Earns an “A” for limiting patient injuries, reducing medical errors, and preventing infections, according to The Leapfrog Group
By Antonia Ehlers, PR and Media Relations, Kaiser Permanente Northern California
Antioch, CA –Kaiser Permanente Antioch is being recognized as among the safest in the nation for patient care, according to The Leapfrog Group’s biannual Hospital Safety Grades report.
Leapfrog reviews hospital clinical data and assigns hospitals grades based on approximately two dozen safety measures that analyze patient injuries, medical and medication errors, and infections. Kaiser Permanente Antioch is recognized with an “A” grade for patient safety.
“We putpatient safety at the forefront of everything we do,” said Kaiser Permanente Diablo Senior Vice President and Area Manager Pam Galley. “This recognition highlights the safe, high-quality care our physicians, nurses and staff provide every day to our members and patients.”
This fall, 14 Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Northern California received A grades from Leapfrog, including: Antioch, Fresno, Manteca, Modesto, Oakland, Roseville, San Francisco, San Jose, San Leandro, San Rafael, Santa Clara, Santa Rosa, South Sacramento, and South San Francisco.
“Being among the top hospitals in the nation for patient safety is part of Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to provide safe care that improves the overall health and well-being of our members and patients,” said Kaiser Permanente Antioch Physician in Chief Sharon Mowat, MD. “Our dedicated clinical teams are focused on keeping our patients and members safe in a warm and welcoming environment.”
Photo: Kaiser Permanente
The Leapfrog Group assigns letter grades to nearly 3,000 hospitals throughout the United States. The grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.
More than 60% of Kaiser Permanente Northern California hospitals received an A grade. In California overall, only about 30% of the state’s hospitals earned this top grade.
The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits, released its Hospital Safety Gradesafter examining publicly available data on patient injuries, medical and medication errors, and infections at U.S. hospitals. The report includes data collected by national health care organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Scores are calculated based on more than two dozen publicly available measures, and hospitals are then assigned A, B, C, D or F grades for their safety records. The grades are released as a free resource to help patients and their families make informed health care decisions.
Kaiser Permanente is one of America’s leading integrated health care providers and serves 12.5 million members. Nationally, 24 of the 39 Kaiser Permanente hospitals that were eligible for a grade, more than 60% percent, received a Leapfrog Safety A grade. In contrast, approximately 30% of the nation’s hospitals received an A rating.
For complete details on Kaiser Antioch’s grade click, here and for more information and a complete list of the hospital safety grades, visit Leapfrog.
Bay Bridge Toll Plaza photos taken 9 /16 & 8/13. By Karl Nielsen courtesy of MTC
Until Dec. 18
Board considering increasing to as high as $11.50 to pay “exclusively for bridge preservation and operations” in spite of three voter-approved $1 increases
“A Thanksgiving/holiday season decision is a hide the ball strategy. Not good.” – State Senator Steve Glazer
By John Goodwin & Rebecca Long, MTC
November 20, 2024 update: The public comment period on the Bay Area Toll Authority’s proposed toll increase and HOV policy changes is extended through the end of public comment heard on the agenda item for BATA’s December 18, 2024 meeting. All public written and oral comments provided through that time will be incorporated into the record. However, in order for comments to be summarized and published in the agenda packet and distributed in advance of consideration of this item at the December 11, 2024, BATA Oversight Committee meeting, they must be submitted by 5 p.m. December 3, 2024.
BATA — which is required by state law to fund projects to preserve and protect the Bay Area’s seven state-owned toll bridges — today heard again a proposal for a toll increase that would be used only to pay for the maintenance, rehabilitation and operation of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael and San Mateo-Hayward bridges. If approved by BATA at its December 18 meeting, the toll increase would be phased in over five years, beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
Source: BATA
The toll increase proposal includes a tiered rate structure aimed at encouraging more customers to pay electronically with FasTrak® toll tags, as this form of payment carries lower administrative costs than payment through a license plate account or returning payment with an invoice received by mail. Under the proposal, customers would pay a premium for using a pre-registered license plate account or for invoiced tolling. To give customers ample time to sign up for FasTrak, this premium would not begin until 2027.
