|
Health coverage
November 8th, 2009
Health care bill clears the HouseWASHINGTON — In a victory for President Barack Obama, the Democratic-controlled House narrowly passed landmark health care legislation to expand coverage to tens of millions who lack it and place tough new restrictions on the insurance industry. Republican opposition was nearly unanimous.
October 29th, 2009
More cuts strike Napa County Health and Human Services AgencyCounty health officials are bracing for a new budget hit that strikes hardest at Napa County Health and Human Services Agency’s mental health division, alcohol and drug treatment programs and public health departments.
October 23rd, 2009
At Napa State, some nurses double wages with OT paySome Napa State Hospital nurses earned more in overtime pay then they were slated to make in salary during the 2007-08 fiscal year, according to the California’s state auditor.
October 15th, 2009
St. Helena Hospital prepares new cutting-edge cancer treatment centerConstruction is wrapping up at St. Helena Hospital’s new Martin-O’Neil Cancer Center — a one-stop cancer treatment and resource center scheduled to open its doors in mid- to late November.
October 13th, 2009
Hundreds turn out for Bi-National Health eventJose Espinoza doesn’t want to get sick this flu season. So on a chilly Sunday afternoon Espinoza was one of about 500 people who attended this year’s Bi-National Health Week Health and Wellness Fair held at Clinic Olé.
October 9th, 2009
American Canyon flu shots canceledA seasonal flu vaccination clinic set for Monday in American Canyon is canceled.
October 7th, 2009
County gets swine flu vaccineNapa County’s first shipment of swine flu vaccine arrived Tuesday, triggering local public health officials’ plans to distribute the initial batch to people deemed most vulnerable to the virus.
September 26th, 2009
Clinic Ole computer changes cause waitingClinic Ole staff couldn’t see all the patients seeking care at the agency this week, but it can’t be blamed on the swine flu or a shortage of staff physicians.
September 20th, 2009
Thompson on health careRep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, met with the Register editorial board Sept. 11 and addressed health care reform.
Health care: Rely on the free market systemIn response to the article by reporter Natalie Hoffman about the health care forum, Sept. 3, at the Veterans Memorial Park, I would like to add three important points of my talk that the Register left out:
September 12th, 2009
Area hospitals gird for fluRepresentatives for Queen of the Valley Medical Center, St. Helena Hospital and Kaiser Permanente stressed the mechanisms are in place to combat H1N1, better known as swine flu.
Local businesses prepare for fluConsider your average doorknob. It’s not something you’d normally think about twice, but at Wine Country Kitchens, every door handle in the building has recently come under suspicion. That’s because handles carry germs, and germs can lead to flu.
Napa’s public health doctor back from D.C.Playing a role in helping the federal government prepare cities and counties for the swine flu’s impact, Napa County Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith went to meet recently with senior White House officials and other public health officers in Washington, D.C.
September 5th, 2009
Health care forum turns into shoutingWhat began as a tame health care forum featuring two speakers Thursday evening in Napa ended with a shouting match and the event’s organizers pulling the plug during a question and answer period for audience members.
September 4th, 2009
Health care forum turns into shoutingWhat began as a tame health care forum featuring two speakers Thursday evening ended with a shouting match and the event’s organizers pulling the plug on the microphone during a question and answer period for audience members.
September 3rd, 2009
H1N1 cases suspected at Calistoga HighTwo Calistoga High School students exhibited flu-like symptoms and were told to stay home by their doctors, the school district superintendent stated in an article in today's Weekly Calistogan.
Organ from aunt could transform niece’s lifeMelissa Goleno of Napa and her niece, 12-year-old Allison Taylor, will soon go under the knife at UC San Francisco Medical Center, but the occasion — although nerve-racking for family members — is a happy one.
Movie-making on health care reformThursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., members of the Napa Tea Party will be making a film at Veterans Memorial Park, capturing people as they speak into the camera to offer their views and questions about health care reform proposals being considered in Washington, D.C. Sponsors of the event intend to share the final version with Rep. Mike Thompson, D- St. Helena, and others.
August 6th, 2009
Health care forum raises local pulseA vigorous public forum in Napa Monday evening has locals of all political persuasions weighing in on the event itself as well as the impact of federal health care reform proposals currently being considered in Congress.
August 5th, 2009
Vocal crowd turns out for health care forumA packed Napa church hosted a boisterous meeting Monday night regarding health care reform. The meeting drew some 500 people to listen to — and occasionally shout at — a panel of speakers that included Rep. Mike Thompson, D- St. Helena.
August 4th, 2009
Loud, angry crowd turns out for health care forumA packed old town Napa church became ground zero Monday evening when a chaotic meeting about health care reform drew some 500 community members and a panel of VIP speakers including Rep. Mike Thompson, D- St. Helena.
August 2nd, 2009
Upvalley group ponders expansion of health tourismSt. Helena’s economy has survived, if not thrived, during the recent economic downturn. But what should be done to keep it healthy for the next 20 years?
July 29th, 2009
Thompson on health careEditor’s Note: Legislative proposals to overhaul the health care system are being hotly debated in Congress. Rep. Mike Thompson, D- St. Helena, is a proponent of H.R. 3200, a measure backed by most Democrats in the House. Thompson recently forwarded his answers to questions about the legislation.
July 23rd, 2009
Planners OK new Queen of the Valley additionIf all goes as planned, Queen of the Valley Medical Center will launch construction in spring of 2010 of a building boasting 20 new intensive care unit beds and a surgery center featuring larger operating rooms.
