By Faughn Health/Medical • New Developments 0 Comments

$7 million donation to help expand healthcare access in Corcoran

A historic and generous multi-million dollar gift will bring more resources to a small Kings County town. The Adventist Health Corcoran Medical Office received a $7 million donation to expand healthcare access in the area and surrounding communities.

Officials say the money will go to fund home dialysis units, a PET CT scanner and a 3D Mobile Mammography Unit to bring life-saving diagnostic and treatment services directly to the community. The donations were a community effort.

“The Corcoran Hospital District and Corcoran Community Foundation, supported by the Boswell family funds, those are the organizations that partnered with Adventist Health to help make this dream become a reality,” says Tim Haydock with Adventist Health. “Those are the organizations that have gone above and beyond to outline a path for a brighter future for the members of this community.”

The $7 million donation marks the largest gift in the history of Adventist Health.

Wednesday’s event consisted of remarks from Adventist Health leadership, community donors and medical experts.

A patient speaker also shared how these new services will change lives.

Community leaders say this is an exciting milestone for Adventist Health and the Corcoran community as it ensures greater access to critical healthcare services.

https://abc30.com/post/7-million-donation-help-expand-healthcare-access-corcoran/16152882/

By Faughn Health/Medical • New Developments • Quality of Life 0 Comments

County opens new juvenile center

Kings County announced the grand opening of the Behavioral Rehabilitation Academy New Chance Hub, or BRANCH. This state-of-the-art facility is designed to provide comprehensive rehabilitation services to young people, empowering them to overcome challenges and build brighter futures.

“I am thrilled to witness the grand opening of The BRANCH,” said Leonard A. Bakker II, Chief Probation Officer, Kings County Probation Department. “This cutting-edge facility represents a significant step forward in our commitment to providing young people with the tools and support they need to succeed. By offering comprehensive rehabilitation services, we are empowering these individuals to overcome adversity and build brighter futures. The BRANCH is a beacon of hope for our community.”

The BRANCH offers a holistic approach to rehabilitation, combining educational, therapeutic, and rehabilitative services, the County stated. The goal is to help participants develop coping skills, improve mental health, and successfully reintegrate into their communities.

https://hanfordsentinel.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/county-opens-new-juvenile-center/article_d04f0efe-bcc5-11ef-b990-133930ebf22f.html

By Faughn Health/Medical • New Developments 0 Comments

Valley Children’s Unveils Plans for “The Hill”

Valley Children’s Healthcare is excited to announce plans for “The Hill,” a 220-acre vibrant development comprised of a mixed-use community, world class medical facilities and outdoor spaces, located on our 443-acre main campus, all designed to enrich the lives of patients, families, staff and the broader community. This new development will bring together healthcare, housing, retail, recreation, office space and hospitality, all located on Valley Children’s main campus.

When complete, The Hill will integrate five districts – including retail, hospitality, recreation and residential – that surround the Healthcare District, which includes Valley Children’s Hospital and River Vista Behavioral Health, along with clinical, research and administrative facilities.

“Our patients and families need more than a hospital and we need to ensure there is a sustainable financial future for Valley Children’s,” said Valley Children’s President and CEO Todd Suntrapak. “The Hill is the perfect expansion of our main campus, designed to meet the needs of our patients and families, support our dedicated team and ensure a sustainable future for Valley Children’s.”

This new, multi-faceted community will provide the resources required to sustain and grow Valley Children’s world-class pediatric healthcare network far beyond what the hospital will receive in reimbursement from state/federal programs and commercial insurance payouts. According to a report published by The Advisory Board, 117 acute care hospitals closed across the United States between 2018 and 2023, with many occurring during the pandemic, and just last week, Becker’s Hospital Review reported

19 hospitals and emergency departments have closed nationwide so far this year. In California, rural communities have been particularly hit hard, with several hospitals closing – including Madera Community Hospital – or facing closure.

This trend underscores the importance of initiatives like The Hill, whose revenues will support hospital operations and patient care. This development will also contribute to Madera County’s economy, bringing new spending, tax revenue and additional tourism.

“I believe it is a brilliant idea to enhance revenue at Valley Children’s for those services necessary to take care of kids, and Madera County is excited about the opportunity to help Valley Children’s move forward with this development,” said Madera County Board of Supervisors Chair Rob Poythress. “It is always about the care – that is number one. But it is also about supporting employees and residents in the area.”

The Hill’s residential district will include 400 plus studios, and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments in a wellness-centric natural environment. The retail district will incorporate more than 30 shops in a village-style environment, including a grocery store, lofts above retail spaces and other retail essentials. The Hill will also feature a series of planned scenic walking paths connected to larger areas and venues for different activities.

