Walk to End Alzheimer’s
Oct. 2 (Saturday) 9 a.m. registration, 10 a.m. walk begins: California State Capitol South Steps, 10th and L streets, Sacramento. 3 mile route and 1.5 mile shortcut. Call or email Erin Stone at (916) 930-9080 or erin.stone@alznorcal.org. We’re on the move to end Alzheimer’s. If you’re the kind of person who’s not going to sit on the sidelines when there’s a chance to change the future, then you’re the person we need. With more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s, and nearly 10 million more serving as caregivers, the time to act is now! When you register for the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk, you’re joining a nationwide community of thousands of people who are standing up and participating in the fight against this devastating disease.
Mad as Hell Doctors Town Hall on Health Care
Oct. 9 (Saturday) 1 p.m. free or 5 p.m. buffet dinner for $15: Where the rubber gloves meet the road. According to the Mad as Hell Doctors, “Our mission is to promote single-payer health insurance as a fiscally conservative, affordable way to provide universal health care to all Californians who are currently uninsured; to improve coverage for those who currently have catastrophic insurance at best; and to help every insured Californian cope with declining benefits accompanied by increasingly high premiums, deductibles and co-pays.” Both events take place at Clarion Inn & Suites, 4219 Waterloo Road at Highway 99, Stockton. Tickets for the 3-entree buffet presentation available at Bill’s Music Sales, Harding Way or Pacific Avenue, Stockton; Music Box, 4653 Pacific Ave. , Stockton; Green’s Nutrition 1906 Pacific Ave., Stockton; Main Street Music, 53 W. 10th St., Tracy; and Antique Avenue, 915 Yosemite Ave., Manteca. Or contact Suzy at (209) 639-4191 or Max (209) 467-0522. Presented and funded by Single Payer San Joaquin.
Kids’ Health Calendar Bay Area
Check out KidsCal for a calendar of children’s health events (click here) sponsored by nonprofit organizations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, posted by Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health.
NEWS
Video Language Assistance Expands Children’s Hospital’s Interpreting Services
Now available: A new video and phone interpreting pilot project increases patient families’ access to professional healthcare interpreters and speedier service at Children’s Hospital Central California, 9300 Valley Children’s Place, Madera. As a member of the Health Care Interpreter Network (HCIN), Children’s received a $167,000 grant to provide video conferencing and enhance its phone services. The network is a collaborative of nonprofit, community-based California hospitals and health-care providers sharing trained health-care interpreters through an automated video and voice call-center system. Children’s is the first pediatric hospital to join the network. The video conferencing technology is not replacing interpreters at the hospital, but expanding interpreting resources, allowing more flexibility when the need arises to provide information to a family in their own language. The grant pays for video conferencing equipment and phone service, providing faster response time for interpreting needs and freeing up interpreters to provide face-to-face service for more complex visits, such as a patient who needs cardiothoracic surgery for a life-threatening cardiovascular condition. If successful after the six-month pilot period and Children’s chooses to continue with the collaborative, the equipment will be given to the hospital through the grant. “We’re fortunate to benefit from the funding and network, allowing us to pilot the technology and services without having to purchase the equipment,” said Children’s Spiritual, Interpreter and Child Life Services Director Susan Lea Sturgill. “Other children’s hospitals I have spoken with purchased video interpreting equipment without the opportunity of trying it first. The equipment turned out to be great but initially costly.” Children’s Hospital serves a diverse population, with multiple ethnicities and languages. Since 1980, Children’s has used qualified health-care interpreters in bridging the communication barrier to our limited and non-English speaking families. More than 25 health-care interpreters play a vital role at the hospital, providing over 115,000 interventions – either face-to-face or over the phone – annually in seven languages. Over 30 other languages are provided for by contracted agencies. Health-care interpreters facilitate communication between physicians and patient families, interpreting anything the doctor needs to communicate to the patient family, and vice versa. While families who speak limited or no English will benefit from the project, the video interpreting will especially help those who are deaf. Sign language interventions can only be supported by video interpreting unlike other languages that can be supported by phone service as well. In addition, there are fewer sign language interpreters available in the area to meet the hospital’s interpreting needs in a timely fashion. For example, some sign language interpreters drive more than hour to meet our patient family needs. The purpose of the six-month pilot project is to test the video interpreting language assistance equipment, process and capabilities. Sign language, Hmong, Lao, Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Farsi, Mien, Arabic, Armenian, Mixteco and Russian will be available through the video interpreting equipment. If the pilot project is successful, the hospital will add additional languages in the future.
