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The following is an outline of comments from the CEO at the recent Redwood Coast Medical Services (RCMS) Board Meeting. Pharmacy Update This week one of the senior Managers of Genoa Pharmacy visited the pharmacy and had a meeting with us. We discussed the progress of the pharmacy over the last several months:
Organizational/Operational update
FY 2024-25 Budget
High blood pressure – or hypertension – is a major risk factor for heart disease. Half of Americans have high blood pressure, and many don’t know they have it. Have yours checked and talk to a healthcare provider about what your numbers mean for you.
Prevent and Manage High Blood Pressure Whatever your age, you can take steps each day to keep your blood pressure in a healthy range. You can help prevent high blood pressure—also called hypertension—by making healthy choices and managing other health conditions you may have. Prevent High Blood Pressure By living a healthy lifestyle, you can help keep your blood pressure in a healthy range. Preventing high blood pressure, which is also called hypertension, can lower your risk for heart disease and stroke. Practice the following healthy living habits: Eat a Healthy Diet
Manage High Blood Pressure Learn steps you can take to lower your risk for health problems from high blood pressure (also called hypertension), such as heart disease and stroke.
Blood Pressure Medicines Many people need to take medicine in addition to making lifestyle changes to help keep their blood pressure at healthy levels. How do blood pressure medicines work? Blood pressure medicines can work several different ways. Blood pressure medicines can keep blood pressure at a healthy level by1:
How do blood pressure medicines work? Blood pressure medicines can work several different ways. Blood pressure medicines can keep blood pressure at a healthy level by1:
Talk with your health care team about the best type of treatment for you. You may need to take more than one type of medicine to control your blood pressure. You can also talk to your health care team about how long it should take your blood pressure medicine to work. It is important to take your blood pressure medicine exactly as your doctor tells you to. Do not stop taking your current medicine without talking to your doctor or pharmacist first. Stopping your blood pressure medicine without first talking to your health care team could lead to serious health consequences. For more information please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/manage.htm or https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/education/high-blood-pressure/high-blood-pressure-education-month Please join us to celebrate our nurses for the effort, dedication, and sacrifice they all make every day. Nurses are essential members of America's healthcare workforce who provide care through every stage of life, working with patients at their most intimate and vulnerable moments. These committed professionals play a crucial role in caring for others and improving patients’ health across the nation. We have the best team! Thank you to our nurses for all that you do this week and every week. Thank you to our nurses!
In honor of American Storke Awareness Month, RCMS would like to share information from the American Stroke Association who inform the public that "strokes can happen to anyone, at any age. Having a stroke puts you at higher risk for a second one. Learn the F.A.S.T. warning signs of stroke and know your risk factors. Together, we can be a bold advocate for ourselves and others." Face Drooping
Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person’s smile uneven or lopsided? Arm Weakness Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? Speech Is speech slurred? Is the person unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Time to Call 9-1-1 If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get then to the hospital immediately. High Blood Pressure is the No. 1 Controllable Risk Factor for Stroke Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure, or hypertension. Work with your doctor to keep you blood pressure in a healthy range. For more information on stroke warning signs, prevention, and recovery, visit the American Stroke Association. RCMS is posting on behalf of Mindful Living Centers to become a patient advocate and liaison for eligible Partnership members. Join Mindful Living Centers as a Community Health Worker (CHW) advocating for Partnership members with co-occurring disorders. Provide psychosocial rehabilitation, life, coping, independent living, and vocational skills individually and in groups. Collaborate with primary care providers, develop treatment plans, and connect patients with community resources. Bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, or related field required. CPRP certification preferred. Full-time position with benefits. Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred. Email resume to [email protected]. Redwood Coast Medical Services, Inc. (RCMS) is seeking a dedicated individual for the position of Full-time Laboratory Assistant & Phlebotomist. If you're organized, personable, and thrive in a busy environment, RCMS wants you! As a community-based non-profit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), RCMS serves the vibrant and diverse community of Gualala and Point Arena, CA. We offer flexible hours, excellent benefits, continuing education assistance, and a supportive work environment. On-the-job training is also available for the right candidate. Join our team and make a difference in the lives of others. Apply today and become part of RCMS's mission to provide compassionate healthcare services to our community. Are you passionate about transforming smiles and improving oral health? Look no further, RCMS Dental in Point Arena is seeking dedicated professionals to join our team as a full-time Dentist and Dental Hygienist. Our practice prioritizes patient comfort and satisfaction, and we are committed to delivering high-quality dental services. Join us in making a positive impact on our community's oral health and wellness. If you're a skilled Dentist or Dental Hygienist looking for a fulfilling career opportunity, we'd love to hear from you! See the full job descriptions and apply on our career page. We send surveys to our patients to get their feedback on our service. The feedback helps us know what we are doing right and where we can get better. The results of the survey are used by our performance improvement and quality improvement teams and are actively used to improve our delivery and provide you with the best possible service. Here are some excerpts from our recent survey responses: "Everyone was courteous and nice and professional and advised me well and answered all of my questions." "Wonderful care administered to a non resident from Maine." "It would help to do a blood test before I show up for an annual exam instead of the other way around." "Though I was obviously in a lousy mood, my care was extremely considerate and patient with me - thanks to all." "I am so glad you added a pharmacy in Gualala - thank you - (I kept asking for that) we needed it so badly. I am very grateful for the doctors and staff at RCMS and especially at the Point Arena office. The therapy/therapist has really saved me!!! Thank you!" Treasurer’s Financial
Snapshot from March 27, 2024 Board Meeting Drew McCalley The RCMS Board is committed to increasing transparency and communication with the community. Each month we will share a financial snapshot. Complete financial reports are available on our webpage via the link at the end of this post. RCMS Treasurer’s Financial Snapshot by Drew McCalley As of the end of February, RCMS's financial results continue to be better than budgeted and our financial position remains strong. In February, Primary Care visits recovered somewhat from their dip in January, but remained below budget. As has been the case throughout this fiscal year, lower Primary Care visits were partly offset by higher Urgent Care visits. Overall, patient service revenue remains above budget year to date, and the bottom line is positive and significantly better than budget, largely due to expenses running below budget. However, one part of expenses, personnel expenses, is trending upward and will be over budget for the remainder of the fiscal year ending in June. Despite these financial challenges, we remain confident that we will be able to maintain our sound financial condition going forward. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects predominately dopamine-producing (“dopaminergic”) neurons in a specific area of the brain called substantia nigra. Symptoms generally develop slowly over years. The progression of symptoms is often a bit different from one person to another due to the diversity of the disease. People with PD may experience:
The cause remains largely unknown. Although there is no cure, treatment options vary and include medications and surgery. While Parkinson’s itself is not fatal, disease complications can be serious. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rated complications from PD as the 14th cause of death in the United States. The first step to living well with Parkinson’s disease is to understand the disease and the progression: It is possible to have a good to great quality of life with PD. Working with your doctor and following recommended therapies are essential in successfully treating symptoms by using dopaminergic medications. People with PD need this medication because they have low levels or are missing dopamine in the brain, mainly due to impairment of neurons in the substantia nigra. It is important to understand that people with PD first start experiencing symptoms later in the course of the disease because a significant amount of the substantia nigra neurons have already been lost or impaired. Lewy bodies (accumulation of abnormal alpha-synuclein) are found in substantia nigra neurons of PD patients. Scientists are exploring ways to identify biomarkers for PD that can lead to earlier diagnosis and more tailored treatments to slow down the disease process. Currently, all therapies used for PD improve symptoms without slowing or halting the disease progression. In addition to movement-related (“motor”) symptoms, Parkinson’s symptoms may be unrelated to movement (“non-motor”).People with PD are often more impacted by their non-motor symptoms than motor symptoms. Examples of non-motor symptoms include: apathy, depression, constipation, sleep behavior disorders, loss of sense of smell and cognitive impairment. In idiopathic Parkinson’s disease, progression tends to be slow and variable. Doctors often use the Hoehn and Yahr scale to gauge the progression of the disease over the years. The scale was originally implemented in 1967 and it included stages zero to five, where zero is no signs of Parkinson’s and five is advanced PD. It was later changed to become the modified Hoehn and Yahr scale. Page reviewed by Dr. Ahmad Elkouzi, Movement Disorders Fellow at the University of Florida, a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence. For more information and resources visit Parkinson's Foundation at: https://www.parkinson.org/ |
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