“We have spent the last decade creating a solid financial foundation for Valley Children’s, one that’s absolutely vital in an era when so many hospitals in the Valley have had to sell, reduce services or close,” Suntrapak said. “The Hill is a community that supports healthy living, the health of Valley Children’s and the care we provide to kids and the entire community.”

https://www.valleychildrens.org/news/news-story?news=1399

By Faughn Health/Medical • New Developments 0 Comments

New law directs UC to build Kern medical school branch

A new law directs the University of California to set up a new medical school branch in Kern County, thanks to a bill authored by Assemblywoman Dr. Jasmeet Bains, D-Delano.

Assembly Bill 2357, also known as the “Grow Our Own” bill, was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom Sunday, creating a new endowment fund to finance the future school and its operations.

“This is dream that’s been a long time coming for Kern County,” Bains told The Californian. “This is an opportunity for our kids to uplift themselves and truly be the leaders in the medical world that the community needs them to be.”

The law establishes the University of California Kern County Medical Education Endowment Fund within the State Treasury to “support annual operating costs for the development, operation and maintenance of a branch campus of an existing University of California School of Medicine Kern County.”

Money in the fund — which can also accept public and private donations — will be invested with the goal of achieving a sufficient balance to support the school.

A family doctor, Bains said access to medical services in the Central Valley were lacking even before the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated the problem.

“The real reality that we witnessed is our health-care workforce is suffering,” Bains said. “This is the first foundation of the something that would change the landscape.”

In 2021, the California Health Care Foundation reported the San Joaquin Valley had 47 primary care physicians per 100,000 residents, short of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ recommended supply ratio of 60 to 80 per 100,000 and the state average of 60 per 100,000 residents.

While Bains declined to name an amount, she said messages of support and financial commitments started arriving shortly after the bill was introduced.

The fund will also be used to finance a feasibility study for the school, which according to the University of California has an unknown cost but could be in the “low millions.”

“The UC estimates one-time General Fund costs of about $300 million for a new medical education building and ongoing operational General Fund costs of between $40 million and $45 million each year,” a Senate summary of the bill said. “These costs could be lower to the extent that donations or other non-state funds are provided.”

Bains said her next step is raising fundraising; the sooner the endowment is sufficiently funded, the sooner the study can begin.

“This is where the momentum starts,” Bains said.

The bill passed with overwhelming support in both chambers, and one of the few organizations in opposition to the bill was the UC itself, which stated there were already a number of programs aimed at increasing medical access in the San Joaquin Valley.

“Launching a medical school and obtaining accreditation from the Licensing Committee on Medical Education requires a substantial investment of time, financial support, faculty development, and a strong foundation of clinical partnerships to support student rotations,” the UC said in an “oppose unless amended” letter.

The UC did not immediately respond to request for comment, but Bains said the feasibility study was added at the request of the university.

It’s not yet clear where the school will be, when it will open, or which UC it will be affiliated with. There is a regional campus of the UC San Francisco School of Medicine in Fresno, and UC Merced is developing an undergraduate program to serve as a feeder to UCSF-Fresno.

The university also has UC PRIME, or Programs in Medical Education, which supplements standard medical training with additional curriculum tailored to meet the needs of underserved populations. PRIME programs are affiliated with different UCs depending on their locations in the state; the San Joaquin Valley’s program is housed at UCSF-Fresno.

In a statement, Emily Duran, chief executive officer of Kern Health Systems, said the school — which she referred to as “the UC Kern Medical School” — is needed to alleviate the current provider shortage that impacts the overall health outcomes of residents.

“Today marks the first step in creating a UC Medical School in Kern County to empower the next generation of doctors that reflect the demographics of our community,” Duran said. “(The bill) is a step in the right direction to build on the current infrastructure to train, recruit, and retain health professionals to address the medical needs of Kern County.”

Bains said the bill received skepticism from its very beginning but that the law now requires that a medical school branch be built in Kern County once funds are available — and she is determined to see the project done.

“This is the time where people do really believe that this is possible,” Bains said. “This is the time where we get together, roll up our sleeves and believe that this is possible.”

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/new-law-directs-uc-to-build-kern-medical-school-branch/article_73b5cd52-7f69-11ef-a5be-63dab12bb3fa.html

By Faughn Health/Medical 0 Comments

Adventist Health unveils newest mobile clinic

Adventist Health has added a new mobile clinic to its growing fleet to aid in providing care to people who otherwise might not have access. The new mobile unit was dedicated in a ceremony at Adventist Health Hanford on Sept. 4.

The mobile clinic is a collaborative project funded through partnerships with Bank of America, Leprino Foods, the Mackey family and Facility Designs. The mobile clinic is expected to allow Adventist Health to reach more than 600 residents each year to provide screenings and vaccines to underserved communities. Adventist now boasts a fleet of four vehicles serving 33 communities between the Adventist Health network that includes 131 clinics.