CANHR Launches Website to Fight Drugging of Nursing Home Residents
Now available: A first-of-its-kind website launched recently by the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR) will help fight the rampant nursing home misuse of psychoactive drugs to sedate and chemically restrain their residents. The over-drugging of nursing home residents is a leading cause of elder abuse. The website is located at www.canhr.org/stop-drugging/. In recent years, nursing home residents throughout California and the nation have increasingly been subjected to powerful antipsychotic drugs that almost double their risk of death. Antipsychotic drugs are often given as a substitute for needed care. More that 25,000 California nursing home residents, mostly elders with dementia, are given these drugs despite FDA “black-box” warnings against their use. CANHR’s new website is full of valuable information to help consumers avoid or stop inappropriate use of these drugs. The site’s features include:
• Toxic Medicine, CANHR’s free consumer guide on how to fight nursing home misuse of psychoactive drugs.
• A 3-part CANHR video series on how to prevent drugging of nursing home residents.
• Information on use of psychoactive drugs by each Medicare and Medi-Cal certified nursing facility in California.
• A petition urging the governor to crack down on nursing home misuse of psychoactive drugs.
• The Stop Drugging Our Elders Blog, featuring regular commentary by CANHR staff and special guests.
• An extensive News & Resources section that contains legal options for victims, pertinent laws & regulations, media articles, alternatives to drugs, studies and reports, the latest advocacy actions, government investigations & prosecutions, and more.
The website launch comes just as CANHR successfully uncovered federal data showing the use of antipsychotic drugs by each of California’s 1,238 Medicare and Medi-Cal certified nursing homes. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the drugging data to CANHR last week in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed in 2009.
The CMS data shows California nursing homes use antipsychotic drugs on more than 25 percent of residents, an alarming rate because most of the residents don’t have medical conditions justifying use of these drugs. A resident’s risk of being drugged varies tremendously by nursing home, with some facilities reporting no use of antipsychotic drugs while others drug all, or nearly all of their residents. In addition to launching the new website, CANHR’s Campaign to Stop Chemical Restraints in Nursing Homes is pressing the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to begin enforcing long-ignored laws against the drugging of nursing home residents. CDPH has done little to address the drugging epidemic. In his 2009 veto message on SB303 (a CANHR sponsored-bill by Senator Alquist on this issue), the governor admitted that misuse of antipsychotic drugs is a pervasive problem in nursing homes. He cited a recent study that found more than half of residents on antipsychotics are being drugged outside federal guidelines, and directed CDPH to investigate and respond. Nearly one year later, CDPH has been silent. “We call on the governor to immediately make good on his word to address this crisis and to protect California nursing home residents from further abuse,” said Patricia McGinnis, CANHR’s executive director. Contact: California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR), 650 Harrison St., 2nd Floor, San Franciso, CA 94107. www.canhr.org
New Hours at Free Clinic in Lodi
The Walter E. Reiss Outreach Clinic, operated by Lodi Memorial Hospital at 300 W. Oak St., Lodi, is offering new hours. The clinic is open 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays; 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays by appointment only for hypertension screenings; and 5 to 8 p.m. Thursdays. Phone: (209) 365-0835. The clinic serves patients with no insurance by offering free services from nurse practitioners, physician assistants and volunteer physicians. Physicians include Drs. John Connolly, Jorge Oceguera, Walter Reiss, Than Soe and James Grady. The clinic is offered as a community benefit in an effort to decrease the number of uninsured patients presenting to the Lodi Memorial Hospital emergency department, where it is generally costlier to treat low-income patients, and the hospital must write off the charges for that care.
