John Muir Health News

Swine Flu Update

John Muir Health News — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:00:00 -0500

Information about swine flu and recommendations for staying healthy can be found on the Contra Costa Health Services website.

If you are experiencing flu symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headaches, chills, fatigue) please make an appointment with your regular physician. Do not go to the hospital Emergency Department unless you have a serious illness or injury.

Notice to Our Patients and Visitors
John Muir Health is committed to caring for our community during the H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic.

Cases of H1N1 have been identified in Contra Costa County. Most cases have been mild. Everyone is urged to continue practicing good hand washing and cough etiquette and to stay home from school or work if sick.

We are taking the appropriate steps to limit access to our hospitals in order to protect our patients, staff and visitors. During this time of heightened awareness we ask that visitors defer their visit if they have any respiratory symptoms (cough, nasal stuffiness or sore throat) due to any cause.

For further information on H1N1, contact the Contra Costa County Health Services Health Information Line at 1-888-959-9911.

John Muir Health First to Acquire Two Latest Generation Robotic Surgical Systems

John Muir Health News — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 07:00:00 -0500

Changing the Experience of Surgery

If you or a loved one is facing the prospect of surgery, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to find out all of your treatment options, especially the most effective, least invasive surgical procedures available.

For many, robotic surgery has proven to be a safe alternative to both traditional open surgery and conventional laparoscopic surgery. For patients, robotic surgery means:

Significantly less post operative pain
Less blood loss
Less scarring
Shorter recovery time
A faster return to normal daily activities
And in many cases better clinical outcomes.

Now, thanks to the unrestricted donations to the John Muir Health Foundation from many donors in the community, John Muir Health is the first health system in northern California to acquire two advanced daVinci® S™ HD Surgical Robotic Systems from Intuitive. With robotic surgical systems on each campus in Concord and Walnut Creek, patients have more access to minimally invasive surgery procedures for the treatment of complex or advanced conditions.

The newest third generation robots integrate 3D high definition endoscopy and state-of-the-art robotic technology to virtually extend the surgeon's eyes and hands into the surgical field, providing twice the viewing resolution and 20 percent more viewing area. This means surgeons at John Muir Health can perform even the most complex and delicate procedures through very tiny incisions with unmatched precision due to the unparalleled 3D high definition visualization of tissue planes and anatomy - critical when performing delicate procedures.

Surgeons at John Muir Health are using the daVinci system for a variety of urologic, gynecologic, gyneocologic/oncologic, and gastrointestinal procedures and in the near future heart and general surgical applications.

John Muir Health has been providing robotic surgery options since 2002, when, with the help of a generous donor, the Concord campus became one of the first hospitals in the Bay Area to adopt robotic technology.

Learn more about John Muir Health's advanced robotic surgical options.

Kim Burch Named "2009 Woman of Distinction"

John Muir Health News — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 07:00:00 -0500

Kim Burch, executive director, John Muir Cardiovascular Program Development, was honored recently by the San Francisco Business Times in their annual recognition of "Women of Distinction." Kim was named along with 14 East Bay Women of Distinction "who demonstrate the talent and resourcefulness to not only survive, but thrive in tough times."

The East Bay Women of Distinction, representing a wide range of industries, including retail, health care, finance, nonprofit and science, were chosen from public nominations and the Business Time's own news stories. Ninety women have been named Women of Distinction since 2002.

New Medication Safety Brochure Series Now Available

John Muir Health News — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 07:00:00 -0500

John Muir Health now offers a new free series of six medication safety brochures, providing vital information that patients, particularly older adults, should know about the medications they take. The series was composed by pharmacists and other medical professionals who collaborate on the Medication Safety Education Program Committee.

The brochures cover topics including medication storage and disposal, immunizations, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, and "polypharmacy," (the use of multiple prescription and OTC medications concurrently).

John Muir Health established the Medication Safety Education Program in 2008, due to concerns from nursing and pharmacy staff who noted the lack of information patients have regarding their medications when they are seen during hospital admissions and discharges. For instance, many older adults take five or more medications, often prescribed by different health care professionals, and the use of the medications may not be coordinated or even fully understood by the patient.