“These mobile units go out and provide necessary screenings and services,” Adventist Health Communications Director Kiyoshi Tomono said. “We go out and diagnose and screen for cancer and cancers have been caught because of these mobile units.”

The mobile clinics are outfitted with the same screening tools used in the clinics and hospitals, allowing the mobile units to provide a high level of care to rural communities that have limited access to healthcare.

“Many of [these communities] would not have healthcare if it wasn’t for the commitment of this team and the support of so many community partners of taking healthcare across Central California,” Jason Wells, president of Adventist Health’s Central California Network said. “This is one of those additional strategies, because some times brick-and-mortar, it works to build a beautiful clinic and people will come, but we have also learned that taking the clinic to the people, that has been a tremendous blessing to many communities.”

Hanford Vice-Mayor Mark Kairis, city councilmember Martin Devine, and representatives from State Sen. Melissa Hurtado’s office and State Assemblymember Devin Mathis were in attendance for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“It was a year-and-a-half, maybe two years ago that I was standing in this parking lot dedicating the first mobile unit, and here we are today a short time later for the second unit,” Kairis said. “I got to share a little time with the doctor this morning and how important these things are for our communities, not just Hanford, but all of the surrounding communities and disadvantaged communities in our area. This is critical in healthcare and driving that service to our communities. It is going to have an incremental impact daily on getting better health for our communities.”

Immediately after the dedication celebration was completed, the new mobile clinic was put to work, driving to Armona to provide screenings for residents of the senior center. Armona is one of the few communities in the Valley that has no clinic at all, highlighting the importance of the mobile units.

https://hanfordsentinel.com/news/local/adventist-health-unveils-newest-mobile-clinic/article_371d70c4-6ae8-11ef-b41d-3765a96f0279.html

By Faughn Health/Medical 0 Comments

Valley Children’s First in US To Use Genetic Testing to Prevent Hearing Loss

Valley Children’s Precision Medicine Program has been named the first U.S. hospital to use an advanced form of genetic testing to help save the hearing of babies born with certain variants of a gene linked to hearing loss.

Through a gentle cheek swab, doctors at the hospital are now able to diagnose a variant of the MT-RNR1 gene that is less equipped to resist potential hearing loss as a side effect of the usage of antibiotics to treat infants in neonatal intensive care units.

While aminoglycosides — the antibiotics in question — are efficient in treating infections in infants, they also run the risk of attacking human proteins vital to the development of hearing. Despite being safe for most infants, at least 1% of hearing loss found in these children can be attributed to the side effect of the antibiotic.

The new, non-invasive test allows doctors to check the compatibility of an infant’s MT-RNR1 gene to see whether or not hearing loss may develop with the use of aminoglycosides.

“Genes are like the individual instructions in a book that tell the body how to build and work, so understanding them is important in creating a treatment plan for each patient,” said Dr. Jeremy Woods, Valley Children’s geneticist and director of the Precision Medicine Program.

Woods went on to explain that the new test replaces older techniques that could not be analyzed in a time-efficient manner, forcing doctors to accept the potential risk of hearing loss when using aminoglycoside antibiotics.

“Previously, we would have to wait weeks for the results of MT-RNR1 genetic testing. Now, we can have results back in under an hour,” Woods said. “That gives us plenty of time to choose a safer antibiotic to treat a seriously ill baby.”

The advancement is one of several tools used within Valley Children’s Precision Medicine Program; earlier this year, genetic testing modules were integrated as part of patient electronic information systems, allowing providers to order comprehensive genetic tests to provide care recommendations based on the specific genetic makeup of the patient.

The hospital is also one of just five other institutions to participate in Project Baby Bear— a Medi-Cal pilot program using rapid whole genome sequencing to improve care for infants suffering from undiagnosed illnesses.

https://thebusinessjournal.com/valley-childrens-first-in-us-to-use-genetic-testing-to-prevent-hearing-loss/

By Faughn Health/Medical • New Location 0 Comments

Camarena Health opens in Chowchilla

CHOWCHILLA — Camarena Health celebrated the opening of its newest Urgent Care with a ribbon cutting ceremony and facility tours open to invited guests and media on Wednesday.

The 9,000 square-foot facility is located in the heart of Chowchilla off Hospital Drive. It will provide urgent care and walk-in access to the residents of Chowchilla and surrounding communities with room to grow and bring additional services in the near future.

