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Scroll down to see the latest updates and click the button below to subscribe to The Pulse to get regular updates from RCMS directly to your email inbox. |
Beginning Monday, July 20, the Redwood Coast Medical Services (RCMS) Dental Clinic in Point Arena will be open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm for dental emergencies and for dental care that was previously postponed.
While we wait for some additional safety equipment Dr. Rams and Dr. Thomas will be alternating weeks on duty. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are some changes to coming to the dental clinic:
![]() Redwood Coast Medical Services (RCMS) is pleased to announce that, in collaboration with the Mendocino County Health Department, we will be performing a free COVID19 drive-through screening event in our community. Gualala Saturday July 11, 2020 9:00 AM until swabs run out Location: Parking Lot at Mary Star of the Sea, 39141 Church Street, Gualala Logistics/Access: Mary Star of the Sea is the church at the bottom on the hill, just below the RCMS clinic, on Church Street in Gualala. Please proceed to the event from the south end of Church Street, and exit the event down Ocean Drive. This allows for a one-way traffic, drive-through event, and makes the screening very quick and efficient. Who Can be Screened:
Number of Tests Available: A total of 100 tests will be available. All screening is done on a first come, first served basis. Procedure and Results Reporting: Screening with be with a nasal swab sitting in your car. If you walk up to the event, you will be screened in a chair outside. We will try to respect your privacy, but this is a public/outside event, and we cannot guarantee privacy. If you test POSITIVE for COVID19, you will receive a telephone call by July 20, 2020. If you do not receive a telephone call, you can presume you have a negative test. This event is staffed by community volunteers and RCMS medical staff. We would like to thank them deeply for their efforts and time. ![]() The Families First Coronavirus Response Act authorized emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits because of COVID-19. In California, the emergency allotments will raise each household’s monthly allotment of CalFresh to the maximum allowable based on household size. Families with children who applied at their school to receive free or reduced school meals must apply online for P-EBT. The online application will be available at ca.p-ebt.org/en/ until July 15, 2020. Read the full announcement. ![]() Catch the replay on soundcloud at https://m.soundcloud.com/kgua/ara-chakrabarti-rcms-ceo-79-july-update Community Health Update Ara Chakrabarti, CEO will be a guest on Peggy's Place on KGUA 88.3 FM, Thursday July 9. Tune into 88.3 FM at 9:00 am for the live show, replay at 1:00 pm and you can also stream online from their website at KGUA.org. ![]() Redwood Coast Medical Services (RCMS) has received the results from the Mendocino County Public Health Department for the COVID-19 screening tests conducted on June 28, 2020 in Timber Cove and on June 29, 2020 in Point Arena. A total of 100 tests were performed. One test came back positive and the Public Health Department is following up with appropriate next steps. All other tests were negative. RCMS is committed to working with the Health Departments of Mendocino and Sonoma Counties to perform future screenings. We will also continue to advocate for means to do this in a more timely, efficient and geographically accessible fashion. As a reminder, free COVID-19 testing is available through OptumServe in Ukiah, Santa Rosa and Petaluma by appointment. If you are going to one of these areas on other business, consider scheduling an appointment for COVID-19 testing. You can schedule an appointment online at https://lhi.care/covidtesting or via phone: (888) 634-1123. ![]() Redwood Coast Medical Services (RCMS) is pleased to announce that, in collaboration with the Mendocino and Sonoma County Health Departments, we will be performing two drive-thru COVID19 screening events in our community. Timber Cove Sunday June 28, 2020 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (or until test kits run out) Location: Fort Ross Elementary School, 30600 Seaview Road Point Arena Monday June 29, 2020 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (or until test kits run out) Location: Veterans Hall/City Hall, 451 School Street, Point Arena Who Can be Screened: Both of these events are first come, first served screening event. For either event, any resident of Sonoma or Mendocino County can be screened. Number of Tests Available: A total of 100 tests will be available to be shared between the two screening sites. All screening is done on a first come, first served basis. What to Bring: Proof that you are a Sonoma or Mendocino County resident. Results Reporting: The Health Department has advised that ONLY POSITIVE patients will be receiving a call with results. They advise that positives should get results within a week; if a person does not get a call within 7 days, their result is a PRESUMED NEGATIVE. Please note that the screening is for asymptomatic people only. If anyone has symptoms, they should not come to these events. They should call RCMS at 707-884-4005 to make other arrangements. ![]() Covered California announced this morning that it would be giving consumers more time to sign up for health care coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic by extending the current special enrollment deadline through July 31, 2020. Read the full press release here. ![]() On May 24, 2020 Redwood Coast Medical Service (RCMS) conducted a COVID-19 screening event in partnership with the Mendocino and Sonoma County Health Departments. A total of 212 individuals were tested. RCMS has been informed that all tests came back negative. We sincerely appreciate the participants, the volunteers, and our staff for their involvement in this important activity for our community. RCMS acknowledges the long and unexpected delay in the COVID-19 screening results from this test, which was due to limited capacity for the labs to process so many samples. RCMS is committed to working with the Health Departments of Mendocino and Sonoma Counties to perform future screenings. We will also continue to advocate for means to do this in a more timely, efficient and geographically accessible fashion. As a reminder, free COVID-19 testing is available through OptumServe in Ukiah, Santa Rosa and Petaluma by appointment. If you are going to one of these areas on other business, consider scheduling an appointment for COVID-19 testing. You can schedule an appointment online at https://lhi.care/covidtesting or via phone: (888) 634-1123. Please continue to follow the guidelines given out by Public Health Departments and stay safe and healthy. COVID-19 Community Screening Update
Redwood Coast Medical Services (RCMS) would like to acknowledge the long and unexpected delay in COVID-19 screening results from the May 24, 2020 community screening event held at RCMS in Gualala. The Public Health Lab is still processing the results from the screening, and all results have not yet been received. RCMS recognizes this is an unexpectedly long delay and we have been advised the delay is related to the capacity of the lab to process so many samples. The lab has not been able to keep up with the demand for testing. RCMS is in regular contact with the Mendocino County Health Department about this issue. As RCMS receives results, we will be contacting those tested. Of the test results we have received so far, all tests have been negative. This delay in lab processing is an important issue to those of us living in rural communities. COVID-19 screenings are an important tool for us to safely and effectively reopen our society, businesses, schools and recreational activities. We need to advocate for increased capacity for accessible and timely screening. RCMS is committed to working with the Health Departments of Mendocino and Sonoma Counties to perform future screenings. We will also continue to advocate for means to do this in a more timely, efficient and geographically accessible fashion. As a reminder, free COVID-19 testing is available through OptumServe in Ukiah, Santa Rosa and Petaluma by appointment. If you are going to one of these areas on other business, consider scheduling an appointment for COVID-19 testing. You can schedule an appointment online at https://lhi.care/covidtesting or via phone: (888) 634-1123. Thank you for your patience and understanding. ![]() A note from Medicare. As more states relax stay-at-home orders, it's important to continue taking steps to protect yourself from COVID-19. Visit CDC.gov for tips to help you run essential errands safely, like getting prescriptions, groceries, gas, and connecting with your doctor. More Info Remember, if you need to see your doctor, please call their office first. Medicare has expanded coverage of telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic, for common office visits, mental health counseling, and preventive health screenings. During this time, you may also want to contact your Medicare prescription drug plan to see if they've temporarily waived certain requirements — like waiving prescription refill limits or relaxing restrictions on home or mail delivery of prescription drugs. That way, you can limit in-person visits to the pharmacy. For more general information about COVID-19 and your Medicare coverage, visit Medicare.gov. Sincerely, The Medicare Team |
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