"Due to this, combined with the fact that people over age 65 buy 30 percent of all prescription drugs and 40 percent of all OTC drugs, we established this committee to provide reliable community education on medication safety through printed materials, pharmacist presentations, and wallet medication cards," says Arlene Phillips, Manager of John Muir Senior Services. "It really becomes the responsibility of the patient or their caregiver to keep track of the medications, the prescribing physicians, and the conditions being treated."

"If you are taking more than five prescription medications on a regular basis, it is vitally important to schedule three or four visits with your physician per year to review and update the list, and give your physician a chance to reevaluate your general health status with your medications in mind," says Lawren Hicks, M.D., Medical Director of John Muir Senior Services. "Bring your medications, in their bottles, with you so you and your doctor can go over them in detail," he adds.

The series of brochures, as well as wallet medication cards, are available at many John Muir locations and John Muir Medical Group physician offices, or may be requested by contacting

Senior Services at (925) 947-3300. Click here to view them.

The Medication Safety Education Committee includes Arlene Phillips, M.A., Manager, John Muir Senior Services; Martin Iyoya, Pharm.D., FCSHP, Director of Pharmacy Services; Kristie Patterson, Pharm.D., Walnut Creek Campus; Karen Snelson, B.S.N., R.N., B.C.; Nurse Educator, Concord Campus; Mary Spear, R.N.- B.C., M.S.N., Geriatric Nurse Educator, Walnut Creek Campus; Eileen Toomey, R.N.C., B.S.N., Walnut Creek Campus; and Laura Kaufman, Marketing and Public Relations.

John Muir Senior Services also offers a wide variety of other programs and services focused on older adults, their families and those caring for them. These include:

Information and referral
Geriatric care coordination
Prescription medication assistance and evaluation of eligibility for prescription programs
Support groups for diabetes, stroke, grief and more
Monthly educational programs
Wellness screenings for blood pressure, hearing and memory

For more information or to request a Senior Services newsletter, call (925) 947-3300.

Mike Thomas Named President and Chief Administrative Officer of John Muir Medical Center - ...

John Muir Health News — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 08:00:00 -0500

CONCORD, CA - Mike Thomas has been named president and chief administrative officer of John Muir Medical Center - Concord Campus. He replaces Tom Harlan, who recently retired.

As president and CAO of the Concord Campus, Thomas will be responsible for providing new leadership to the medical center, working with physicians and staff to help achieve the goals of medical center and John Muir Health. He will report directly to Ken Meehan, John Muir Health executive vice president of Hospital Operations. "I am delighted to be joining John Muir Health at a time of growth and unprecedented opportunity," says Thomas. "The new state-of-the-art patient care towers being constructed at our Concord and Walnut Creek campuses will enable our physicians and staff to continue to provide extraordinary care to our patients and to further enhance John Muir Health's reputation as one of the preeminent health systems in California."

Prior to joining John Muir Health, Thomas served as executive director of VHA West Coast for four years. VHA is a member-owned healthcare organization that is made up of approximately 1500 hospitals nationwide. It assists not-for-profit members improve their clinical and economic performance through the adoption of clinical best practices, educational programs and a number of other services. Before that, Thomas was chief strategic development officer/senior vice president at UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Children's Hospital. In that role for six years, he was responsible for charting the strategic direction of the medical center.

For two years during that time he was administratively responsible for the leadership of the Mt. Zion campus. "Mike's previous roles at VHA, UCSF and Mt. Zion have helped him gain valuable insight and experience towards the challenges he and our team face at the Concord campus now and in the future," says Ken Meehan. "I know he will be a tremendous asset as part of the John Muir Health team."

Thomas received his Master of Business Administration in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Claremont McKenna College. He resides with his family in Alamo.