The proposed toll hike is separate from the $3 increase approved by Bay Area voters in 2018 through Regional Measure 3 to finance a comprehensive suite of highway and transit improvements around the region. The first of the three $1 Regional Measure 3 toll increases went into effect in 2019, followed by another in 2022. The last of the RM 3 toll hikes will go into effect Jan. 1, 2025, bringing the toll for regular two-axle cars and trucks to $8.
The proposal heard today by BATA calls for tolls for all regular two-axle cars and trucks to increase to $8.50 on Jan. 1, 2026. Tolls for customers who pay with FasTrak tags would then rise to $9 in 2027; to $9.50 in 2028; to $10 in 2029; and then to $10.50 in 2030. Tolls for customers who use a pre-registered license plate account would rise to $9.25 in 2027; to $9.75 in 2028; to $10.25 in 2029 and to $10.75 in 2030. Invoiced tolls would rise to $10 in 2027; $10.50 in 2028; $11 in 2029; and $11.50 in 2030. The Golden Gate Bridge has used a tiered pricing schedule since 2014. Golden Gate Bridge tolls by July 2028 will range from $11.25 for FasTrak to $11.50 for license plate accounts to $12.25 for invoice customers.
Source: BATA
Under the proposed toll increase, tolls for large freight trucks and other vehicle/trailer combinations with three or more axles would rise by 50 cents per axle each year from 2026 through 2030.
“I’m sensitive to the overall cost of living in the Bay Area,” acknowledged Napa County Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza, who also serves as chair of both BATA and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). “Working families really feel the impact, not just in transportation but back at home with utilities, groceries, children. This one is hard. But it’s the right thing to do.”
BATA and MTC invite members of the public to weigh in on the proposed toll increase during a comment period that begins Monday, Nov.4, and continues through the end of BATA’s Dec. 18 meeting. Comments may be sent via email to info@bayareametro.gov. As part of its regular November meeting, BATA today held a public hearing in San Francisco to receive testimony about the proposal from Bay Area residents, businesses and other interested parties.
Today’s presentation by BATA and MTC staff also proposed updates to the policies for high-occupancy vehicles on approaches to the Bay Area’s state-owned toll bridges. These updates would take effect Jan. 1, 2026, concurrent with the proposed toll increase. BATA’s existing toll schedule allows vehicles with three or more occupants (HOV 3+) a discounted toll, with a two-person (HOV 2) occupancy requirement for half-price tolls at the Dumbarton and San Mateo-Hayward bridges. BATA and MTC staff propose to establish a uniform three-person occupancy requirement for half-price tolls during weekday commute periods at all seven bridges. Carpool vehicles at all state-owned bridges must use a dedicated carpool lane and pay their tolls with a FasTrak Flex toll tag set to the ‘3’ position to receive the 50 percent discount available weekdays from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The proposed carpool policy changes also would allow vehicles with two occupants and a switchable FasTrak Flex toll tag set to the ‘2’ position to use the carpool lanes on the approaches to the Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael and San Mateo-Hayward bridges. These two-occupant vehicles would not receive the 50 percent carpool discount but would be able to use the carpool lanes to save time traveling through the toll plazas. Use of the carpool lanes on approaches to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge still would require a minimum of three occupants.
The new carpool policy proposals are designed to improve safety on the toll bridge approaches by minimizing ‘weaving’ between lanes and to increase person-throughput by prioritizing access for buses and carpools. The policy change also would optimize lane configurations as now-obsolete toll booths are removed as part of the coming transition to open-road tolling.
Removing spalled on concrete on pier cap 305. Photo: CalTrans
BATA, which is directed by the same policy board as MTC, administers toll revenues from the Bay Area’s seven state-owned toll bridges. Toll revenues from the Golden Gate Bridge are administered by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, which joined with BATA to operate a single regional FasTrak customer service center in San Francisco. MTC is the transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.
In response to a post of the link to this press release on X/Twitter on Wednesday, Nov. 30, State Senator Steve Glazer, who represents most of Contra Costa County, protested the proposed toll hikes writing, “Why was this need not identified and incorporated during the last toll increase in 2018? You don’t buy a boat and a new car when you don’t have the $ to fix the roof! A Thanksgiving/holiday season decision is a hide the ball strategy. Not good.”
Scott Bergerhouse and part of the “Thank You” message on his campaign Facebook page.