HICAP Seeking New Volunteers to Train as Medicare Counselors
Now: HICAP – Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program – that helps individual seniors and the disabled understand the complexities of the often confusing Medicare health benefits they are entitled to is starting training soon for new volunteer counselors in San Joaquin County. Counselors typically volunteer 20 hours per month during normal business hours in Stockton, Tracy, Manteca and Lodi. All that’s needed is computer literacy and the desire to give back to the community. Upon completion of the comprehensive training and mentoring program, counselors will be registered with the California Department of Aging and be assigned to provide counseling services in the county. Those interested in training for the program should contact HICAP volunteer coordinator Susan Billings at (916) 375-3761 or sbillings@hicapservices.net.
Kaiser Permanente Central Valley: Click here for Kaiser Central Valley News and Events
Sutter Gould Medical Foundation: Click here for Sutter Gould news. Click here for Sutter Gould calendar of events.
Grants Available for Children’s Medical Expenses
No deadline: UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation is seeking grant applications from families in need of financial assistance to pay for their child’s health-care treatments, services or equipment not covered by their commercial health-insurance plans. Qualifying families could receive up to $5,000 to help pay for medical services and equipment such as physical and occupational therapy, prescriptions, wheelchairs, orthotics, eyeglasses and hearing aids. Grants are also provided in cases where insurance may cover only a portion of the expenses. To be eligible for grants, children must be 16 years of age or younger. Families must meet economic guidelines, reside in the United States and have a commercial health-insurance plan. Parents and legal guardians may apply for grants online at www.uhccf.org. The Web site includes additional grant application criteria, video clips, stories about recently helped children, and a new “live chat” feature that enables visitors to speak directly with a UHCCF representative. Visitors can also make tax-deductible donations directly online. “The UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation is dedicated to facilitating greater access to medical-related services that can help improve children’s health and quality of life,” UHCCF President Matt Peterson said. “We recognize some families experience gaps in coverage for certain medical treatments and equipment, and we are committed to helping fill this void. Since expanding our grant program nationwide in 2007, we have provided more than 1,500 grants to families in need of financial assistance.” Last year, UHCCF awarded grants to more than 450 families for treatments associated with medical conditions such as speech and developmental delays, hearing loss, autism, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy.
HOSPITALS
DAMERON HOSPITAL Events
Click here for Dameron Hospital’s Event Calendar.
ST. JOSEPH’S MEDICAL CENTER Classes and Events
Click here for St. Joseph’s Medical Center’s Classes and Events.
DOCTORS HOSPITAL OF MANTECA Events
Click here for Doctors Hospital of Manteca Events finder.
LODI MEMORIAL HOSPITAL Educational Opportunities
Click here for Lodi Memorial Hospital Event Calendar.
SUTTER TRACY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL Community Education and Support Groups
Click here for Sutter Tracy Community Hospital events, classes and support groups.
PUBLIC HEALTH
Free One-Day Whooping Cough and Tetanus Vaccine Clinics
County residents who are uninsured or don’t have a doctor will be seen on a first- come, first-served walk-in basis at the following Whooping Cough Vaccine Clinics:
- Sept. 2 (today) 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: San Joaquin County Fairgrounds, 1658 S. Airport Way, Stockton.
- Sept. 7 (Tuesday) 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.: Peyton Elementary School, 2525 Gold Brook Drive, Stockton.
- Sept. 8 (Wednesday) 3 to 7 p.m.: Public Health Services, 1601 E. Hazelton Ave., Stockton.
- Sept. 9 (Thursday) 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.: Stagg High School, 1621 Brookside Drive, Stockton.
- Sept. 16 (Thursday) 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: San Joaquin County Fairgrounds, 1658 S. Airport Way, Stockton.
- Sept. 25 (Saturday) 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Sutter Tracy Community Hospital, 1420 N. Tracy Blvd., Tracy.
County Health Officer Dr. Karen Furst said the best protection against whooping cough is to have as many people immunized as possible, especially children and adults who live with or care for infants less than 1 year old. In addition to preventing whooping cough, the vaccine – given in shot form – also targets tetanus. San Joaquin County Public Health Services has arranged with Maxim Healthcare Services, which is contracted by California Department of Public Health, to conduct the free vaccine clinics for the following county residents:.
- Uninsured or do not have a doctor.
- Age 11 years and older (no upper age limit).
- Pregnant woman who present a prescription from a doctor (only necessary in the first trimester).
