With all the talk about healthcare reform, the constant stream of advertising for back pain treatments, and the claims of success for various forms of advanced cancer treatments, when was the last time a medical doctor offered a money back deal?,
Imagine this—if the doctor does not accomplish what you ask for, and pay for, you get your money back. The patient must be a “prime candidate”, but if you qualify and don’t get the result, you get your cash back.

Yesterday the California Department of Public Health, CDPH, announced administrative penalties against 13 California hospitals, including the three Orange County facilities. For Hoag, it is the third such penalty in less than three years. Western previously received one other penalty in March 2009, and this was the first for St. Jude. All of these penalties are for serious patient care shortfalls and will cost each hospital $50,000.

Even though there was one more H1N1 death reported in Orange County during the last week, the California Department of Public Health, CDPH, said the only region of the state where the epidemic continues is the Inland Empire. For the second time in as many weeks, CDPH downgraded the official description of the influenza epidemic in California. Further, for the first time since it began, Orange County has been removed from the epidemic list.

Yesterday, the California Department of Public Health, CDPH, issued an immediate recall for two imported candies which have been distributed in Southern California. Dr. Mark Horton, director of CDPH, warned consumers not to eat Ticorindo candy imported from Mexico or Chen PiMei Candy imported from China. CDPH tests of the candy found unacceptable levels of lead. Horton said in a statement “Consumers in possession of this candy should discard it immediately.”

The Orange County H1N1 weekly death rate is holding steady, but statewide, the number of weekly new hospitalizations has been decreasing for the last 3 weeks. Dr. Mark Horton, Director of the California Department of Public Health, CDPH, says the disease is “wide spread” and is “continuing to be a significant threat to the people of California.” Yesterday, as he referenced one vaccination recall, he repeated the necessity of vaccinations for all Californians.

The Orange County Healthcare Agency reported 1 more H1N1 death in the county, but statewide, the weekly death rate hit a record. As deaths were increasing, new hospitalizations were declining. For the last weekly report, the California Department of Public Health, CDPH, reported 405 new hospitalizations. This brought the total pandemic hospitalizations in California to 6,474.

In the regular weekly update, The California Department of Public Health, CDPH, recently reported swine flu deaths in California have now reached 297 since the pandemic began this spring. Hospitalizations now exceed 5,380 statewide. In Orange County, deaths are at 32, an increase of 8 in one week. According to Dr. Mark Horton, Director of CDPH, we should expect a significant increase in the number of deaths from H1N1 in the coming months.

Friday, 10/30/09 will be the grand opening of a new adult care clinic at 5175 Ball Road in Cypress. To those responsible for the care of an elderly parent or grand parent, this new outpatient facility could be helpful. The Cypress mayor, Doug Bailey, state senator Tom Harman, and Castulo de la Rocha, President & CEO of AltaMed Health Services Corporation, are expected to be on hand for the 10:00 am opening ceremony.

Anew primary care free clinic has recently opened in Los Alamitos. A satellite facility of Lestonnac Free Clinic, Orange, the new clinic is temporarily located at 3801 Katella, suite 301 and currently is open 9 am to 5 pm, Monday and Saturday. According to Edward F Gerber, Executive Director, because of the recession, “We had a 70% increase in patients and we’re at capacity at the Orange clinic—I can’t take any more.”

For the first time since the H1N1 pandemic became a major statewide concern, yesterday California Department of Public Health Director Dr. Mark Horton downgraded the state’s characterization of the disease‘s prominence in California. Previous to this week, the state was said to have “widespread disease”. That means that more than 50% of the state’s 6 regions were reporting outbreaks of influenza like illnesses which were higher than normal for this time of year. Now, only two of the regions, including Southern California, are experiencing higher than normal flu activity. Thus, the presence of H1N1 in California is considered to be “regional”, rather than “widespread”.

In the latest H1N1 weekly report by the California Department of Public Health, Director Dr. Mark Horton reported the third weekly decline in the hospitalization rate, but also higher deaths in the current week. Although the rate of weekly hospitalizations has been falling, Dr. Horton continues to expect a third wave of the disease. Further, the situation for pregnant women is critical and the tests are not reliable.

During the latest week, the Orange County Healthcare Agency reported 4 more OC H1N1 deaths, bringing the county pandemic total to 44. H1N1 ICU Hospitalizations in Orange County now total 201, up from 186 patients in the previous week. While Dr. Mark Horton, Director of the California Department of Public Health, CDPH, indicated there is a moderating trend emerging nationally, California is one of 25 states where the disease is still considered to be “widespread”.

In the regular weekly update, The California Department of Public Health, CDPH, recently reported swine flu deaths in California have now reached 318, an increase of 21 during the week. In Orange County, the total deaths have climbed to 35, up from 32 one week ago. For both Orange County and the state, the weekly death rate is less than the previous week. However, new hospitalizations were considerably higher than the previous week.

The California Department of Public Health, CDPH, yesterday reported that swine flu deaths in California have now reached 266 since the pandemic began this spring. Hospitalizations now exceed 4,800 statewide. In Orange County, deaths are at 24 while ICU hospitalizations are at 117.

As President Obama declares swine flu a national emergency and California flu related hospitalizations and deaths increase, several California hospitals, including St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, are facing the prospects of a nursing strike. The 435 registered nurses at St. Mary Medical Center plan a 24 hour strike this Friday, October 30 in conjunction with a labor negotiations impasse.

With so much reporting and information on the swine flu pandemic, we thought it would be helpful for our readers to view an official statement from the California Department of Public Health—unedited and unabridged. This statement was released last Thursday, Oct. 8, 2009 and addresses the need and prioritization of swine flu vaccination.