The mood was light and smiles were aplenty at the Eastern Plumas Health Care board meeting Aug. 22. After hearing the hospital would be exempt from the 23 percent Medi-Cal cuts that threatened the facility with closure, there was a tone of triumph in the board members and hospital staff. Board Chairwoman Gail McGrath commended hospital Public Relations Coordinator Linda Satchwell for her outstanding diligence in researching and asking questions that brought essential facts to light. “(Satchwell) did an absolute bang-up job,” she said. “I want to commend her on her efforts.” ...

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We received word late Wed. that the Dept. of Health Care Services has granted EPHC our requested exemption from the devastating skilled nursing Medi-Cal cuts. (We will still have to pay the retroactive amount, but we will be given many years to do this, which we are able to handle.) This protects us from approximately $1.3 million/year in cuts--it is tremendously good news for us, and proves that a small hospital and community, working together, can make a huge difference. We did this ourselves, and we should be very proud! This exemption will cover ALL rural and frontier hospitals, which...

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Diabetes reaches epidemic levels in the U.S. Diabetes statistics for the U.S. population are the stuff nightmares are made of. And yet, as chronic diseases go, this one is remarkably preventable and/or controllable, which makes diabetes education not just useful, but essential, especially for newly diagnosed patients or those who have not previously received this service. Eastern Plumas Health Care’s telemedicine diabetes education program connects Certified Diabetic Educator, Ginger Farias, with diabetic patients through a secure high quality video connection. Diabetes is a group of diseases characterized by high blood glucose (sugar) levels that result from defects in the body's ability to...

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Diabetes reaches epidemic levels in the U.S. Diabetes statistics for the U.S. population are the stuff nightmares are made of. And yet, as chronic diseases go, this one is remarkably preventable and/or controllable, which makes diabetes education not just useful, but essential, especially for newly diagnosed patients or those who have not previously received this service. Eastern Plumas Health Care’s telemedicine diabetes education program connects Certified Diabetic Educator, Ginger Farias, with diabetic patients through a secure high quality video connection. Diabetes is a group of diseases characterized by high blood glucose (sugar) levels that result from defects in the body's ability to...

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Eastern Plumas Health Care’s Telemedicine Diabetes Retinopathy screening offers an essential aspect of care for diabetics. Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease and a leading cause of blindness in American adults. It is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina, which is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. In diabetics, the blood vessels may swell and leak fluid. In the late stage proliferative form, abnormal new vessels may grow and cover the retina. These can leak and cause blurred vision or blindness. Diabetic retinopathy is treatable when it is caught in time....

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Telemedicine offers an exciting new horizon in rural health care. Patients can be “seen” by specialists utilizing a high-quality secure telemedicine video connection. This allows patients who either can’t afford to or don’t feel well enough to travel the ability to stay close to home and still receive the best available care. Eastern Plumas Health Care’s Telemedicine Program includes the following specialties: cardiology, dermatology, diabetes education, diabetic retinopathy screening, endocrinology (diabetes, thyroid conditions), internal medicine, nephrology, neurology, oncology (cancer), pediatric emergency/critical care, psychology counseling, psychiatry, pulmonology and rheumatology. EPHC’s Dr. Michelle Kim reports...

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It seems to be a fact of life that bad news filters through to everyone and sinks in deeper than good news does. So, Eastern Plumas Health Care’s battle with the state of California to save its skilled nursing facilities—which, by implication put our entire hospital and community under threat—spread like wild fire. Our ongoing battle has been watched closely, and the community has come together to fight these cuts in a way that should make us all proud. But, in the aftermath when we say, “Our hospital will not close. Our skilled nursing facilities will take fewer patients, but...

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According to Eastern Plumas Health Care’s CFO, Jeri Nelson, “We reached out last week to our Auxiliary to fund a replacement bathtub for Portola skilled nursing care residents. The existing bathtub was in need of constant repair, and replacement parts were becoming hard to find. The replacement would cost $14,400--not your normal bathtub!” Nelson said that the Auxiliary voiced some concerns about the future of EPHC’s skilled nursing facilities because of the possible State Medi-Cal rate cuts. She explained that the hospital’s 2014 budget takes the cuts into account, and balances by restructuring some departments, cutting any unnecessary...

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SUPER LOW-COST LAB SPECIAL!! ONLY $40 (cash pay at time of testing) July 18 - Aug. 2 at Portola Hospital Lab, Graeagle Clinic, and Greenville Clinic. Testing Includes: - Cholesterol - CBC (Complete Blood Count) - Comprehensive Metabolic Panel - HDL, Direct LDL, Ratio - Thyroid Screening - Triglycerides Optional Testing Includes: - Prostate...

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Linda Jameson, Eastern Plumas Health Care’s new Director of Nursing is in an interesting position. Right now, she’s in her last month as Chief Nursing Officer at Plumas District Hospital (PDH), where she’s worked since 2005. She’s clearly loved her job and is well-loved in return at PDH, so this last month has been an unusual transition. “I’m not a lame duck, I’m a dead duck,” she said. “It feels like dying. You try to give your best advice before you go, try to lay down a foundation on how to deal with different things.” There are other staff members who...

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