Eastern Plumas Health Care begins conducting tele-psychiatry appointments using their new, state of the art telemedicine, video-conferencing equipment, beginning on Sept. 29. EPHC’s primary care physicians have begun making referrals over the past month, and already there are 26 patients prepared to take part in these sessions. Patients will initially have a 30 minute appointment with psychiatrist, Dr. Garewal, with the length and frequency of follow up appointments determined by the doctor at that visit. According to Schweyer, patients in Graeagle, Greenville, and Loyalton also will be able to “see” the psychiatrist utilizing one of EPHC’s six new telemedicine systems, by the end of November. Further, Schweyer, plans...

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It’s been an interesting summer here at Eastern Plumas Health Care, and for rural hospitals and nursing facilities in California and across the nation. In July, EPHC received word that state lawmakers had passed an Amendment authorizing them to make what would amount to a 23% rate reduction for our skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). We’re waiting to hear if the Center for Medicare will approve these cuts. If they go through, our hospital stands to lose over $1 million. Most likely, it would force the closure of our two skilled nursing facilities (in Loyalton and Portola). 60 staff members would...

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EPHC is pleased to announce that Dr. Robert Fulmer will be returning in October to care for our gynecology patients--in the Portola Medical Clinic on the first Tuesday of each month and in the Graeagle Medical Clinic the third Tuesday of each month. While he will not be performing surgeries, he will be doing clinical procedures at both clinics. Patients can call the Graeagle Clinic at 836-1122 and the Portola Clinic at 832-6600 now to schedule their appointments with Dr. Fulmer.

At the third offering in Eastern Plumas Health Care’s Community Health Education Series, Dr. Milind Dhond talked on Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD), better known as hardening of the arteries. He showed how far new technologies aimed at repairing and restoring arteries has come in the last 15 years. A procedure that would have taken up to four hours and landed the patient in the hospital for five days can now be done in 45 minutes, with the patient going home the same day. Among the many fascinating technological advances, attendees saw how miniature lasers on a miniscule wire can be...

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Eastern Plumas Health Care has just been awarded nearly $200,000 in telemedicine equipment, through a grant funded by UC Davis Health System and the California Telehealth Network (CTN). This Model eHealth Community Grant was awarded to 15 community groups across California to advance health using telecommunications technologies. EPHC collaborated with Tahoe Forest Health System and other community and healthcare organizations throughout Plumas, Sierra, and Nevada counties in a project spearheaded by Susan Ferrier, Executive Director of Connecting to Care (a non-profit agency dedicated to helping rural health care organizations connect to high speed, medical grade broadband). This grant project,...

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Eastern Plumas Health Care’s Secrets to Healthy Living series continues with a talk on Peripheral Vascular Disease (hardening of the arteries), by Dr. Milind Dhond, Cardiologist, on Thursday, August 18, at 6:00 p.m.. He’ll discuss new technologies aimed at repairing and restoring arteries, the management of vascular diseases, and vascular trauma. Dr. Dhond also will be happy to answer any questions that you might have. The series takes place at EPHC’s Portola Campus Education Center, 500 First Ave., Portola. For more information, please call 530.832.6597, or email [email protected].

Every weekday in August: Love Your Liver Lab Special. For only $25, you can have your liver lab panel done at EPHC’s Portola Hospital lab (530.832.6500). Come to Admitting between 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. The Liver Lab Special also is available at these clinic locations and times: Graeagle Medical Clinic (530.836.1122), Tues. & Thurs. 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.; Indian Valley Medical Clinic (530.284.6116), Mon. & Wed., 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.; Loyalton Medical Clinic (530.993.1231), Mon. & Wed. 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.. Please fast for 12 hours prior to your blood draw. You may continue to drink...

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Every weekday in August: Love Your Liver Lab Special. For only $25, you can have your liver lab panel done at EPHC’s Portola Hospital lab (530.832.6500). Come to Admitting between 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. The Liver Lab Special also is available at these clinic locations and times: Graeagle Medical Clinic (530.836.1122), Tues. & Thurs. 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.; Indian Valley Medical Clinic (530.284.6116), Mon. & Wed., 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.; Loyalton Medical Clinic (530.993.1231), Mon. & Wed. 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.. Please fast for 12 hours prior to your blood draw. You may continue to drink...

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Beginning in August (ongoing) Eastern Plumas Health Care is pleased to offer Medicare patients their initial Welcome to Medicare exam or their Annual Wellness exam at no charge to patients! At your exam, your health care provider will determine which of the following additional preventive services you qualify for. EPHC is pleased to offer these services at no cost to our qualified Medicare patients:  Digital Mammograms (easier, faster, higher quality, 50% less radiation)  Diabetes screenings  Diabetes outpatient self-management training  EKGs  Colorectal cancer screenings  Prostate cancer screenings  Pneumococcal, influenza, and Hepatitis B vaccines  Pap smears and pelvic exams  Cholesterol and other cardiovascular screenings  Medical nutrition therapy  Other preventive services as determined by...

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Eastern Plumas Health Care was recently awarded a $12,000 telemedicine cart as part of acceptance into UC Davis’s Pediatric critical-care telemedicine program. The program, which usually requires a nearly $10,000 membership fee in addition to the price of the cart, was free of charge to EPHC under a grant provided by UC Davis. EPHC now has access to UC Davis’s Pediatric Intensive Care physicians 24/7, utilizing a top of the line, high-definition, video conferencing mobile telemedicine cart. Now, when a child comes into EPHC’s emergency room with severe breathing difficulties, for example, the hospital’s ER doctor can connect with a...

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