June 28th, 2009
Social services: A formula for confusionHealth and social service agencies trigger a unique set of complications under the federal stimulus plan. Faced with a confusing mix of formulas and vague projections, health is one of the few areas where federal awards could actually cost programs money in the long run.
June 25th, 2009
Scabies scare at the QueenAs many as 20 scabies cases — 10 confirmed and 10 suspected — have been discovered among patients who use the Queen of the Valley Medical Center’s Wellness Center. It’s estimated between 500 and 1,000 people use the center daily.
June 22nd, 2009
Home care workers get a breakIn an apparent resolution of one of the most high-profile struggles related to state budget problems, in-home care workers have reached a tentative agreement with Napa County over proposed pay cuts.
June 5th, 2009
County cuts health servicesThe county’s newly-released recommended budget reveals a cautiously balanced budget with a warning: In this economic climate, anything could change.
May 24th, 2009
Job losses to hit UpvalleySt. Helena Hospital announced this week that it’s eliminating 40 full-time positions in an attempt to remain viable while it weathers heavy financial losses.
May 18th, 2009
Medical marijuana may come to NapaA San Francisco-based physician who recommends medical marijuana use for a variety of health conditions is looking at opening a practice in downtown Napa.
May 13th, 2009
Wiggins takes aim at HPVA controversial bill that would require insurance companies to cover human papillomavirus vaccines passed the California Senate on Monday.
May 3rd, 2009
Checking out the health fairAmerican Canyon residents and visitors checked their blood pressure, picked up water-saving fixtures, and collected information from various city and county agencies at American Canyon’s “Healthy People, Healthy Planet 2009 Fair” event, held Saturday.
Queen to be smoke-freeIt won’t happen overnight, but Queen of the Valley Medical Center will be a smoke-free facility by this time next year, hospital officials say.
April 29th, 2009
County social services struggle in the face of increased demandNapa County Health and Human Services officials say their agency is feeling the strain of dwindling funding at a time when the public’s need for its programs is escalating dramatically.
April 25th, 2009
Swine flu precautions are advisedNapa County health officials want residents to take the same precautions as they would during the flu season following reports of a previously unknown strain of swine flu in the United States, Napa County officials said Friday. The virus has not been detected in Napa County.
March 20th, 2009
Two major regional hospitals face costly upgrade deadlines as hard times hitA state law requiring hospitals to earthquake-proof their facilities is racking up considerable costs for cash-strapped California medical centers.
February 25th, 2009
County social services faces cuts as need risesNapa County Health and Human Services has dodged the threat of millions of dollars in deferred payments from the state, but the agency’s budget woes are far from over.
February 18th, 2009
Bladder cancer has Napan struggling, spreading the wordJudging by his calm demeanor, you’d never guess that Chet Halsey is fighting for his life.
February 13th, 2009
'A victory for children'President Barack Obama recently made health insurance coverage more accessible for thousands of underserved Napa County children.
February 7th, 2009
Feds rate local nursing homesA new online nursing home rating system unveiled by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rates five area nursing homes open to the public.
December 14th, 2008
Employees at Piner's reject unionPiner’s Ambulance employees recently scrapped their contract with the National Emergency Medical Services Association — the only labor organization to unionize Piner’s.
November 20th, 2008
Mike Dressler back home after heart transplantThanks to modern medicine, the heart of a 23-year-old beats inside the chest of Mike Dressler, a 51-year-old longtime Napa resident.
November 19th, 2008
New man at helm of Holderman HospitalSeven months after a controversial audit of services at the California Veterans Home at Yountville and a handful of special legislative efforts to increase staffing at the home, a new high-level administrator has come on board to oversee medical care.
November 2nd, 2008
Health department offers free flu shotsAs part of a mass vaccination drill, the Napa County Public Health Department and the City of Napa will provide free flu shots to the public on Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Napa Valley College gym. The drill is designed to test the readiness of local government and volunteers to administer vaccine to large groups in a short period of time. Flu shot recipients must be at least 18 years old. For more information, call 259-5971./Register
October 31st, 2008
Napa kids get a C+ in healthNapa County agencies, schools and parents get a C+ when it comes to promoting local children’s health and well-being, according to a report recently released by Children Now.
October 29th, 2008
Making their voices heardHopes of a wage increase drew nearly 20 In-Home Support Services workers to the county’s Third Street administration building for an outdoors demonstration late Tuesday morning.
October 16th, 2008
Waking to life with Lyme diseaseToo exhausted to brush at a critter creeping across her face, Lupe Herrera went back to sleep during a church camping trip 15 months ago. But moments later, pain brought her slumber to an excruciating halt.
September 8th, 2008
New prognosis for old hospitalCalistoga city officials have given preliminary approval to a plan to turn what was long ago a local hospital into the latest resort catering to high-end vacationers.
August 28th, 2008
The doctor is in, but very busyIn December of 2007, the Napa County Department of Health and Human Services was in crisis.
August 11th, 2008
St. Helena Center for Health gets new executive directorAlesha Kientzler, Ph.D., an expert in wellness program leadership, is the new executive director for the St. Helena Center for Health at St. Helena Hospital.
August 8th, 2008
Napa hospital cutting 100 positionsFeeling the pinch of financial challenges, Queen of the Valley Medical Center is eliminating 100 positions — 81 of which are filled.
Submit news, announcements: Virtual Newsroom
Contact: News | Advertising | Subscriber Services | Work for us | Buy photos
Contact: News | Advertising | Subscriber Services | Work for us | Buy photos
Local tourism: Inside Napa Valley || Parade Magazine