The free clinic schedule is also available on the San Joaquin County Public Health Services website: www.sjcphs.org. The whooping cough vaccine is also available for people without a regular doctor or medical insurance at San Joaquin County Public Health Clinics in Stockton, Lodi and Manteca. There is a small fee for immunizations at these clinics, but no one will be denied services due to the inability to pay. Information on times and locations: www.sjcphs.org or (209) 468-3862.
San Joaquin County Public Health Services General Information
Ongoing resources for vaccinations and clinic information are:
- Public Health Services Influenza website, www.sjcphs.org
- Recorded message line at (209) 469-8200, extension 2# for English and 3# for Spanish.
- For further information, individuals may call the following numbers at Public Health Services:
- For general vaccine and H1N1 clinic questions, call (209) 468-3862;
- For medical questions, call (209) 468-3822.
Health officials continue to recommend these precautionary measures to help protect against acquiring influenza viruses:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or use alcohol based sanitizers.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or your sleeve, when you cough or sneeze.
- Stay home if you are sick until you are free of a fever for 24 hours.
- Get vaccinated.
Public Health Services Clinic Schedules (Adults and Children)
Immunization clinic hours are subject to chance depending on volume of patients or staffing. Check the Public Health Services website for additional evening clinics or special clinics at www.sjcphs.org. Clinics with an asterisk (*) require patients to call for an appointment.
Stockton Health Center: 1601 E. Hazelton Ave.; (209) 468-3830.
- Immunizations: Monday 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Tuesday 1-4 p.m.; Wednesday 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Thursday 8-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.; Friday 8-11 a.m.
- Travel clinic*: Thursday 8-11 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m.
- Health exams*: Tuesday 1-4 p.m.; Wednesday 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Friday 8-11 a.m.
- Sexually transmitted disease clinic: Wednesday 3-6 p.m. and Friday 1-4 p.m., walk-in and by appointment.
- Tuberculosis clinic*: Tuesday; second and fourth Wednesday of the month.
- HIV testing: Tuesday 1-4 p.m.; Thursday 1-4 p.m.
Manteca Health Center: 124 Sycamore Ave.; (209) 823-7104 or (800) 839-4949.
- Immunizations: Monday 8-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.; Wednesday 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 3-6 p.m.
- Tuberculosis clinic*: first and third Wednesday 3-6 p.m.
- HIV testing: first Wednesday 1:30-4 p.m.
Lodi Health Center: 300 W. Oak St.; (209) 331-7303 or (800) 839-4949.
- Immunizations: Monday 8-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.; Friday 8-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.
- Tuberculosis clinic*: Friday 8-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.
- HIV testing: second and fourth Friday 1:30-4 p.m.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Check this column regularly for health events of interest to San Joaquin County residents. New events are being added all the time. You never know what you could read here.
Have a health-oriented event the public in San Joaquin County should know about? Let me know at jgoldeen@recordnet.com and I’ll get it into my Health Calendar. I’m not interested in promoting commercial enterprises here, but I am interested in helping out nonprofit and/or community groups, hospitals, clinics, physicians and other health-care providers. Look for five categories: Community Events, News, Schools, Hospitals and Public Health.
TO THE PUBLIC: I won’t list an item here from a source that I don’t know or trust. So I believe you can count on what you read here. If there is a problem, please don’t hesitate to let me know at (209) 546-8278 or jgoldeen@recordnet.com. Thanks, Joe
Joe’s Health Calendar 9/3/10
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Wear Teal Today to Increase Awareness of Ovarian Cancer
Sept. 3 (today) all day: September marks the nationwide observance of National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, as designated by the president of the United States. The first Friday in September is National Teal Day and the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance will lead the efforts of thousands of Americans wearing teal to increase awareness about the deadly disease. Teal is the ovarian cancer community’s color and serves as a reminder that ovarian cancer is the deadliest of all the cancers of the reproductive system and a leading cause of cancer death among women. To visually illuminate a disease that kills nearly 15,000 women a year, each state that demonstrates its commitment to advocating on behalf of the women it represents will be highlighted in teal on the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance’s website until the entire map of the United States is filled with teal resolve. For a full listing of September activities, visit www.ovariancancer.org.
