​September is Prostate Health Month, an opportunity to encourage men to talk with their healthcare providers about prostate health, symptoms, personal risk, and whether prostate cancer screening is appropriate for them.

Prostate screening isn't one-size-fits-all. Current U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidance recommends that men ages 55–69 make an individual decision about PSA-based prostate cancer screening after discussing its potential benefits and harms with their clinician. Routine PSA screening is not recommended for men age 70 and older under the current recommendation.

That is why your provider may ask about your age, family history, urinary symptoms, medical conditions, and other factors before discussing a PSA blood test. Screening decisions should reflect your individual health and preferences—not simply your age.

If you've noticed changes in urination or have concerns about your prostate health, don't wait for your provider to bring it up. Start the conversation.

Gualala: (707) 884-4005
Point Arena: (707) 882-1704

September 22—the first day of fall—is an ideal day to take one simple step toward reducing your risk of falling.

Consider reviewing your medications with your healthcare provider or pharmacist, having your vision checked, removing tripping hazards and improving lighting at home, staying physically active to support strength and balance, and telling your provider about any falls, near-falls, dizziness, or changes in balance.

Falls are not simply an unavoidable consequence of getting older. Understanding your individual risks can help you stay active and independent.

Start by talking with your healthcare provider and bring any concerns to your next RCMS appointment. ​Gualala: (707) 884-4005
Point Arena: (707) 882-1704

Falls Prevention Awareness Week, September 21–25, is an opportunity to remind older adults and their families that many falls can be prevented.

Fall prevention starts with understanding your individual risk. Changes in balance or strength, vision, certain medications, footwear, hazards around the home, and some health conditions can all contribute.

That's why your healthcare provider may ask questions such as: Have you fallen in the past year? Do you feel unsteady when walking? Are you worried about falling?

These may seem like simple questions, but your answers can identify opportunities to help you remain safe, confident, active, and independent.

Don't wait until after a fall to start the conversation. Tell your provider about falls, near-falls, dizziness, changes in balance, or concerns about walking.

Gualala: (707) 884-4005
Point Arena: (707) 882-1704

​Child Passenger Safety Week is an important reminder for parents, grandparents, and caregivers to make sure children are traveling in the right car seat or booster seat—and that it is being used correctly.

The correct restraint changes as a child grows. Age, height, weight, seat type, installation, and how the child is secured all matter. NHTSA recommends choosing the appropriate seat for your child's age and size and using it correctly on every trip.

You may even hear your child's healthcare provider ask about car seats during a wellness visit. Questions about transportation, helmets, water safety, firearms, sleep environments, and other everyday situations are part of preventative pediatric care. The goal is to help families prevent injuries before they happen.

Take a few minutes this September to check your child's seat, installation, and fit. As children grow, what was right last year may no longer be the safest option. If you need further assistance, contact Javier Chavez, Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician. at (707) 884-9607.

Pain can tell us something important about our health. While acute pain often accompanies an injury or illness and improves as the body heals, pain lasting three months or longer is generally considered chronic pain. Chronic pain can affect sleep, activity, work, emotional well-being, and time spent with family and friends. 

During Pain Awareness Month, RCMS encourages patients not to assume that ongoing pain is simply something they have to live with.  Your provider may ask where you hurt, how long you've been experiencing pain, what it feels like, what makes it better or worse, and whether it interferes with sleep or everyday activities.

These questions help your healthcare team understand how pain is affecting your life and consider possible causes and treatment options.  Pain management isn't necessarily about eliminating every sensation of pain. Depending on its cause, care may involve treating an underlying condition, medications, physical activity or therapy, behavioral health support, lifestyle changes, or other approaches. 

​If pain is interfering with the things you need or want to do, talk with your healthcare provider.  Gualala: (707) 884-4005 Point Arena: (707) 882-1704

​Healthy aging isn't about avoiding every health challenge. It's about taking steps that help you remain active, connected, independent, and engaged in the things that matter to you.

Regular visits with your healthcare provider are an important part of that process. Preventative visits can help identify concerns such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, changes in mobility, medication issues, and other conditions before they become more serious.

You may notice your provider asking more questions as you get older: Have you fallen recently? Are you having trouble hearing? Have you noticed changes in your memory? Are you able to manage your medications? How are you sleeping? Do you feel lonely or isolated?

These aren't just routine questions. They can help identify changes that affect your health, safety, independence, and quality of life.

September is Healthy Aging Month, making it a great time to schedule a wellness visit and talk about what you can do today to support your health in the years ahead.

Gualala: (707) 884-4005
Point Arena: (707) 882-1704
Point Arena Dental Center: (707) 882-2189

​September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, an opportunity to encourage women to pay attention to changes in their bodies and discuss persistent or unusual symptoms with their healthcare provider.

Unlike some other cancers, there is currently no reliable screening test for ovarian cancer for women without symptoms. A Pap test does not screen for ovarian cancer. That makes awareness of symptoms especially important.

