Started in owner’s former Antioch home, honored with awards each year

By Allen D. Payton

Having finished commercial aviation and tourism studies at Columbia College and working for an airline at an airport in Peru, Kelly Gonzales immigrated to the United States at age 19.  Then after working in banking and financial services for 20 years, she wanted to pursue her passion and did that by forming Pacific Senior Care Services in 2014 using her skills to help place people into care homes.

Gonzales was particularly inspired by the care her retired Army colonel and veterinarian father needed and received in Lima, Peru after he suffered a stroke. But she couldn’t really help him living over 15 hours away by flight. Instead, Gonzales and her team have been able to fulfill the company’s slogan and mission of “Meeting Elder Needs With Love and Compassion” in Contra Costa County and the Bay Area.

“My father was the main reason I started the business,” she said.

Now her company is celebrating its 10th Anniversary in business. A former Antioch resident, Gonzales started the business in her home then opened the company’s main office in Walnut Creek.

“I thank the Lord for enabling me to fulfill my calling,” she shared. “I never thought in my life I would be doing this. Working with the right people we’ve been able to help many families in the community. It’s been a blessing. I have good people around me, our support staff, and contractors.” She thanked them and “all those who gave us leads through the years.”

“Families who we’ve helped call us later and let us know of others we can provide services to,” Gonzales stated.

The company’s short-term plans include, “opening an office in Sacramento, later this year, Lord willing, and relocate our other office from San Mateo to Redwood Shores to serve families on the peninsula,” she said.

Gonzales’ daughter, who is a Certified Medical Assistant and attended Diablo Valley College, and now in the process of earning her nursing designation, works with her making it a family-operated business.

“We are also forming a homecare agency with partners in the industry,” she continued. They plan to also offer that service in the Sacramento area and San Mateo County.

Gonzales’ and Pacific Senior Care Services were chosen to represent the National Long Term Care Planning Council to create a team in the Bay Area.

“The San Francisco Bay Elder Planning Council was created to help solve critical aging issues and planning for the final years by providing a free central source of information, with senior advisors and professionals within our network,” she shared. “Guiding family members seeking help for their loved ones is the main focus. Another purpose of our planning council is to encourage people to prepare for the future needs for aging services.”

Awards & Honors

Under Gonzales’ leadership Pacific Senior Care Services PSCS) has also been honored with several awards through the year, including being named one of the 2024 Best Full Service Senior Care Providers in California by Global Health & Pharma Magazine, Social Care Awards.

Last year the company was honored in the California Business Awards 2023 as a Leading Provider of Senior Care Services – Northern California by the New World Report and in 2017 and 2022 PSCS was honored for Excellence in Customer Service by City Beat News.

The company has been honored with other awards every year they’ve been in business.

For more information about Pacific Senior Care Services visit their website www.pacificseniorcareservices.net.

Link to – Pacific Senior Care Services LLC (longtermcarelink.net)

www.longtermcarelink.net/listingprofiles/2667-PACIFIC-SENIOR-CARE-SERVICES-LLC-California.htm

Social Care Awards

Best Full Service Senior Care Providers

2024 – California

Pacific Senior Care Services LLC (2024 Winner: Social Care Awards) – GHP News (ghp-news.com)

At Contra Costa Regional Medical Center in Martinez

By Contra Costa Health

Children and adolescents having psychiatric emergencies will have their own standalone 24/7 behavioral health crisis stabilization space in Contra Costa County starting Monday, June 24.

The new Contra Costa Youth Stabilization Unit will serve people ages 6-17 for the first 24 hours of a diagnosed psychiatric emergency when they are considered a danger to themselves or others.

Until now, youth in the county experiencing psychiatric emergencies were treated alongside adults in the Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES) unit at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center. Children and teens will now be able to receive developmentally appropriate emergency psychiatric care in a dedicated space designed for pediatric patients that is separate from the adult PES.

“This is a huge step forward for mental healthcare for youth in our community,” said Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Chair Federal Glover. “Having a dedicated standalone space for children and adolescents will provide our kids with a more safe, secure and therapeutic environment to help them heal.”

The Youth Stabilization Unit, located at 25 Allen Street next to the Miller Wellness Center, will be able to serve up to eight minors at a time. In 2023, there were 1,072 admissions for pediatric psychiatric patients at the PES unit. The majority of those admitted were adolescents and young teens who presented with depression and suicidal ideation or intent.

