BETHESDA, MD 13 May 2016—Based largely on a successful collaborative care model in Massachusetts, a California clinic in February started providing office-based treatment of opioid dependence to homeless people through a program in which a pharmacist handles assessment, induction, and stabilization.

Seth Gomez
"What we're doing is integrating behavioral health and primary care into a clinic," said Seth Gomez, a clinical pharmacist for Oakland-based Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services.

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Hsia and other health experts said the impact on residents in west Contra Costa County need to continue to be tracked because the full impact of losing the hospital may not be felt for years.
Rebecca Rozen, regional vice president of the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California, said county data tracking the closure has yet to show any unusual occurrences or deaths related to the closure. “It takes a long time to see changes,” she said.

A deal is now pending to sell the hospital building, which sits adjacent to the Lytton San Pablo Casino, to Royal Guest Hotels for $13.5 million. Officials from the West Contra Costa Healthcare District, which owns the hospital, said they need the money to pay off retiree health benefits, workers compensation, pensions and other debt.

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We'd like to share this special video with you as LifeLong Medical Care celebrates 40 years of providing high-quality medical care to thousands of low-income people of all ages in Alameda, Contra Costa and Marin Counties. It shows LifeLong's dedication and commitment to providing care and compassion to our communities who are in need of medical, dental and social services, regardless of income

OAKLAND -- For almost two years, Colette Walker has lived in the San Pablo Avenue Corridor, a gritty stretch of gas stations, warehouses, mom-and-pop shops and vacant lots between downtown Oakland and Emeryville.

But she's luckier than many other low-income Oakland residents who cannot afford housing in the country's fourth most expensive rental market. Walker, an epileptic who is on disability and had taken to sleeping on relatives' couches -- resides in one of 137 subsidized housing units in the historic California Hotel.

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The Contra Costa Commission for Women will pay tribute to a dozen advocates for their roles in promoting sisterhood.

Set for March 24, the 13th Women's Hall of Fame will honor in the category of Women Creating Community: Donna Kerger, San Ramon Planning Commission chair; Lill Pierce, Knightsen superintendent's secretary; Mary Rocha, Antioch city councilwoman; Qwivander Smith, Heavenly Hair stylist (Antioch); and Synitha Walker, Parents Connected executive director (Antioch).For Women Improving Health, it's Lucinda Bazile, LifeLong Medical Care regional director (Hercules);

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SAN PABLO -- A year after the closure of Doctors Medical Center, doomsday predictions of a health care crisis in West Contra Costa County have not come true, as the region's medical industry closed ranks and devised alternative ways to deliver service, officials say.

A new urgent care center now treats 40-odd patients a day, and a nearby county health center has expanded its hours of operation. Ambulance services have been increased, and some area hospitals have increased their emergency room capacity.

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At the El Sitio Restaurant in San Pablo, Shirley Gayer sits beside her son Melvin Willis. Willis pushed his mother in her wheelchair from their home, which is many blocks away. Her wheelchair has cobwebs around the metal bars and shows wear and tear from excessive use. They don’t have a car.

Gayer is a former patient at Doctor’s Medical Center, which closed its doors on April 21. This San Pablo mother and son, like many other residents of western Contra Costa County, acutely feel the closure’s impact. DMC, which provided services to the community for over 60 years, fell victim to fiscal pressures despite efforts to save it.

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Family nurse practitioner Rory Caygill-Walsh (MS ’15) grew up in a large family, the fifth of six children, in Illinois. When she was 4 years old, her mother was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, too late for lifesaving treatment. Caygill-Walsh remembers well her family’s struggle to provide her mother with the best treatments and care.

She also remembers the nurses who helped along the way and who introduced her to the important role that health care providers can play in the lives of those caring for a sick loved one. Her mother passed away when she was 8 years old, but even now, Caygill-Walsh remembers many of the nurses who acknowledged her and what she was going through.

Then, in her 20s, after Caygill-Walsh had moved to California, her 25-year-old sister was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Caygill-Walsh moved to Michigan to become her sister’s main support and health advocate. Yet after several remissions, her sister passed away at the age of 32.

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November is National Family Caregivers month. It is a time to celebrate all that our family members and friends do to take care of the growing number of elders in our community who suffer from dementia and other chronic diseases. Click here to read the full article.

California and its counties are exploring ways to provide undocumented immigrants with access to health care. Click here to read the full article.