Possible symptoms can include persistent bloating, pelvic pain or pressure, abdominal or back pain, feeling full quickly or having difficulty eating, changes in bathroom habits, and unusual vaginal bleeding or discharge. These symptoms can have many causes other than cancer, but persistent changes should be discussed with a healthcare provider.

This is also why your provider may ask about symptoms that don't initially seem related to a routine visit, as well as your personal and family history of cancer. Your answers can help determine whether additional evaluation may be appropriate.

You know your body best. If something has changed and doesn't feel normal for you, tell your provider.

Gualala: (707) 884-4005
Point Arena: (707) 882-1704

​September is Cholesterol Education Month, a good reminder to know your numbers and understand what they mean for your long-term health.

High cholesterol usually doesn't cause symptoms. A simple blood test called a lipid profile measures LDL ("bad") cholesterol, HDL ("good") cholesterol, triglycerides, and total cholesterol. Your provider considers these results along with factors such as your age, family history, blood pressure, smoking history, and other health conditions when evaluating your risk for heart disease and stroke.

That's why your RCMS provider may ask questions about your diet, physical activity, family medical history, medications, tobacco use, or when you last had blood work. These questions help build a more complete picture of your cardiovascular health.

If you don't know your cholesterol numbers—or aren't sure when they were last checked—ask your provider whether cholesterol screening is appropriate for you.
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Learn more from the CDC's cholesterol information and screening resources.
Schedule an appointment:
Gualala Health Center: (707) 884-4005
Point Arena Health Center: (707) 882-1704

Katie Brandt, FNP-C, and Dale Rasmussen, PA-C, join RCMS’s growing medical team, bringing experience, compassion, and a commitment to community-based care.
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Redwood Coast Medical Services is pleased to welcome two new primary care providers to its medical team. Katie Brandt, board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner, and Dale Rasmussen, board-certified Physician Assistant, bring a broad range of clinical experience and a shared commitment to providing high-quality, patient-centered care close to home.

Their addition reflects RCMS’s ongoing investment in building a strong, stable medical team and supporting continuity of care for patients throughout our coastal communities.

Building a Stronger Medical Home
RCMS recognizes that provider transitions can be difficult for patients and families. Establishing a relationship with a medical provider takes time and trust, and continuity of care remains an important priority.

CEO Linda Royal, Dr. Tom Bertolli, and Dr. Afsoon Foorohar have taken considerable care in recruiting medical professionals who bring not only strong clinical knowledge and experience, but also compassion, integrity, and a genuine commitment to rural medicine.
“Our goal is not simply to fill positions. We are building a strong, stable, and highly skilled medical team whose members want to become part of the community they serve and develop meaningful, long-term relationships with their patients,” said Royal.

RCMS provides a comprehensive medical home supported by multiple primary care providers five days a week, Urgent Care seven days a week, after-hours clinical support, and cross-coverage when a patient’s regular provider is unavailable. Patients also have access to onsite laboratory and X-ray services, behavioral health, dental care, referral coordination, outreach and enrollment services, and care teams dedicated to helping them navigate their healthcare needs.

Meet Katie Brandt, FNP-C
Katie brings experience providing comprehensive primary care to adolescents and adults. Her clinical background includes general primary care, preventive medicine, well-woman care, chronic disease management, children’s and adolescent health, and school-based health services.

Katie believes in providing care that is holistic, compassionate, and centered on the individual patient. She takes the time to listen, understand what matters most to each person, and involve patients in making informed decisions about their health. Her goal is to build trusted relationships and develop care plans that support patients throughout every stage of life.
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Katie has relocated to the area and now calls our coastal community home.

Meet Dale Rasmussen, PA-C
Dale brings 13 years of clinical experience as a Physician Assistant. After discovering his passion for medicine while working as an EMT and retiring from a career in teaching, he pursued his education and board certification as a Physician Assistant.

His clinical background includes family medicine, urgent care, pain management, men’s health, preventive care, chronic disease management, and medication-assisted treatment. Dale cares for patients across the lifespan and values continuity, trust, and long-term relationships in family medicine.

Dale will join Dr. Bertolli and Nurse Practitioner Lois Falk as one of RCMS’s senior primary care providers, collaborating on complex case review and helping mentor and support practitioners who are in the formative years of their medical careers.

Dale and his wife, Mary, will be making our coastal community their new home.

​Growing Our Medical Team for Our Community
Katie and Dale share RCMS’s commitment to accessible, compassionate, and high-quality healthcare. Their addition strengthens the care available to patients and supports RCMS’s continued growth as a comprehensive, community-based healthcare organization.

RCMS looks forward to announcing additional providers, expanded services, and new programs designed to meet the changing healthcare needs of our community.

Katie and Dale will accept new patients, as well as patients transferring from providers who have departed RCMS. Patients are encouraged to contact RCMS to learn more about appointment availability or to establish or transfer their care.
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Thank you for continuing to entrust RCMS with your healthcare. It is our privilege to care for you, your family, and the community we all call home.