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.

Every month the CEO provides updates to the Board of Directors on organizational and operations changes at RCMS. The archive of written reports will now be available to the public on the Leadership Page. You can also read the July report here. 

COVID-19 Community Screening Update for July 11, 2020 Event
Redwood Coast Medical Services (RCMS) is providing the following information related to the COVID-19 community screening that was held in Gualala on July 11, 2020.
 
All persons tested at the July 11, 2020 Gualala screening were advised, via a handout at the screening, that their test samples would be dropped at the UCSF lab on July 13, 2020 and that they would receive phone calls directly from the Health Department if they tested POSITIVE – likely within a few days of the testing.  
 
Screened persons were also advised that if they did not receive a call within a week (by July 20, 2020), they are negative.  This is the way that people are being informed about their results at these free screenings. 
 
Generally, the lab will run the tests on the day they are received, and POSITIVES will take priority in reporting.  RCMS does NOT receive these results; the Health Department does. Once the Health Department has compiled the list of positives, they will report the numbers to us, to report to the community. 
 
Therefore, rest assured, people are being informed within days if they are positive in these public screenings, and the Health Department acts upon these reports to immediately isolate/quarantine patients and their contacts.
 
As a reminder, RCMS will be hosting a free COVID19 screening event on Sunday, July 26, 2020 in collaboration with the City of Point Arena, Mendocino County Public Health and UCSF. The screening will take place at the Veterans Memorial Building at 451 School Street starting at 9:00 AM.  This is a first come first served, from 9:00 AM until we run out of tests.  There will be 200 tests available.  This is a drive through event and you can come with more than one person in the car.  Sonoma and Mendocino residents are welcome.  
 
RCMS Primary Care and Urgent Care are Open
PLEASE CALL BEFORE YOU COME (707) 884-4005

Redwood Coast Medical Services (RCMS) would like to inform our community that we recently diagnosed four community members, evaluated in the RCMS clinic, with COVID19.   
 
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.  
 
The Mendocino County Health Department has been advised, and will perform the follow-on activities as appropriate such as contact tracing.  Due to patient confidentiality, RCMS cannot provide any additional patient information to the community. 
 
We have not yet received the results on the COVID19 screening performed in Gualala on July 11, 2020.
 
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.  

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. 

As a reminder, RCMS will be hosting a free COVID19 screening event on Sunday, July 26, 2020 in collaboration with the City of Point Arena, Mendocino County Public Health and UCSF. The screening will take place at the Veterans Memorial Building at 451 School Street starting at 9:00 AM.  This is a first come first served, from 9:00 AM until we run out of tests.  There will be 200 tests available.  This is a drive through event and you can come with more than one person in the car.  Sonoma and Mendocino residents are welcome.   RCMS will continue to work with both Mendocino and Sonoma Counties to provide additional screening opportunities to the community.
 
Please take care and stay safe.
 
RCMS Primary Care and Urgent Care are Open
PLEASE CALL BEFORE YOU COME (707) 884-4005