Bay Area food banks struggle to meet need

John Muir Health News — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 08:00:00 -0500

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/18/BAS814OO47.DTL&hw=john+muir&sn=001&sc=1000

A's Visit John Muir to Promote Healthy Habits for Kids

John Muir Health News — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 08:00:00 -0500

John Muir Health sportsmedicine experts were joined by two of the Oakland A's outfielders recently to present a Baseball Healthy Habits Clinic for children age 9-15 who play on local teams. The special event was held at John Muir Medical Center-Walnut Creek Campus, where the players led warmup exercises, talked about the healthy habits that keep them at peak performance, and helped the John Muir Corporate Chef demonstrate how to make healthy roasted vegetable quesadillas.

John Muir orthopedic surgeons Murali Moorthy, M.D., Michael Oberlander, M.D. and Charles Preston, M.D. discussed preventing the most common sports injuries, the importance of warming up, and the benefits of good nutrition and hydration. The event was emceed by Ken Meehan, John Muir Health's Executive VP of Operations.

The session was aimed at turning healthy information into new habits for kids - whether in warming up more effectively, playing it safer on the field, or fueling up on healthier foods for sports and better health.

After the clinic, the players went upstairs to visit one-on-one with pediatric and rehab patients. The visit was part of the Oakland A's Holiday Caravan Tour.

Mouse over the thumbnails below to see pictures from the event.

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Oakland A's players cook roasted vegetable quesadillas under the direction of John Muir Health Corporate Chef Alison Negrin.

John Muir Behavioral Health Center Expands Outpatient Partial Hospitalization Services to Brentwood

John Muir Health News — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 08:00:00 -0500

John Muir Behavioral Health Center has expanded outpatient psychiatric partial hospitalization services to the John Muir Outpatient Center in Brentwood, 2400 Balfour Road, effective December 2. With no other outpatient psychiatric partial hospitalization services available in East County, adults now have access to an outpatient program, conveniently located in the Brentwood area, which provides a rapid diagnostic evaluation for mental health issues and the development of an interdisciplinary treatment plan

Patients can be admitted directly to the program through referral by their primary care physician, psychiatrist or therapist or may "step down" to the partial program after an inpatient hospitalization. The program also accepts referrals from inpatient psychiatrists who would like their patients to receive additional services post hospitalization.

Under the direction of Nagui Achamallah, M.D., medical director, the partial hospitalization program provides day treatment, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., for patients experiencing mental health issues that are too severe to be managed in weekly outpatient sessions or which are impacting their family or work with risk of hospitalization. Patients attending the program learn Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills. CBT and DBT groups focus on developing skills in managing illness and developing prevention strategies. The length of attendance is usually two to three weeks.

Clinical programming is provided by registered nurses, licensed marriage and family therapists and psychiatrists. Since the patients return home at night, relevant family issues and relationships can be explored concurrently in the program. For more information or to make a referral, please call (925) 674-4100.

John Muir Behavioral Health Center has been providing partial hospitalization services at our Concord campus since 1993.

John Muir Medical Center—Walnut Creek Campus "Tops Out" New Patient Care Tower

John Muir Health News — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 08:00:00 -0500

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John Muir Medical Center — Walnut Creek Campus will celebrate a construction milestone with the placement of the final steel beam atop the structure for The Thomas J. and Muriel T. Long Patient Care Tower. The installation of the last beam indicates that the highest point of construction has been reached and completed.

The 35-foot long beam will be lifted into place and installed atop the five-story steel structure by a large red crane. Hanging on the beam will be an American flag, symbolizing American tradition and patriotism, and on top of the beam an evergreen tree will stand, signifying a job well done and a good omen for the future inhabitants of the building.

Topping Out

The custom of topping out dates back to around 700 AD, when Scandinavians topped off construction of new halls with sheathes of grain for good luck. The Vikings spread this custom across the European world. Britons and Germans later substituted small trees for sheathes of grain. And Americans added their own twist by hoisting an American flag beside the tree.

Installation Ceremony

The installation will take place on Wednesday, November 19, 2:30 p.m., at the construction site near the temporary main entrance of the hospital. The ceremony will begin with brief speeches, and then guests will be invited to move out of the tent to observe the placement of the beam. Light refreshments will be served.