Contra Costa Health has contracted with Pacific Clinics to staff the new unit. Care teams will include psychiatrists, registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, licensed psychiatric technicians, clinicians and crisis intervention specialists. Services will include crisis intervention, mental health assessment, medication assistance, therapy, alcohol and drug screening, case management and peer support.

The program is designed to provide a calming and welcoming environment to support mental wellness. The goal is to stabilize the unit’s patients and connect them with mental health services without requiring inpatient hospitalization, although, when clinically appropriate, inpatient care may still be recommended.

Many children and adolescents suffering mental health crises are either hospitalized or arrested, which can be even further destabilizing. Having a team of mental health professionals available to provide crisis stabilization at the new facility will help divert youth from unnecessary encounters with law enforcement or visits to hospital emergency rooms.

“The new Crisis Stabilization Unit will give youth experiencing a behavioral health crisis compassionate care tailored to their needs,” said Suzanne Tavano, Behavioral Health director for Contra Costa Health. “It is going to be a tremendous resource for our community.”

“Our team’s primary goals are to provide support and safety to these young individuals in a time of crisis,” said Mary Sheppard, regional executive director for Pacific Clinics. “We will be a therapeutic, landing spot for them and aim to instill in them the belief that there is hope beyond this moment.”

Good health starts in the community

By Antonia Ehlers, PR and Media Relations, Kaiser Permanente Northern California

When you think of Kaiser Permanente, you might think of its hospitals and health plan.

What you may not know is Kaiser Permanente is a nonprofit organization committed to improving the health of the communities it serves.

In 2023, Kaiser Permanente invested $1.3 billion dollars in its Northern California communities and $113 million in the Diablo service area to support community health.

A significant part of these investments supported access to quality health care for people in need through Kaiser Permanente’s participation in California’s Medi-Cal program. The investments also supported 98,000 patients who received medical financial assistance to pay for surgeries, prescriptions, and other care at Kaiser Permanente Northern California facilities.

In addition, Kaiser Permanente made significant investments in the education of new health and mental health care professionals, charitable contributions to community partners working to improve conditions for health, and medical research to improve the delivery of health care for all.

Learn more about Kaiser Permanente’s efforts in your Northern California community by going to the Community Health Snapshot and clicking on “Communities We Serve”.

Named to 2024 Cal Hospital Compare Patient Safety Honor Roll for having a strong culture of safety

By Antonia Ehlers, PR and Media Relations, Kaiser Permanente Northern California 

With a commitment to providing high-quality, safe patient care, Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center has been named to the Cal Hospital Compare 2024 Patient Safety Honor Roll.

The honor roll uses objective, publicly available patient safety measures to evaluate hospitals across a variety of domains, including hospital-acquired infections, adverse patient safety events, sepsis management, patient experience, and the Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Grade.

This year, 72 of the state’s 306 adult, acute-care hospitals made the honor roll. Kaiser Permanente Northern California had 10 hospitals on the list – representing 14% of the hospitals recognized.

“The safety of our patients is our top priority,” said Pam Galley, senior vice president and area of Kaiser Permanente’s Diablo service area. “Our health care providers work hard to create a safe, exceptional patient-care experience.”

Kaiser Permanente Northern California hospitals are consistently recognized as among the country’s best for outstanding patient safety, positive care outcomes, and exceptional patient-care experiences.

“We are committed to providing excellent personalized care while keeping our patients safe from harm,” said Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center Physician in Chief Sharon Mowat, MD. “We are very grateful for our extraordinary physicians, nurses and staff members who make a difference every day.”

Hospitals on the honor roll had to meet a rigorous threshold of performance by having at least two-thirds of measure results above the 50th percentile and no measure result below the 10th percentile and/or an “A” grade in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for the past three reporting periods.

This honor roll offers Californians a rigorously evaluated list of hospitals that have consistently demonstrated a strong culture of safety across multiple departments, according to Cal Hospital Compare.

Antioch among 13 hospitals named by Newsweek as America’s Best Maternity Hospitals for 2024

By Antonia Ehlers, PR & Media Relations, Kaiser Permanente Northern California 

Kaiser Permanente Northern California hospitals are recognized as among the best in the United States for providing exceptional care to parents and their newborns, according to Newsweek magazine’s list of America’s Best Maternity Hospitals 2024.

