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Redwood Coast Medical Services (RCMS) is providing the following information related to the COVID-19 community screening that was held in Gualala on August 9, 2020. All COVID-19 screening tests conducted at the August 9, 2020 screening came back negative. We would like to use this opportunity to remind all our community members that the number of coronavirus cases continues to increase. Please remain vigilant and follow the Public Health guidelines:
If you believe you have been exposed to a person with COVID19, and are without symptoms, please contact the Coronavirus Hotline at (707) 234-6052 for information about free screening opportunities. If you become sick with any symptoms of Coronavirus (fevers, chills, cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea) please contact RCMS at (707) 884-4005 and a triage nurse will guide you in further care. Please take care and stay safe. RCMS Primary Care and Urgent Care are Open PLEASE CALL BEFORE YOU COME (707) 884-4005 Topics Addressed - Timing of Flu Shots - Where to Get Immunized - “High Dose/Senior” Flu Shots - Who Should Get Immunized - Flu Shot and COVID19 Pandemic Redwood Coast Medical Services (RCMS) will be providing influenza vaccines (flu shots) to our community this 2020/2021 influenza season — in the form of socially distanced flu shot clinics, as well as through appointments in all of our three clinics. WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDED TIMING FOR THE FLU SHOTS? You will see commercial pharmacies offering flu shots starting in August. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), even in light of the COVID19 pandemic, recommends NOT getting the flu shot until September or October, due to the risk that immunity will be lost later in the peak of flu season. The only exception are children under the age of 8 receiving the flu shot for the first time; they should get the shot as soon as it becomes available, then a booster 4 weeks later. RCMS (and all other medical facilities) order their flu shots in January, in anticipation of a September/October delivery. The arrival of our shots — some purchased from private distributors and some provided by the Mendocino and Sonoma Health Departments — is expected by early to mid-October, well within the CDC’s recommended immunization timeframe. WHERE TO GET FLU IMMUNIZED? RCMS will be offering socially distanced flu shot clinics and scheduled appointments for shots, once these become available, likely early to mid-October. We will announce when our shots are available on our webpage, through social media and other media outlets. Our local pharmacies will also be able to provide flu shots with a prescription from your RCMS provider or other health care provider. Finally, commercial pharmacies outside of our rural area can provide them without a prescription. DOES RCMS OFFER THE “HIGH DOSE” FLU SHOT FOR PEOPLE 65 AND OVER? RCMS does not have access to this shot, and will therefore be providing the normal-dose quadrivalent flu vaccine, which is also acceptable to patients 65 and over. The high dose shot, which is felt to provide slightly increased immunity, is available at commercial pharmacies at an increased cost. WHO SHOULD GET IMMUNIZED? Getting influenza immunized is strongly recommended — especially for persons at increased risk of bad outcomes with the flu (children between 6 months and five years of age; pregnant women; persons (and family members of persons) with lung, heart and kidney disease, diabetes, cancer, immunosuppressive, and other chronic illnesses. Getting immunized helps create herd immunity as well — reducing the overall spread of the illness through our families and community. IS IT IMPORTANT TO GET FLU IMMUNIZED DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC? YES! While the flu vaccine will not prevent the spread of COVID19, it will reduce the presence of respiratory illness in our community, and the extreme health risk of the one-two punch of getting influenza and COVID19 back to back. Lack of available and timely COVID19 testing is also a challenge — so preventing the confusion of which illness a person might have (influenza or COVID19) by preventing one of these illnesses will reduce the strain these illnesses create, for patients, their families/caregivers, work places and healthcare facilities. Please help create personal and herd immunity in your community this year — and get influenza immunized. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/faq-flu-season-2020-2021.htm Stay up to date on RCMS News Sign up for The Pulse, our e-newsletter: https://www.rcms-healthcare.org/the-pulse.html RCMS Primary Care and Urgent Care are Open PLEASE CALL BEFORE YOU COME (707) 884-4005 Redwood Coast Medical Services (RCMS) is pleased to announce that, in collaboration with the Mendocino County Health Department and the UCSF Lab, we will be performing another free COVID19 drive-through screening event in our community. This screening is for ASYMPTOMATIC people (those without symptoms). Gualala Saturday, August 22, 2020 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM or until swabs run out RCMS Gualala Clinic Upper Parking Lot, 46900 Ocean Drive, Gualala Logistics: Please enter the screening from Highway 1 via Church Street. You will exit via Ocean Drive Who Can be Screened:
Number of Tests Available: A total of 200 tests will be available. All screening is done on a first come, first served basis. Procedure: You will be screened in your car. If you walk in, we will have chairs where you can sit to be screened. If there is more than one person in your car, you will be asked to briefly step out of your car for screening. This is done so that you do not contaminate others in the car while screened. While we do our best to respect your privacy, this is a public/outside event, and we cannot guarantee privacy during your screening. Results: Your results are reported by UCSF to the Mendocino Health Department and you. If you test positive, you will receive a phone call – generally within the first few days after testing. If you test negative, you will NOT receive a phone call. If you get no phone call by Monday August 30th, you are a presumptive NEGATIVE. Please note that RCMS does NOT receive the results of this screening. Therefore, please contact RCMS if you test positive so that we can take care of you! It is not possible to provide you with paperwork that proves you were screened if you test negative. Why Get Tested: Please be aware that COVID19 is on the rise in our community. Testing events such as this allow us to locate and isolate/quarantine asymptomatic positive cases and their contacts, and is ultimately very protective of the community. It also allows the Health Department to monitor the prevalence of the infection in our community. Thank you for getting screened! Thank you to our community and medical volunteers who assist at these events. We appreciate you. MHA is offering the Living A Healthy Life class that begins on October 1. MHA's goal with the Healthy Living Class is to educate and empower people with chronic conditions to effectively achieve self-management of those conditions so that they stay healthy. See the flyer for more details & register today. Class size is limited.
Call (707) 412-3176 x102. You can also register online by visiting https://mendonomahealth.org/chronic-care-support-networks/ The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has recognized Redwood Coast Medical Services (RCMS) of Gualala and Point Arena, CA as a NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) for using evidence-based, patient-centered processes that focus on highly coordinated care and long‐term relationships between Providers and Patients. This is the third time that RCMS has achieved this national quality recognition. The NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home is a model of primary care that combines teamwork and information technology to improve care and improve patients’ experiences. Patient Centered Medical Homes (PCMH) foster ongoing partnerships between patients and their personal clinicians, instead of approaching care as the sum of episodic office visits. Clinician-led care teams that coordinate treatment across the health care system oversee each patient’s care. “NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition raises the bar in defining high-quality care by emphasizing access, health information technology and coordinated care focused on patients,” said NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane. “Recognition shows that RCMS has the tools, systems and resources to provide its patients with the right care, at the right time.” To earn recognition, which is valid for three years, RCMS demonstrated the ability to meet the program’s key elements, embodying characteristics of the medical home. NCQA standards aligned with the joint principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home established with the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Osteopathic Association. About NCQA NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits, certifies and recognizes a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. All Providers at RCMS are recognized as PCMH clinicians. Dear Patients: It is with mixed emotions that I announce my upcoming departure from our beautiful coast in order to be closer to our grandchildren. My last day seeing patients at RCMS will be Monday, August 17, 2020. The excellent staff at RCMS will do everything possible to make sure your healthcare needs are met. It has been a privilege being your doctor. Sincerely, Clement Binnings, MD Additional comments from RCMS: Please know the health, well-being and care of our community members is of our utmost concern. Our providers work as a team, so any of them are willing and able to see patients of Dr. Binnings going forward. Please call and schedule an appointment with one of our providers as you will receive excellent and