Nominate a Coach for Life’s Champions
Hospice of San Joaquin Invites Community to Make a Difference by Volunteering
Sept. 9 (Thursday) 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.: Hospice of San Joaquin welcomes the community to join its team as a volunteer. Hospice of San Joaquin is hosting an informational meeting which will educate all participating members on new skills including the basics of providing comfort care, allowing caregivers time off via respite care, understanding an interdisciplinary approach to care, and many other topics which ensure quality of life. This program offers understanding on the rewards of volunteering, it informs about ways to give back, and it grants members an opportunity to meet new people. This educational presentation will be held at Hospice of San Joaquin Administrative Offices, 3888 Pacific Ave., Stockton (across from University of the Pacific and just south of the Calaveras River). Information: (209) 957-3888.
Swing Fore Health
Sept. 20 (Monday) 10:30 a.m. registration: Sutter Gould Medical Foundation’s 2010 Golf Classic at Stockton’s Brookside Country Club will use proceeds from the 120 golfers who sign up to acquire capital equipment for its clinics and to help it care for those within the communities it serves. For details, contact Kerry Braley at (209) 955-3050 or braleyki@sutterhealth.org.
A Brain Performs Better When It’s Happy
Sept. 23 (Thursday) noon to 2:30 p.m.: You can raise your level of happiness, feel better and perform better when you think happy. Learn how at this special luncheon workshop. This special CV-RAPS (Central Valley – Recovery, Awareness, Preventing Strokes) program is at a different location this month: Robert J. Cabral Agricultural Center, 2101 E. Earhart Ave., Stockton (take Highway 99 Arch Road exit west toward Stockton Metropolitan Airport). Guest speaker is Edwin Edibiri, chief happiness officer of the I Am Happy Project. Edwin stands at the forefront of entrepreneurial spirit. With over 25 years experience in providing individuals and business owners training in inspiring possibilities, networking, goals setting, and time management, Edwin is committed to helping individuals and organizations create a brighter future. Edwin is the author of “Creating a Brighter Future: Pillars of Practice to Put Your Dreams into Action” and “Networking A to Z – A Bullish Approach”. Edwin is the inspiration behind the Global Happiness Summit and founder of the “I am Happy Project“-now in 51 cities in 16 countries. He is also the former host of a weekly radio and television show dedicated to empowering individuals in creating wealth and a brighter future. Tickets are $20 general and $7.50 for stroke survivors and caregivers. Lunch provided. Purchase tickets two ways: Call (209) 234-2802 or go online at www.brownpapertickets.com Event 122316.
Breast Cancer: Fact, Fiction or Phobia
Sept. 23 (Thursday) 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.: What is my risk of breast cancer? Is there any way I can prevent it? When should I have my first mammogram? Can surgery make the cancer worse? You can ask Dr. Dean Sloan, a board-certified general surgeon practicing at Gould Medical Group’s Stockton Medical Plaza I, third-floor classroom, 2505 W. Hammer Lane, Stockton. Sloan’s presentation is part of Sutter Gould Medical Foundation’s free Ask-A-Doctor Lecture Series. To register, due to limited seating, phone (209) 548-7860, then press option #2. Refreshments provided. More information: www.suttergould.org.
Preemie Party and Health Education Fair
Sept. 25 (Saturday) noon to 3 p.m.: Each year the Intensive Care Nursery at San Joaquin General Hospital, just west of Interstate 5 at Mathews Road in French Camp, holds a Preemie Party and Health Education Fair in honor of its former graduates and their families.
Memory Walk to End Alzheimer’s
Oct. 2 (Saturday) 9 a.m. registration, 10 a.m. walk begins: California State Capitol South Steps, 10th and L streets, Sacramento. 3 mile route and 1.5 mile shortcut. Call or email Erin Stone at (916) 930-9080 or erin.stone@alznorcal.org. We’re on the move to end Alzheimer’s. If you’re the kind of person who’s not going to sit on the sidelines when there’s a chance to change the future, then you’re the person we need. With more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s, and nearly 10 million more serving as caregivers, the time to act is now! When you register for the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk, you’re joining a nationwide community of thousands of people who are standing up and participating in the fight against this devastating disease.
