https://www.mymotherlode.com The Mother Lode's Local News, Sports, Weather, Movies, Classifieds, Yellow Pages, Real Estate Sat, 19 Aug 2017 13:00:06 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.mymotherlode.com/news/local/317280/affordable-care-act-insurance-premiums-to-rise-in-state.html Tue, 01 Aug 2017 21:54:23 +0000 Tracey Petersen https://www.mymotherlode.com/?p=317280 The monthly costs to rise next year but it is actually down slightly from last year. more →]]> https://www.mymotherlode.com/news/local/315938/health-officials-help-prep-mother-lode-for-another-heat-wave.html Thu, 27 Jul 2017 18:02:23 +0000 Tori James https://www.mymotherlode.com/?p=315938 With daytime highs anticipated to hit the triple digits for at least the coming week Tuolumne County’s chief health official shares “heat beat” tips -- and cooling places to go. more →]]> Know Heat Exhaustion, Heat Stroke Signs If you or someone you are with develops dizziness, headache, flushed skin or nausea, these may be signs of heat illness, which is heat exhaustion. Ortiz warns that when a person exposed to extreme heat loses the ability to maintain a normal body temperature it can lead to heat stroke, triggering confusion, unconsciousness, even death. “Please consult with your primary care physician or health care provider if you find yourself or another person experiencing these physical symptoms,” she cautions. For hot weather relief, those without cooling devices in their residences as well as those seeking a safe change of scenery might consider spending time at one of the Tuolumne County Library public buildings. The Main Library Sonora branch for example, is open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Other library hours can be obtained by calling (209) 533-5507. Additionally, the Tuolumne County Senior Center on Greenley Road is open from Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., except holidays. For more details call the center directly at (209) 533-2622.]]> https://www.mymotherlode.com/news/local/314452/detwiler-fire-support-for-evacuees.html Thu, 20 Jul 2017 23:50:51 +0000 Tori James https://www.mymotherlode.com/?p=314452 County officials are answering numerous public inquiries being made about ways to provide support and/or supplies to help those displaced by the Detwiler Fire. more →]]> Among Supplies That Are Useful When choosing foods to bring, remember that prepackaged, sealed products should be in non-glass containers. Breakfast or energy bars and snacks in single-serving packaging are easily dispensed. Riggs adds, “The Red Cross always needs those small mini-toiletries…[like] toothbrushes, toothpaste, small items of shampoo, soap, disposable razors, shaving cream.” As far as Tuolumne County OES efforts go, Riggs says that officials continue to analyze the situation as well as support Mariposa County residents who have been evacuated into the county. A shelter that was initially set up at Groveland Community Hall closed Wednesday night and evacuees there were transitioned to the Mother Lode Fairgrounds location. Wednesday night 70 evacuees who spent the evening at the fairgrounds, where lodging, meals, health services and comfort is provided by Red Cross personnel and volunteers. Riggs estimates of these, about 90 percent were seniors. She states that she expects a slow steady inflow to continue. (Pictures of the evacuation center taken earlier today can be viewed by clicking the slideshow in the image box.) Animal Shelter Facilities As far as the facilities go for use as an animal shelter, Riggs says about 35 to 40 small animals were brought in Wednesday night and Thursday morning and there is capacity for more. "They have to be in crates and/or on leashes,” she reminds owners. Veterinary services are available onsite. As far as space for larger animals, it is somewhat limited. If and when the maximum capacity is reached, she says officials will make sure to share that information in advance. Riggs adds that those needing help with transport of animals should call the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office Dispatch, which is working with Animal Control and certified members of Team Elite to coordinate those efforts. Animal owners may make arrangements by calling the dispatch line directly at 209 533-5815 or 911. Too, she says, other county agencies are providing supportive services. Among these is the Human Services Agency, whose Behavioral Health clinicians have been offering evacuees crisis assessment and other support. Anyone who might prefer providing financial support to the cause may make a direct general donation to Red Cross Disaster Relief. For details on the various ways available to do this, click here.]]> https://www.mymotherlode.com/news/local/313360/mother-lode-drift-smoke-triggers-health-concerns.html Mon, 17 Jul 2017 23:16:31 +0000 Tori James https://www.mymotherlode.com/?p=313360 Tuolumne County's Chief Health Officer Dr. Liza Ortiz has released advisory information in the wake of wildfires burning nearby impacting air quality. more →]]> Air Quality Categories/ Visibility in Miles Good: 10 miles and up Moderate: 6-9 miles Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 3-5 miles Unhealthy: 1½ - 2½ miles Very Unhealthy: 1-1¼ miles Hazardous: ¾ mile or less More Guideline Tips These can help prevent breathing problems during times when air quality is poor due to wildfires: 1) Individuals with long term health conditions like asthma, lung or heart disease should make sure that they have a supply of medications on hand and are following their caregiver’s instructions. 2) Elderly and very young children should limit their outdoor activities when local air quality is “unhealthy for sensitive groups” (visibility less than five miles). 3) Signs that the smoke may be bothering you include coughing, scratchy throat, irritated sinuses, shortness of breath, stinging eyes or runny nose. Sometimes symptoms may even include chest pain or headaches. Consult your caregiver for worsening symptoms. 4) If you are advised to stay indoors, keep indoor air as clean as possible. Keep windows and doors closed unless it is extremely hot outside. Run an air conditioner if you have one, but keep the fresh-air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside. If you do not have an air conditioner and it is too warm to stay inside with the windows closed, seek shelter elsewhere. 5) Consider a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to reduce breathing problems. Room air cleaners, which utilize a HEPA filter, may reduce the number of irritating fine particles in indoor air. 6) Do not add to indoor pollution. Do not smoke because smoking puts even more pollution into the air. Detwiler Fire Starts Detwiler Fire Day 2 Detwiler Fire Day 3 Detwiler Fire Day 4 Map of where Detwiler Fire started ]]> https://www.mymotherlode.com/news/local/312478/mark-twain-health-care-district-hires-ed-plots-new-way-forward.html Fri, 14 Jul 2017 20:44:58 +0000 Tori James https://www.mymotherlode.com/?p=312478 Ahead of looming tough critical decisions that will shape the future of local rural medicine, Calaveras County's health care district has chosen a new executive director to man the helm. more →]]> reported here back in March, Blitz focused on helping frame possible routes past a critical crossroads from which the district must navigate a viable future, spurred by the ending of district's long-term contract with Dignity Health, set to expire Dec. 31, 2019. Dignity not only manages hospital operations, it also co-owns assets estimated at about $25 million. By late May, the district board decided to seek a permanent ED to further guide how Mark Twain Medical