More details about John Muir Health can be found at johnmuirhealth.com.

About the Project

The new five-story plus basement, 380,000-square-foot tower Ã�Â¢Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã¯Â¿Â½ The Thomas J. and Muriel T. Long Patient Care Tower Ã�Â¢Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã¯Â¿Â½ on the John Muir Medical Center Ã�Â¢Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã¯Â¿Â½ Walnut Creek Campus will house 242 beds, including 230 new private rooms, a 24-bed ICU and a 35-bed intensive care neonatal nursery. It will also house 3 new operating rooms accommodating innovations well into the future, and a dramatic enhancement of emergency services, including four trauma beds and forty one non-trauma emergency treatment stations, doubling current capacity.

Facts at a Glance

Groundbreaking Ceremony: January 16, 2008
5-story plus basement, 380,000-square-foot patient care tower
Addition of 230 private and 6 semi-private rooms (new beds: 242)
Total number of beds, including existing beds planned to remain, is 416.

Project Highlights

Surgical Services will include 13 inpatient surgical suites located adjacent to the ICU and designed for current and future technology advances, such as intra-operative MRI and robotic surgery (Notable facts: distinguished in the region for surgical innovation and reputation for excellence in trauma, critical care, cardiac, neurological and orthopedic surgery)
Emergency Services will double capacity from 22 beds to 45 beds, with trauma beds increasing from 2 to 4 and non-trauma emergency treatment stations increasing from 22 to 41. In addition, the helipad will be relocated to the tower rooftop and a high-speed elevator from the roof to the Emergency Department (Notable facts: designated Trauma Center for Contra Costa County and portions of Solano County, currently log in 48,000 emergency visits annually, and provide specialized emergency care for individuals experiencing chest pain or a stroke)
Critical Care Services includes the addition of 24 private, spacious critical care rooms with advanced equipment at the bedside and the availability of around-the-clock, real-time audio and video monitoring of ICU patients
Intensive Care Neonatal Nursery includes an increase from 19 to 35 state-of-the-art infant beds, lighting to mimic day/night cycles, and private and semi-private, noise-reducing rooms for parents to bond with their critically ill newborns
Patient Rooms includes the addition of 230 private and 6 semi-private, patient-centered rooms to accommodate optimal patient safety, care and comfort (and representing a 27 percent increase in overall patients beds Ã�Â¢Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã¯Â¿Â½ from 324 to 416)

Architect and Builders

Contractor: Clark Construction Company
Architect: Ratcliff
Structural Engineer: Arup
Mechanical/Electrical Engineer: Mazzetti & Associates
Civil Engineer: Kier & Wright
Construction Manager: Jtec HCM

John Muir Honors One of Its Founders

John Muir Health News — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 07:00:00 -0500

http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_10823559

John Muir Health Receives Statewide Recognition for Cardiac, Other Services

John Muir Health News — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 07:00:00 -0500

John Muir Health's Walnut Creek and Concord campuses have been recognized for their clinical excellence for a variety of services, including "Best in the East Bay Area for Overall Cardiac Services" and "Best in Northern California for Cardiac Surgery for 2009" for the Concord campus. Published by HealthGrades, the nation's leading independent healthcare ratings company, these awards place John Muir Health among California's and the nation's best hospitals.

For the state of California, John Muir Health received the following recognitions:

Rated Best in the East Bay for Overall Cardiac Services (Concord)
Rated Best in Northern California for Cardiac Surgery (2009) (Concord)
Ranked Best in California for:
- GI Medical Treatment - 3 years in a row (2007 - 2009) (Walnut Creek)
- GI Services - 3 years in a row (2007 - 2009) (Walnut Creek)
Ranked Among the Top 5 Hospitals in California for:
- General Surgery (2009) (Walnut Creek)
- GI Surgery (Walnut Creek)
- GI Services (Concord)
- Treatment of Stroke (Walnut Creek)
Ranked Among the Top 10 Hospitals in California for:
- Overall Critical Care - 2 years in a row (2008 - 2009) (Walnut Creek)
- GI Medical Treatment (Concord)
- GI Surgery (Concord)
- Overall Pulmonary Services (Walnut Creek)