Mad as Hell Doctors Town Hall on Health Care
Oct. 9 (Saturday) 1 p.m. free or 5 p.m. buffet dinner for $15: Where the rubber gloves meet the road. According to the Mad as Hell Doctors, “Our mission is to promote single-payer health insurance as a fiscally conservative, affordable way to provide universal health care to all Californians who are currently uninsured; to improve coverage for those who currently have catastrophic insurance at best; and to help every insured Californian cope with declining benefits accompanied by increasingly high premiums, deductibles and co-pays.” Both events take place at Clarion Inn & Suites, 4219 Waterloo Road at Highway 99, Stockton. Tickets for the 3-entree buffet presentation available at Bill’s Music Sales, Harding Way or Pacific Avenue, Stockton; Music Box, 4653 Pacific Ave. , Stockton; Green’s Nutrition 1906 Pacific Ave., Stockton; Main Street Music, 53 W. 10th St., Tracy; and Antique Avenue, 915 Yosemite Ave., Manteca. Or contact Suzy at (209) 639-4191 or Max (209) 467-0522. Presented and funded by Single Payer San Joaquin.
Kids’ Health Calendar Bay Area
Check out KidsCal for a calendar of children’s health events (click here) sponsored by nonprofit organizations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, posted by Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health.
NEWS
Video Language Assistance Expands Children’s Hospital’s Interpreting Services
Now available: A new video and phone interpreting pilot project increases patient families’ access to professional healthcare interpreters and speedier service at Children’s Hospital Central California, 9300 Valley Children’s Place, Madera. As a member of the Health Care Interpreter Network (HCIN), Children’s received a $167,000 grant to provide video conferencing and enhance its phone services. The network is a collaborative of nonprofit, community-based California hospitals and health-care providers sharing trained health-care interpreters through an automated video and voice call-center system. Children’s is the first pediatric hospital to join the network. The video conferencing technology is not replacing interpreters at the hospital, but expanding interpreting resources, allowing more flexibility when the need arises to provide information to a family in their own language. The grant pays for video conferencing equipment and phone service, providing faster response time for interpreting needs and freeing up interpreters to provide face-to-face service for more complex visits, such as a patient who needs cardiothoracic surgery for a life-threatening cardiovascular condition. If successful after the six-month pilot period and Children’s chooses to continue with the collaborative, the equipment will be given to the hospital through the grant. “We’re fortunate to benefit from the funding and network, allowing us to pilot the technology and services without having to purchase the equipment,” said Children’s Spiritual, Interpreter and Child Life Services Director Susan Lea Sturgill. “Other children’s hospitals I have spoken with purchased video interpreting equipment without the opportunity of trying it first. The equipment turned out to be great but initially costly.” Children’s Hospital serves a diverse population, with multiple ethnicities and languages. Since 1980, Children’s has used qualified health-care interpreters in bridging the communication barrier to our limited and non-English speaking families. More than 25 health-care interpreters play a vital role at the hospital, providing over 115,000 interventions – either face-to-face or over the phone – annually in seven languages. Over 30 other languages are provided for by contracted agencies. Health-care interpreters facilitate communication between physicians and patient families, interpreting anything the doctor needs to communicate to the patient family, and vice versa. While families who speak limited or no English will benefit from the project, the video interpreting will especially help those who are deaf. Sign language interventions can only be supported by video interpreting unlike other languages that can be supported by phone service as well. In addition, there are fewer sign language interpreters available in the area to meet the hospital’s interpreting needs in a timely fashion. For example, some sign language interpreters drive more than hour to meet our patient family needs. The purpose of the six-month pilot project is to test the video interpreting language assistance equipment, process and capabilities. Sign language, Hmong, Lao, Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Farsi, Mien, Arabic, Armenian, Mixteco and Russian will be available through the video interpreting equipment. If the pilot project is successful, the hospital will add additional languages in the future.
CANHR Launches Website to Fight Drugging of Nursing Home Residents
Now available: A first-of-its-kind website launched recently by the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR) will help fight the rampant nursing home misuse of psychoactive drugs to sedate and chemically restrain their residents. The over-drugging of nursing home residents is a leading cause of elder abuse. The website is located at www.canhr.org/stop-drugging/. In recent years, nursing home residents throughout California and the nation have increasingly been subjected to powerful antipsychotic drugs that almost double their risk of death. Antipsychotic drugs are often given as a substitute for needed care. More that 25,000 California nursing home residents, mostly elders with dementia, are given these drugs despite FDA “black-box” warnings against their use. CANHR’s new website is full of valuable information to help consumers avoid or stop inappropriate use of these drugs. The site’s features include:
• Toxic Medicine, CANHR’s free consumer guide on how to fight nursing home misuse of psychoactive drugs.