compassionate care from them. It is with warmest regards that we wish Dr. Binnings the best on all his future endeavors. Community Update from Ara Chakrabarti, CEO Redwood Coast Medical Services (RCMS) would like to inform our community that we diagnosed three community members with COVID-19 in the last three days at the RCMS clinic. Although Mendocino County Health is reporting one new case in the “South Coast” region on their August 5, 2020 update, RCMS has reported three positives to the Public Health Department in the last three days. These patients were appropriately managed in the clinic with our COVID19 precautions and protocols and proper personal protective equipment was used. The patients were evaluated in the special respiratory section of the Gualala clinic, and immediately sent home to isolate/quarantine upon evaluation and testing. We would like to use this opportunity to remind all our community members that coronavirus cases are increasing in our surrounding regions. Please remain vigilant and follow the Public Health guidelines: · Wear your mask. · Wash hands frequently and avoid touching your face. · Avoid unnecessary travel. · Avoid congregating and socializing in groups outside of your family/social bubble. If you believe you have been exposed to a person with COVID19, and are without symptoms, please contact the Coronavirus Hotline at (707) 234-6052 for information about free screening opportunities. As a reminder, RCMS is hosting a free COVID-19 screening event on August 9, 2020 at 9:00 AM at the RCMS Gualala Clinic Upper Parking Lot at 46900 Ocean Drive, Gualala. Please note the testing location has changed from Mary Star of the Sea parking lot to the RCMS Gualala Clinic Upper Parking Lot. 200 tests are available and this is a first come/first served event. This testing event is for asymptomatic patients. For more information on this testing event visit our webpage: https://www.rcms-healthcare.org/news/free-covid-19-screening-event-in-gualala-on-august-9-2020 If you become sick with any symptoms of Coronavirus (fevers, chills, cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea) please contact RCMS at (707) 884-4005 and a triage nurse will guide you in further care. Please take care and stay safe. A video recording of the meeting and a copy of the slide deck are available on the leadership page. On August 12, 2020 at 6:30 PM, RCMS CEO Ara Chakrabarti will provide an update to the community. The meeting will cover RCMS fiscal and operational activities since the December 2019 Town Hall and the plan for the 2020/2021 fiscal year. The meeting will be held via the Zoom online platform and attendees will be able to ask questions via the Zoom Q & A feature. Attendees are requested to register via Zoom for the meeting link and pass code. Registration: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6bfGTfNeS4-9IuIJtjfMrQ After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. If you are unable to attend in person, the meeting will be recorded and posted to the RCMS website after the event. Redwood Coast Medical Services (RCMS) is pleased to announce that, in collaboration with the Mendocino County Health Department and the UCSF Lab, we will be performing another free COVID19 drive-through screening event in our community. Gualala Sunday, August 9, 2020 9:00 AM until swabs run out (last swabbing will occur at noon if there are any swabs left) Location: RCMS Gualala Clinic Upper Parking Lot Logistics: Please Enter from Highway One, driving up Church Street on the east side of Highway One. DO NOT enter from the Ocean Drive side. Who Can be Screened: - Any resident of Mendocino or Sonoma County can be screened. - This screening is for asymptomatic people without COVID19 symptoms. (i.e. no fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste/smell, vomiting/diarrhea.) - If you have symptoms, do not come to this event, instead, please call RCMS at 707-884-4005 for medical evaluation and care. Number of Tests Available: A total of 200 tests will be available. All screening is done on a first come, first served basis. Procedure: 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. Results: Patients who test positive will receive a phone call from the Health Department. RCMS does not receive your results. If you do not receive a phone call from the Health Department by August 18th, you are a “presumptive negative”. Negative patients will NOT receive a phone call. Why Get Tested: Testing events are a way to gather COVID-19 prevalence data in our community. It helps us to know the numbers of asymptomatic carriers, and the risk to our community, as we try to reopen from the COVID-19 pandemic. We request that community members continue to participate in these free screening opportunities. It is helpful for you to know, and helpful for the community. This event is staffed by community volunteers and RCMS medical staff. We would like to thank them deeply for their efforts and time. |
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