Cancer help for Camp Fire victims
UC Davis Health and Adventist Health have opened joint cancer care center in Butte County, providing access for patients who lost their care location when October’s historic Camp Fire forced the closure of the Adventist Health Feather River Cancer Center. Patients can now draw on medical oncology and eventually chemotherapy services at a new Adventist Health Cancer Care Center in North Chico, including access to clinical trials and tumor board insights from the National Cancer Institute-designated UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. Some 120 patients have been traveling 46 miles each way since the fire for chemotherapy at Adventist Health Rideout Cancer Center in Marysville, an existing member of the UC Davis Health Cancer Care Network.
Partnership brings level II NICU to Lodi
An affiliation with Adventist Health announced last year is expanding pediatric and neonatal care services at Adventist Health Lodi Memorial, and creating a level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) facility at that hospital to treat preemies that need extra support from UC Davis Health specialists. The professional services agreement brings UC Davis physicians and nurses to Lodi and establishes a 24/7 instant connection to UC Davis Medical Center’s pediatric emergency department. The arrangement is designed to increase the level of care available locally while decreasing the need for transfers to UC Davis, home to a level IV NICU for the highest-acuity cases.
Plumas District Hospital named Rural Center of Excellence
UC Davis Health has named Plumas District Hospital as its newest Rural Center of Excellence. The special designation recognizes the Quincy-based health provider as a training site for UC Davis medical students and for its emphasis on quality clinical care, especially in areas such as maternity services, medical training and performance improvement. UC Davis established its Rural Centers of Excellence program to help advance care delivery for patients in rural areas, and to create pathways that encourage more physicians to practice there. Designation requires a hospital to be accredited by the Joint Commission (or the equivalent) and meet rigorous criteria for clinical care, education, training and research.
Using telementoring to eradicate hepatitis C
Through a telementoring program called ECHO-plus, UC Davis Health liver disease specialists are training primary care providers in rural and suburban Northern California to provide the latest treatments for hepatitis C patients in their communities. The program links UC Davis gastroenterology and hepatology specialists with local physicians via videoconferencing, in order to share information on direct-acting anti-viral medications, online clinical support tools, and opportunities for ongoing telephone consults. ECHO-plus is a collaboration of UCSF and UC Davis based on the Project ECHO model of medical education, intended to increase specialty care access for complex conditions and deliver it where patients live.
New pediatric tele-physiatry program for rural children
Northern California children with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, spinal cord injuries and other physical disabilities now have access to UC Davis physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians, thanks to a new telehealth program. Funded by a $2 million, five-year grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the new School-Based Tele-Physiatry Assistance for Rehabilitative and Therapeutic Services (STARS) program serves children who receive support through California Children’s Services’ Medical Therapy Program. The new telehealth program provides physical therapy, occupational therapy, and durable medical equipment to children with neurological or musculoskeletal disorders at designated school-based Medical Therapy Units.