• A 3-part CANHR video series on how to prevent drugging of nursing home residents.
• Information on use of psychoactive drugs by each Medicare and Medi-Cal certified nursing facility in California.
• A petition urging the governor to crack down on nursing home misuse of psychoactive drugs.
• The Stop Drugging Our Elders Blog, featuring regular commentary by CANHR staff and special guests.
• An extensive News & Resources section that contains legal options for victims, pertinent laws & regulations, media articles, alternatives to drugs, studies and reports, the latest advocacy actions, government investigations & prosecutions, and more.
The website launch comes just as CANHR successfully uncovered federal data showing the use of antipsychotic drugs by each of California’s 1,238 Medicare and Medi-Cal certified nursing homes. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the drugging data to CANHR last week in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed in 2009.
The CMS data shows California nursing homes use antipsychotic drugs on more than 25 percent of residents, an alarming rate because most of the residents don’t have medical conditions justifying use of these drugs. A resident’s risk of being drugged varies tremendously by nursing home, with some facilities reporting no use of antipsychotic drugs while others drug all, or nearly all of their residents. In addition to launching the new website, CANHR’s Campaign to Stop Chemical Restraints in Nursing Homes is pressing the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to begin enforcing long-ignored laws against the drugging of nursing home residents. CDPH has done little to address the drugging epidemic. In his 2009 veto message on SB303 (a CANHR sponsored-bill by Senator Alquist on this issue), the governor admitted that misuse of antipsychotic drugs is a pervasive problem in nursing homes. He cited a recent study that found more than half of residents on antipsychotics are being drugged outside federal guidelines, and directed CDPH to investigate and respond. Nearly one year later, CDPH has been silent. “We call on the governor to immediately make good on his word to address this crisis and to protect California nursing home residents from further abuse,” said Patricia McGinnis, CANHR’s executive director. Contact: California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR), 650 Harrison St., 2nd Floor, San Franciso, CA 94107. www.canhr.org
New Hours at Free Clinic in Lodi
The Walter E. Reiss Outreach Clinic, operated by Lodi Memorial Hospital at 300 W. Oak St., Lodi, is offering new hours. The clinic is open 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays; 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays by appointment only for hypertension screenings; and 5 to 8 p.m. Thursdays. Phone: (209) 365-0835. The clinic serves patients with no insurance by offering free services from nurse practitioners, physician assistants and volunteer physicians. Physicians include Drs. John Connolly, Jorge Oceguera, Walter Reiss, Than Soe and James Grady. The clinic is offered as a community benefit in an effort to decrease the number of uninsured patients presenting to the Lodi Memorial Hospital emergency department, where it is generally costlier to treat low-income patients, and the hospital must write off the charges for that care.
HICAP Seeking New Volunteers to Train as Medicare Counselors
Now: HICAP – Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program – that helps individual seniors and the disabled understand the complexities of the often confusing Medicare health benefits they are entitled to is starting training soon for new volunteer counselors in San Joaquin County. Counselors typically volunteer 20 hours per month during normal business hours in Stockton, Tracy, Manteca and Lodi. All that’s needed is computer literacy and the desire to give back to the community. Upon completion of the comprehensive training and mentoring program, counselors will be registered with the California Department of Aging and be assigned to provide counseling services in the county. Those interested in training for the program should contact HICAP volunteer coordinator Susan Billings at (916) 375-3761 or sbillings@hicapservices.net.
Kaiser Permanente Central Valley: Click here for Kaiser Central Valley News and Events
Sutter Gould Medical Foundation: Click here for Sutter Gould news. Click here for Sutter Gould calendar of events.