Thirteen Kaiser Permanente Northern California hospitals received the prestigious designation: Antioch, Fresno, Redwood City, Roseville, San Francisco, San Jose, San Leandro, Santa Clara, Santa Rosa, South Sacramento, Vacaville, Vallejo, and Walnut Creek.

This is the fifth year Kaiser Permanente Northern California hospitals have been recognized for meeting rigorous standards for maternity care, such as low rates of elective early deliveries and following important safety protocols to protect new parents and their babies.

“Our Kaiser Permanente labor and delivery teams provide exceptional, high-quality care to help ensure these new parents and their babies have a healthy start,” said Carrie Owen Plietz, FACHE, president of Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California region. “We take pride in providing equitable, culturally responsive maternity care that provides our patients with the support they need in a nurturing environment.”

Last year, 40,566 babies were delivered at Kaiser Permanente Northern California hospitals.

Supporting the long-term health of newborns

The national designation was awarded to only 404 hospitals in the United States with more than 64 of those in California. Kaiser Permanente has a total of 29 hospitals that received the elite designation — the most of any U.S. health system.

Newsweek and Statista, one of the world’s leading statistics portal and industry-ranking provider, have partnered for the third time on this list, given that maternity care provided from pregnancy through birth and into postpartum is key to the long-term health of newborns and those who give birth.

“This recognition is a testament to the clinical excellence of our physician-led care teams, who provide expert and compassionate care and support to our patients throughout their entire pregnancy journey,” said Maria Ansari, MD, FACC, chief executive officer and executive director of The Permanente Medical Group. “We know the first step toward having a healthy baby is to have a healthy pregnancy, which is why we are committed to providing safe, equitable, comprehensive maternity care in a supportive, personalized way.”

Kaiser Permanente provides comprehensive pregnancy care

Kaiser Permanente Northern California has a long-standing commitment toward improving maternal health and the maternity care experience for our patients and members.

Our comprehensive prenatal care helps us understand patients’ health histories and lower the risk of complications. Members are supported to focus on their health even before pregnancy. If a pregnant patient has a high-risk pregnancy or a chronic condition such as high blood pressure or diabetes, we tailor their care – including providing remote monitoring tools – to reduce risks, helping to keep mom and baby safe.

At Kaiser Permanente Northern California, we also partner with new parents to ensure they have the birthing experience they desire through a coordinated birthing plan that addresses everything from their delivery preferences to whether they want to breastfeed.

Support for mental and emotional health is another important component of maternity care at Kaiser Permanente. Regular screenings for prenatal and postpartum depression are part of every care plan, so we can connect those who are struggling with the care and support they need.

11 AM – 3 PM

By Kibibi Columbus, Director of Outreach & Inreach, Grace Bible Fellowship of Antioch

Need some information on resources regarding work, education, or health? The Grace Closet Community Resource & Health Fair (CR&HF) will provide information on resources for Health Care, Mental Health, Cal Fresh, Housing, Career/Job Training, Education, Prevention, Food & Clothing. 

Come enjoy receiving a FREE Family Fun Day, Lunch, Games, Activities & Prizes for all ages at the CR&HF on Saturday, May 11th from 11 AM – 3 PM. We look forward to seeing you all at 3415 Oakley Road, Antioch. 

Special thanks to our sponsors: Grace Arms of Antioch, Grace Bible Fellowship of Antioch and the City of Antioch for awarding Grace Closet with an Enhancement Grant. 

For more information visit www.gracearmsofantioch.org/grace-closet.

Adult male victim’s car recovered by police

By Allen D. Payton

An email from the “Kaiser Permanente Antioch Leadership Team” on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, alerted employees of a carjacking in one of the parking lots Tuesday afternoon. It was reported by an individual who chose to remain anonymous that the carjackers were armed and that “someone from administration said it was two high school kids and they caught them.” But that has not yet been confirmed by Antioch Police or Kaiser personnel.

UPDATE #1: However, according to Interim Police Chief Brian Addington, the suspects were not armed, as of 4:40 PM they have not been apprehended and APD will provide further information via a press release, later.

The email reads, “You may have seen or heard about some Security activity in and around parking lot C yesterday afternoon. We want to provide you with an update surrounding that activity for your awareness.