Center will operate for the next several decades. Board member and local physician Randy Smart, who was eventually selected, shares that when the position came open, he decided he was not only interested but that he could do a lot by applying. "So back in early June, I resigned from the board -- it was really painful because those things always have negative connotations," Smart recalls. "That same week, I submitted my CV and a letter of interest for consideration -- and I did it with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement." He stresses that he competed hard for the position along with nine or ten other candidates who applied from around the state and was shown no favoritism. Military MD 'Retiree' Plies Second Career Back Home   Smart, who initially ran for and won a district board seat in 2012 and was reelected by an overwhelming majority of votes in 2016, originally hails from Murphys, although he spent years as an Air Force physician running military hospitals and exploring the world, as he puts it. "I went to Murphys Grammar, Calaveras High –and left in 1980...about six months after 9/11, I decided to retire. I had been on 13 military deployments and spent a lot of time away from home," he recounts. It was at the age of 48 that he and his wife, now nationally-known painter Kathleen Dunphy, settled back in Murphys and built a log cabin. Initially thinking he would slow down a little and do less, Smart recalls those plans of about 15 years ago lasted about a week before he began working in the district's rural health clinics; first in Arnold, then in Valley Springs before opening a practice in San Andreas that gradually moved over to Murphys. He says he plans to continue seeing patients half-time and devote the balance to his ED duties, which is officially slated as a parttime position. "When they asked me 'when can you start?' I said how about now…and just jumped right in, non-paid for a couple of days -- it was a very quick and smooth transition," Smart chuckles. He opines that though his healthcare experience as a former district board member and as an in-house physician experience may have helped tipped the board decision, he also brings a pretty good local perspective. Now Settled In Behind the ED's Desk From the get-go, he states, "Healthcare is becoming much, much more complex very rapidly – almost exponentially. There are people like me, the doctors and nurses who want to take care of the patient -- and there is the patient who has a basic need." Further illustrating, he continues, "Maybe it is  a kidney stone or a headache -- and there is all this 'stuff' in between those two...insurance companies, regulations, state and federal governments, pharmacies. The challenge is to minimize those barriers and provide a better interface and better access. It is super challenging. Every healthcare system in the country is looking at this right now and with Affordable Healthcare and some of these other challenges, that can be really hard to do." Smart says the district board is very committed to looking at every option it can in terms of providing a stable and competent hospital for the county, and has distilled perhaps five different ways down to three. Of these, one is to affiliate again with Dignity under a different contract; the second is to go with Adventist Health, which operates nearby hospitals in Sonora and Lodi as well as clinics in Calaveras County. The district is currently in negotiations with Dignity Health with a proposal on the table. He shares, "We are also negotiating with Adventist Health -- and we are seriously [as a third option] looking at managing the hospital independently." Details of both partnership proposals, currently under non-disclosure agreements, are not able to be publicly discussed. Smart says at this particular time all three options have equal standing. While Smart maintains the independent option is technically "do-able," he admits it is probably the most expensive as well as the most risky, as it requires financial reserves for unexpected events and the ability to successfully negotiate contracts, which comes harder for a solitary hospital than one that is part of a system. Too, he points to a growing trend in healthcare organizations not going for independence but coming together to collectively build more financial reserves and stronger voices within the industry. Plotting The Way Forward "The really good news is that the board has these options," Smart counters. "Most rural hospitals have very few options these days. They might have one option -- and it is one that they do not even like -- but it is the only one they have besides ‘close the hospital.’ So it is really cool that things that were put in place 30 years ago have evolved into a scenario where we do have options." As far as the district's timeline goes, Smart projects that the current negotiations should be ready to publicly air by sometime in September. "Frankly, they need to be…and as those ideas take final form, the board will bring that to the public…hold some public meetings and discuss the pros and cons,"  he states. Then, he estimates, by October perhaps, the board will settle on what it determines to be the best option, which could be presented by December or January to the county supervisors. If the timing goes as outlined, the board would be able to notify county elections officials by the end of January, then draft the ballot measure in time for voters to weigh in as part of the June 5, 2018 primary. Smart stresses that while the district's five rural clinics continue to struggle for a variety of reasons, they remain among the district's most important services. Looking into the future of local healthcare in Calaveras, he shares, "What I would really like to see is the best customer service, the best patient access -- financially solvent with really upbeat, energetic employees. That is what I envision -- and regardless of who we affiliate with or if we are independent – those should be the goals." Currently, about 70 percent of Calaveras County residents seek healthcare services outside the healthcare district for reasons ranging from expense to a shortage or lack of certain available services, according to Smart. It is obvious, he says, "We can improve what we are doing today and I have fairly strong commitment and vision toward that." Providing food for thought, Smart points to a few more statistics that clearly show how tenuous and uncertain rural healthcare options might and can easily become. "If you look at what rural hospitals are facing, 80 have recently closed and 470 are at risk of closing in five years. When you close the hospital you become a ‘medical desert’ with no healthcare," he says somberly. Quickly brightening, he emphasizes, "And the last thing that our board wants is for Calaveras County to become one of those!"]]> https://www.mymotherlode.com/news/local/308961/srmc-rebrands.html Wed, 05 Jul 2017 23:40:16 +0000 Tracey Petersen https://www.mymotherlode.com/?p=308961 New signage signals the official name change. more →]]> https://www.mymotherlode.com/news/local/308868/finding-new-health-officer-could-be-tough-task.html Wed, 05 Jul 2017 19:17:09 +0000 B.J. Hansen https://www.mymotherlode.com/?p=308868 The Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors signed off on the process for finding a new county health officer, following the resignation of Dr. Liza Ortiz. more →]]> https://www.mymotherlode.com/news/local/306996/sinking-the-putt-to-raise-money-for-project-hope.html Sat, 24 Jun 2017 14:41:25 +0000 Tracey Petersen https://www.mymotherlode.com/?p=306996 Many hit the green to help fund a mobile health van. more →]]>