Grants Available for Children’s Medical Expenses
No deadline: UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation is seeking grant applications from families in need of financial assistance to pay for their child’s health-care treatments, services or equipment not covered by their commercial health-insurance plans. Qualifying families could receive up to $5,000 to help pay for medical services and equipment such as physical and occupational therapy, prescriptions, wheelchairs, orthotics, eyeglasses and hearing aids. Grants are also provided in cases where insurance may cover only a portion of the expenses. To be eligible for grants, children must be 16 years of age or younger. Families must meet economic guidelines, reside in the United States and have a commercial health-insurance plan. Parents and legal guardians may apply for grants online at www.uhccf.org. The Web site includes additional grant application criteria, video clips, stories about recently helped children, and a new “live chat” feature that enables visitors to speak directly with a UHCCF representative. Visitors can also make tax-deductible donations directly online. “The UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation is dedicated to facilitating greater access to medical-related services that can help improve children’s health and quality of life,” UHCCF President Matt Peterson said. “We recognize some families experience gaps in coverage for certain medical treatments and equipment, and we are committed to helping fill this void. Since expanding our grant program nationwide in 2007, we have provided more than 1,500 grants to families in need of financial assistance.” Last year, UHCCF awarded grants to more than 450 families for treatments associated with medical conditions such as speech and developmental delays, hearing loss, autism, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy.
HOSPITALS
DAMERON HOSPITAL Events
Click here for Dameron Hospital’s Event Calendar.
ST. JOSEPH’S MEDICAL CENTER Classes and Events
Click here for St. Joseph’s Medical Center’s Classes and Events.
DOCTORS HOSPITAL OF MANTECA Events
Click here for Doctors Hospital of Manteca Events finder.
LODI MEMORIAL HOSPITAL Educational Opportunities
Click here for Lodi Memorial Hospital Event Calendar.
SUTTER TRACY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL Community Education and Support Groups
Click here for Sutter Tracy Community Hospital events, classes and support groups.
PUBLIC HEALTH
Free One-Day Whooping Cough and Tetanus Vaccine Clinics
County residents who are uninsured or don’t have a doctor will be seen on a first- come, first-served walk-in basis at the following Whooping Cough Vaccine Clinics:
County Health Officer Dr. Karen Furst said the best protection against whooping cough is to have as many people immunized as possible, especially children and adults who live with or care for infants less than 1 year old. In addition to preventing whooping cough, the vaccine – given in shot form – also targets tetanus. San Joaquin County Public Health Services has arranged with Maxim Healthcare Services, which is contracted by California Department of Public Health, to conduct the free vaccine clinics for the following county residents:.
The free clinic schedule is also available on the San Joaquin County Public Health Services website: www.sjcphs.org. The whooping cough vaccine is also available for people without a regular doctor or medical insurance at San Joaquin County Public Health Clinics in Stockton, Lodi and Manteca. There is a small fee for immunizations at these clinics, but no one will be denied services due to the inability to pay. Information on times and locations: www.sjcphs.org or (209) 468-3862.
San Joaquin County Public Health Services General Information
Ongoing resources for vaccinations and clinic information are:
Health officials continue to recommend these precautionary measures to help protect against acquiring influenza viruses:
Public Health Services Clinic Schedules (Adults and Children)
Immunization clinic hours are subject to chance depending on volume of patients or staffing. Check the Public Health Services website for additional evening clinics or special clinics at www.sjcphs.org. Clinics with an asterisk (*) require patients to call for an appointment.
Stockton Health Center: 1601 E. Hazelton Ave.; (209) 468-3830.
Manteca Health Center: 124 Sycamore Ave.; (209) 823-7104 or (800) 839-4949.
Lodi Health Center: 300 W. Oak St.; (209) 331-7303 or (800) 839-4949.
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Check this column regularly for health events of interest to San Joaquin County residents. New events are being added all the time. You never know what you could read here.
Have a health-oriented event the public in San Joaquin County should know about? Let me know at jgoldeen@recordnet.com and I’ll get it into my Health Calendar. I’m not interested in promoting commercial enterprises here, but I am interested in helping out nonprofit and/or community groups, hospitals, clinics, physicians and other health-care providers. Look for five categories: Community Events, News, Schools, Hospitals and Public Health.
TO THE PUBLIC: I won’t list an item here from a source that I don’t know or trust. So I believe you can count on what you read here. If there is a problem, please don’t hesitate to let me know at (209) 546-8278 or jgoldeen@recordnet.com. Thanks, Joe