On Tuesday, April 2, at approximately 2 p.m., an employee went to their vehicle to go to lunch. Upon approaching their vehicle, the employee found the hazard lights on, and sunroof broken. Two nearby suspects directed the employee to move away from the vehicle. As the employee moved away from the vehicle, one of the suspects entered the vehicle and both cars drove away from campus. Fortunately, no one was injured during the incident.

The Antioch Police Department were onsite within minutes and, along with AMC Security, are actively investigating the incident.

As a reminder, the safety of everyone who work in and visit our medical center is paramount. While we understand that hearing this story can be unnerving, we felt it important to share with our AMC community for transparency and collective learning.

We also understand this incident can be unsettling. If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to your manager or you may also contact Employee and Physician Assistance (EAP) directly at 877-801-5751.”

UPDATE #2: According to an Antioch Police press release issued at 5:58 PM by Acting Captain Desmond Bittner of the Community Policing Bureau, “On April 2, 2024, at approximately 1:13 PM, Antioch Police Officers responded to 4501 Sand Creek Road (Kaiser Antioch) for a reported carjacking that had just occurred. When officers arrived, they learned the victim, (an adult male), had interrupted several suspects in the process of stealing his vehicle. One suspect confronted the victim, causing the victim to fear for his safety.

The suspects left in the victim’s vehicle towards Sand Creek Road. Antioch Police Officers later recovered the victim’s vehicle in a nearby neighborhood, unoccupied. Through the initial investigation several investigative leads were obtained. The investigation was forwarded to the Antioch Police Department’s Investigations Bureau.

This preliminary information is made available by the Community Policing Bureau. Any further information or additional inquiries can be directed to Detective Cole Shaffer at 925-779-6944 or by emailing cshaffer@antiochca.gov.”

“…it’s important that people with average risk get screened starting at age 45” – Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center Gastroenterologist Arun Suryaprasad, MD

By Antonia Ehlers, PR and Media Relations, Kaiser Permanente Northern California

Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and women, and it’s the second most common cause of overall cancer deaths.

More young people are also getting diagnosed with the disease. In 2021, the recommended screening age for colorectal cancer was lowered to 45 by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

“With more young people being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, it’s important that people with average risk get screened starting at age 45,” said Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center Gastroenterologist Arun Suryaprasad, MD. “Regular screening saves lives, and it can prevent cancer altogether by finding precancerous growths. At Kaiser Permanente, we encourage our members to keep up with their health screenings.”

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness month, and a good time to remember the importance of routine screenings.

“Colon cancer rarely has symptoms,” Suryaprasad said. “Most patients with colon cancer have no symptoms at all. Early detection is key.”

Suryaprasad is a proponent of the highly effective FIT (fecal immunochemical) test. It is a simple test that is safely done in the comfort of patients’ homes.

“Since launching our Kaiser FIT outreach program, where more than 80% of Kaiser Permanente members are getting colon cancer screenings done every year, we have reduced colon cancer deaths by 52 percent and have prevented the incidence of colon cancer by 26 percent,” Suryaprasad noted.

As long as FIT tests remain negative, they can be repeated every year for screening. Another at-home stool test offered by Kaiser Permanente is Cologuard testing. This stool test can be done once every three years, as long as it remains negative. Cologuard measures various types of stool DNA.

“If a patient has a positive FIT test or a positive Cologuard test, we recommend a follow-up colonoscopy exam,” Suryaprasad explained. “Colonoscopies are usually done every 10 years, but they may be done sooner if precancerous growths called polyps are removed.”

Earlier and more frequent screening might be recommended for those with a family history of colorectal cancer, who have certain health conditions or hereditary syndromes and who are at increased risk for colorectal cancer. Suryaprasad said maintaining a healthy weight with diet and exercise is extremely important.

“Smoking increases your risk of colon cancer,” he said. “If you smoke, quit. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. In addition, high processed foods, red meat, and processed meats such as hotdogs and deli meat can also increase your risk for colon cancer. A diet high in fruits, vegetables and fiber keeps your colon healthy. Reducing alcohol also decreases your risk of colon cancer.” 

According to Suryaprasad, the death rate from colorectal cancer has been dropping for several decades. A statistic he credits to people doing their routine screenings.

“Colorectal polyps are now being found more often by screening and removed before they can develop into cancers,” he said. “By encouraging colon cancer screening, we will continue to see this reduction in colon cancer. Colorectal cancer screening saves lives.”