1st Place Gross – Philip Alphrey, Dale Brown, Bobby Chima and John Dahlpogetti

1st Place Net – Larry England, Steven Jensen, MD, Michael Arnold and H. Randolph Holder

2nd Place – Jim Hoyt, Mutumga Maithya, Nick Parry and Joe Deleon

3rd Place – Doug Johnson, Mike Keckler, Blake Ollar and Brad Shannon Most Honest – K.C. Cole, Suzanne Mahanna, Dennis Lafayette and Paul Wild

Closest to the Pins -- # 4 – Guy Martin # 7 – Joe Deleon #11 – Mike Schussel #14 – Dan McCulloch)

Longest Drive -- Blake Ollar

Straightest Drive -- Men – Sammy Marquez

Straightest Drive Women – Alba Rodriguez

Mr. Bones Contest -- Juan Maya

]]> https://www.mymotherlode.com/news/local/306810/calaveras-county-cooling-centers.html Thu, 22 Jun 2017 23:01:47 +0000 Tracey Petersen https://www.mymotherlode.com/?p=306810 As the triple digit temps continue, Calaveras County Health officials detail where to go to beat the heat more →]]>

Any county government facility

County Library branches: Valley Springs Library Branch – Extended Hours Thursday 6/22 240 Pine St. Valley Springs, CA 95252 Open 1:00-7:00pm

Any business open to the public

Calaveras County Health and Human Services:  Sequoia Room 509 East St. Charles Street San Andreas, CA 95249 Open Thursday 6/22 and Friday 6/23 until 8:00pm

Click here for an earlier report of cooling centers in Tuolumne County.]]> https://www.mymotherlode.com/news/local/306450/tap-testing-results.html Tue, 20 Jun 2017 23:35:37 +0000 Tracey Petersen https://www.mymotherlode.com/?p=306450 Details regarding TUD’s drinking water quality have been released by the district. more →]]> Annual Quality Water Report_2016 Customers with questions regarding their drinking water can click here.]]>