“Camarena Health has been proudly serving the community of Chowchilla for almost 20 years,” said Paolo Soares, CEO of Camarena Health. “We are very excited about this new location in the City of Chowchilla as it will allow us to bring much needed urgent care services to residents while continuing to meet the healthcare needs of the community for many years to come.”

https://www.maderatribune.com/single-post/camarena-health-opens-in-chowchilla

By Faughn Health/Medical • New Developments 0 Comments

UC Merced Medical Education Building Gains Final Approval from UC Regents

At their Nov. 15 meeting, the Regents of the University of California gave final approval for the construction of a new medical education building at UC Merced. The vote approved the final design, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) findings and the full budget and financing.

The four-story building, designed by the firm ZGF, will feature 203,500 square feet of instructional, academic office, research and community-facing space and common areas. The project has a price tag of $300 million, funded by a combination of state General Fund appropriations, the campus budget and donor gifts.

“We are very pleased by the Regents’ show of support for medical education at UC Merced,” said UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz. “The lack of quality healthcare options in the region is well-documented, and this new building will enable UC Merced to train physicians uniquely qualified to address the Valley’s health needs.”

The new facility will be home to UC Merced’s medical education pathway, which was developed in partnership with UCSF and UCSF Fresno. The first cohort of students began classes this fall. It will also house:

● The departments of Psychological Sciences and Public Health

● The Health Sciences Research Institute

● Allied healthcare-related programs (developed in partnership with community colleges)

● A range of medical education and general assignment learning environments

● Specialty learning spaces for medical education, general assignment classrooms, and class laboratories to support several new and existing academic programs

This project will comply with the University of California Sustainable Practices Policy, which establishes goals for green building, clean energy, transportation, climate protection, facilities operations, zero waste, procurement, food service and water systems. Supporting UC Merced’s carbon neutrality status, the building will be run entirely on clean electricity, without the use of natural gas.

Construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2024 with completion slated for fall 2026. Current growth projections show the facility serving approximately 2,220 undergraduates by 2030.

https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2023/uc-merced-medical-education-building-gains-final-approval-uc-regents

By Faughn Health/Medical • New Location 0 Comments

New behavioral health and human services building opens

A new Kings County Behavioral Health and Human Services building that will house over 100 county employees in 45,000 square feet was unveiled Wednesday morning.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday was emceed by Kings County Supervisor Joe Neves and featured speeches from representatives from Kings County administration, Kings County Behavioral Health and Kings County Human Services.

“On behalf of my colleagues on the board of supervisors, both past and present, we are so proud to stand here today and officially open the Kings County Behavioral Health and Human Services Building,” Neves said. “We are grateful to our community for their patience and support as we have navigated the long process to get here today.”

The Old Hospital was constructed in 1911 but eventually closed until 1973. Rather than demolishing the building in 2014, Kings County decided to repurpose the building through a remodel sales lease agreement.

The new building will house the Behavioral Department’s Administrative Offices, Children’s Psychiatric Services, the KIND Center children’s outpatient clinic and Human Services adult programs like their Adult Protective Services and In Home Supportive Services.

https://hanfordsentinel.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/new-behavioral-health-and-human-services-building-opens/article_a377d57e-a67e-53ac-9505-b6ab89f351be.html

By Faughn Health/Medical • New Developments 0 Comments

UC Merced Medical Education Building Gains Final Approval from UC Regents

At their Nov. 15 meeting, the Regents of the University of California gave final approval for the construction of a new medical education building at UC Merced. The vote approved the final design, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) findings and the full budget and financing.

The four-story building, designed by the firm ZGF, will feature 203,500 square feet of instructional, academic office, research and community-facing space and common areas. The project has a price tag of $300 million, funded by a combination of state General Fund appropriations, the campus budget and donor gifts.

“We are very pleased by the Regents’ show of support for medical education at UC Merced,” said UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz. “The lack of quality healthcare options in the region is well-documented, and this new building will enable UC Merced to train physicians uniquely qualified to address the Valley’s health needs.”

The new facility will be home to UC Merced’s medical education pathway, which was developed in partnership with UCSF and UCSF Fresno. The first cohort of students began classes this fall. It will also house:

● The departments of Psychological Sciences and Public Health

● The Health Sciences Research Institute

● Allied healthcare-related programs (developed in partnership with community colleges)

● A range of medical education and general assignment learning environments

● Specialty learning spaces for medical education, general assignment classrooms, and class laboratories to support several new and existing academic programs

This project will comply with the University of California Sustainable Practices Policy, which establishes goals for green building, clean energy, transportation, climate protection, facilities operations, zero waste, procurement, food service and water systems. Supporting UC Merced’s carbon neutrality status, the building will be run entirely on clean electricity, without the use of natural gas.

Construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2024 with completion slated for fall 2026. Current growth projections show the facility serving approximately 2,220 undergraduates by 2030.

https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2023/uc-merced-medical-education-building-gains-final-approval-uc-regents