These findings were included in the eleventh annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America Study, the most comprehensive study of its kind, analyzing more than 41 million Medicare hospitalization records from 2005 to 2007 at the nation's approximately 5,000 non-federal hospitals. For the San Francisco Bay Area, the study indicated an 18.45 percent rate of improvement in Cardiac Surgery, which exceeds the national improvement rate of 13.15 percent. John Muir Health - Concord Campus' rating of "Best in Northern California for Cardiac Surgery" indicates that their quality outcomes contributed to this improvement.

On the national level, the Walnut Creek Campus ranked among the top 5 percent in the nation for:

Overall Pulmonary Services - 3 years in a row (2007 - 2009)
Overall GI Services - 3 years in a row (2007 - 2009)
GI Medical Treatment - 3 years in a row (2007 - 2009)
GI Surgery - 2 years in a row (2008 - 2009)
Treatment of Stroke - 2 years in a row (2008 - 2009)
General Surgery (2009)

The Concord Campus also ranked among the top 5 percent in the nation for Overall Pulmonary Services for 3 years in a row (2007 - 2009).

HealthGrades published its 2009 quality ratings for virtually every hospital in the country at www.healthgrades.com, a Web site designed to help individuals—free of charge—research and compare local healthcare providers. Each hospital receives a star rating based on its patient outcomes in terms of mortality or complication rates for each procedure or treatment: five stars for outcomes that are above average to a statistically significant degree, three stars for average and one star for below average.

According to the study, if all hospitals performed at the level of five-star rated hospitals, 237,420 Medicare deaths could potentially have been prevented over the three years studied. John Muir Health was rated as follows:

Cardiac Five-Star Ratings:

Treatment of Heart Failure - 6 years in a row (2004 - 2009) (Walnut Creek)
Treatment of Heart Attack - 3 years in a row (2007 - 2009) (Walnut Creek)
Treatment of Heart Failure - 2 years in a row (2008 - 2009) (Concord)
Valve Replacement Surgery - 2 years in a row (2008 - 2009) (Concord)
Overall Cardiac Services (2009) (Concord)
Cardiology Services (2009) (Walnut Creek)
Coronary Bypass Surgery (2009) (Concord)

Critical Care Five-Star Ratings:

Treatment of Sepsis - 4 years in a row (2006 - 2009) (Walnut Creek)
Treatment of Respiratory Failure - 2 years in a row (2009 - 2009) (Walnut Creek)
Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism (2009) (Concord)

Gastrointestinal Five-Star Ratings:

GI Bleed - 4 years in a row (2006 - 2009) (Walnut Creek)
GI Procedures and Surgeries - 4 years in a row (2006 - 2009) (Concord)
GI Surgery - 4 years in a row (2006 - 2009) (Concord)
Treatment of Bowel Obstruction - 4 years in a row (2006 - 2009) (Walnut Creek)
Overall GI Services - 3 years in a row (2007 - 2009) (Walnut Creek)
GI Medical Treatment - 3 years in a row (2007 - 2009) (Walnut Creek)
GI Procedures and Surgeries - 3 years in a row (2007 - 2009) (Walnut Creek)
GI Surgery - 3 years in a row (2007 - 2009) (Walnut Creek)
Treatment of GI Bleed - 2 years in a row (2008 - 2009) (Concord)
Treatment of Bowel Obstruction - 3 years in a row (2007 - 2009) (Concord)

General Surgery Five-Star Ratings:

Treatment of Bowel Obstruction - 3 years in a row (2006 - 2008) (Concord)
Treatment of Bowel Obstruction - 3 years in a row (2007 - 2009) (Walnut Creek)
Appendectomy (2009) (Walnut Creek)
General Surgery (2009) (Walnut Creek)

Orthopedics Five-Star Ratings:

Hip Fracture Repair - 2 years in a row (2008 - 2009) (Concord)
Joint Replacement (2009) (Walnut Creek)
Total Hip Replacement (2009) (Concord)
Total Knee Replacement (2009) (Walnut Creek)

Pulmonary Five-Star Ratings:

Overall Pulmonary Services - 3 years in a row (2007 - 2009) (Walnut Creek & Concord)
Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - 3 years in a row (2007 - 2009) (Walnut Creek & Concord)
Treatment of Pneumonia - 3 years in a row (2006 - 2009) (Walnut Creek & Concord)

Stroke Five-Star Ratings:

Treatment of Stroke - 4 years in a row (2006 - 2009) (Walnut Creek & Concord)

Vascular Five-Star Ratings:

Peripheral Vascular Bypass (2009) (Walnut Creek)

For additional information visit www.healthgrades.com.

Butterflies in your stomach is one thing...butterflies in your heart is quite another.

John Muir Health News — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 07:00:00 -0500

Learn about the most recent advances in the treatment of Atrial Fibrillation at our free community seminar.

Wednesday, November 19
12:30 - 2:00 pm

Presented by:

Susan Eisenberg, M.D., electrophysiologist
and
Andreas Kamlot, M.D., cardiac surgeon

John Muir Women's Health Center
1656 N. California Blvd.
Walnut Creek

Atrial fibrillation is a common heart condition in which the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) beat irregularly and much too fast because they receive extra "abnormal" electrical signals. This causes the atria to quiver, affecting the heart's ability to sufficiently pump blood to the body. Over time, atrial fibrillation may cause the heart to lose its ability to work effectively and lead to heart damage or the formation of stroke-causing blood clots inside the heart.

To register, call (925) 941-7900.

Pulmonary Health Fair

John Muir Health News — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 07:00:00 -0500

Free Community Event in celebration of Healthy Lung Month
Saturday, October 25
8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek Campus
1601 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek, Ball Auditorium

John Muir Health invites you to learn more about your lung health!
Come hear our specialists lecture, with time provided for your specific questions.
Take advantage of free screenings, and visit information booths.

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Download

Click here to download the flyer.

Lecture Schedule

9:00 a.m. Michaela Straznicka, M.D. Lung Cancer Update
10:00 Lana Hilling, RCP Benefits of Pulmonary Rehabilitation
11:00 David Cook, M.D. Reactive Airway Disease
12:00 Michael Cohen, M.D. Sleep Apnea

Free Screenings and Information

Blood Pressure
Pulse Oximetry (percent of oxygen in the blood)
Pulmonary Function Testing
"Ask the Pharmacist"

John Muir Health & Community Resource Booths

John Muir Cancer Institute
Pulmonary Rehabilitation Department
Respiratory Department
Sleep Apnea Information
Asthma Education
John Muir Clinical Research Center
Smoking Cessation Information
International - Early Lung Cancer Action Program (I-ELCAP)
John Muir Senior Services
American Cancer Society
American Lung Association
Pharmaceutical Vendors

For more information and to register, please call: (925) 947-4447.

October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month

John Muir Health News — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:00:00 -0500

This October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) Awareness Month. The goal of this public awareness month is to educate the general public about the risk of SCA, improve the public's ability to identify warning signs, encourage individuals to seek medical attention in a timely manner and promote the need for further research into the causes of this leading killer.

Hundreds of thousands of lives are lost each year to heart rhythm disorders, and quality of life impacted for millions more. Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) occurs when the heart stops beating, abruptly and without warning. If the heartbeat is not restored with an electrical shock immediately, death follows within minutes. Death from cardiac arrest accounts for about half of all heart disease deaths in the United States.

In SCA, the heart stops working because of a malfunction in the electrical system that controls the heartbeat. This is different than a heart attack; in a heart attack, a clogged or narrowed artery blocks the flow of blood to the heart (think of it as a plumbing problem, rather than an electrical problem). The reduced blood flow during a heart attack damages the heart muscle, but doesn't necessarily stop the heart or result in death. The three most important risk factors for SCA are:

Previous heart attack: 75% of the people who suffer SCA show signs of a previous heart attack.
Coronary artery disease: 80% of SCA victims have evidence of coronary artery disease, a condition in which the arteries that supply blood to the heart are narrowed or blocked with cholesterol deposits.
Reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (EF): The ejection fraction is a measurement of how much blood is pumped by the left ventricle, the main pumping chamber of the heart, with each heart beat. A healthy left ventricle pumps 55% or more of its blood with each beat. People at highest risk for SCD have ejection fractions of less than 35%.

There are a number of things people can do to prevent the risk of SCA. First, living a "heart healthy" life can help reduce the chances of dying of SCA or other heart conditions. This includes exercising regularly, eating healthy foods, maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding smoking. It is also important to treat and monitor diseases and conditions that can contribute to heart problems, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. For some patients, preventing SCA requires controlling or stopping the abnormal heart rhythms that may trigger ventricular fibrillation through the use of medications, implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICDs) or catheter ablation procedures.

If you would like more information on SCA, contact your physician, or call the John Muir Cardiac Rhythm Center at (925) 947-3332.

John Muir Health Confirms Its Commitment to Charity Care and Discounts for the Uninsured

John Muir Health News — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 07:00:00 -0500

Settlement Agreement Reached Over Charges to Uninsured Patients

John Muir Health recently entered into a settlement agreement in a class action lawsuit related to the organization's billing of uninsured patients. This settlement is consistent with charity care and discount policies John Muir Health has had in place that enhance the level of free, or discounted care provided to uninsured individuals and those who qualify for charity care.

Plaintiffs' attorneys filed a class action lawsuit against John Muir Health alleging it charged uninsured patients unreasonably high prices. Class members are those who received emergency hospital services from John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek Campus or John Muir Medical Center - Concord Campus, were uninsured and had an annual income of less than $250,000 in the year they received services (between March 1, 2002 and May 21, 2008).

"The largest portion of our community benefit services are devoted to the most vulnerable individuals of our community. This includes the care we provide to patients in our Trauma Center and Emergency Departments, regardless of their ability to pay," said J. Kendall Anderson, president and CEO of John Muir Health. "This settlement is consistent with our charity care policies and other intensified efforts we have made over the years to further assist those who are economically disadvantaged, including the uninsured, underinsured and working poor members of our community."

The lawsuit is one of a series of similar lawsuits brought in the last few years by uninsured patients against hospitals across the country. The settlement has been preliminarily approved by the Contra Costa Superior Court and final approval is anticipated in November. John Muir Health chose to settle this lawsuit to avoid the costs of litigation and concentrate its efforts and resources on providing care to the communities it serves.

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, John Muir Health will provide discounts to uninsured and self-paying patients that are comparable to rates received by commercially insured patients. John Muir is also notifying patients who received hospital services between March 1, 2002 and May 21, 2008, that they may be eligible for refunds or discounts on their original bill. Funds not claimed by class members will be granted to other community healthcare organizations.

In addition, to ensure patients are well informed about John Muir Health's charity care policy and payment assistance discounts and financial counseling services, it will post information on these policies in the Emergency and Main Admitting Departments. It will also make this information available in brochures in these areas and on the John Muir Health website.

John Muir Health has had a charity care policy in effect since 1992, and was one of the first healthcare organizations in the Bay area to establish one. This year, the John Muir Health Board of Directors made a commitment to increase John Muir Health's contributions for vulnerable populations from $4 million in 2007 to an estimated $13 million by 2012. These contributions are in addition to its community benefit contributions for charity care, subsidized healthcare, a wide range of health improvement programs, health professional education and financial in-kind contributions and grants. John Muir Health's total community benefit contributions exceeded $33 million in 2007.

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Patient Assistance Program Brochure

We understand that sudden, often unexpected bills can seem overwhelming for you and your family. John Muir Health is pleased to offer a number of programs to help you with the bills for the services you have received through our hospitals.

Click here to dowload our brochure to learn more about our program.