By Allen D. Payton
After the latest results were provided on Friday afternoon, Nov. 15 by the Contra Costa County Elections office, candidate for Antioch School Board Area 3 Trustee Scott Bergerhouse conceded to and congratulated his opponent, Dee Brown and thanked those who voted for him.
In a post on his campaign Facebook page on Sunday, Nov. 17, which he added to later, the former district administrator, high school principal and first-time candidate wrote, “Thank you to everyone who supported our campaign, showed up to events, volunteered, and cast your vote. Although the results were not what we hoped for, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to connect with our community and share a vision for putting students first.
I want to congratulate Dee Brown and Olga Comos-Smith and offer my best wishes as they step into this role. Our schools, students and families deserve a strong advocate, and I am hopeful for the future of our district.
Thank you again for your support, encouragement, and commitment to our schools. This journey may be ending, but my dedication to our community and to the success of every student in Antioch remains as strong as ever.”
Source: Contra Costa County Elections
The latest unofficial election results update show Brown continuing to lead Bergherhouse by 594 votes. She has 4,675 votes of 53.39% to his 4,081 votes or 46.61% of the vote.
The Elections Division of the County Clerk-Recorder’s Office also shared the following information about the remaining ballots to be processed in the county:
Ballots voted at a voting location – 0
Vote-by-mail ballots received on or before Election Day – 0
Vote-by-mail ballots received after Election Day – 600
Next Results Expected: Friday, 11/22/2024, 4:00PM.
———————-
Brown and Area 4 Trustee-Elect Olga Comos-Smith are expected to be sworn in at the school board’s next meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, inside the AUSD District Office Board Room at 510 G Street.
No injuries so far in city’s 25th shooting since Sept. 2nd; police seek suspect(s)
By Lt. John Fortner, Antioch Police Field Services Division
At 1:47 p.m., the Antioch Police Dispatch Center received a 9-1-1 call reporting numerous gunshots coming from the 1200 block of Sycamore Drive.
When officers arrived at the scene, they located several bullet casings in the roadway and a discarded pistol on the ground. At the time of this investigation no victims have been identified or come forward.
The investigation is still active, and evidence is being collected.
The police department has been assigning officers to patrol this area and will be increasing the coverage times.
It’s the 25th shooting in Antioch since Sept. 2nd, with 21 of them in the Sycamore corridor. The shooting is also the seventh since the council approved the Violence Reduction Initiative, last month, which is focused on both that area of the city and the Cavallo Road / E. 18th area.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925 )778-2441, the Investigations Bureau at (925) 779-6925, or email a tip to tips@antiochca.gov.
Con Fire personnel place the shooting victim into an ambulance on E. 6th Street early Monday afternoon Nov. 19, 2024. Photos by Allen D. Payton
City’s 15th homicide this year, 24th shooting since Sept. 2; police ask public’s help to ID suspect
By Lt. John Fortner, Antioch Police Field Services Division
At 12:20 p.m. on Tuesday, November 19th, 2024, the Antioch Police Dispatch Center received a 9-1-1 call reporting a gunshot in the 30 block of East 6th Street with a male victim down on the ground.
When officers arrived on the scene, they located a man outside, suffering from what appeared to be a single gunshot wound, later reported as to his chest. The officers immediately administered first aid and called emergency medical personnel to respond. Once the Contra Costa Fire Protection District paramedics arrived, they took over lifesaving efforts. The victim was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Antioch Police Department’s Investigations Bureau, consisting of Crime Scene Investigators and detectives with the Violent Crimes Unit, responded to the scene to assist with the investigation and to determine what and where the shooting occurred. One officer looked for shell casings in the street near the home and said the man appeared to be in his 30’s.
Currently, detectives are interviewing witnesses and residents in the area and are working to identify any suspects or persons of interest. The investigation is still active, and evidence is being collected.
We urge anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious in the area to come forward. Your information could be vital in solving this case.
According to the department’s Crime Statistics it is the 15th homicide in Antioch this year and the 24th shooting since Sept. 2. But it’s the first shooting outside of the Sycamore corridor and Cavallo Road/E. 18th Street area, which the city council’s Violence Reduction Initiative, approved last month, is focused on.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Antioch Police Department non-emergency line at (925) 778-2441, email a tip to tips@antiochca.gov, or the Investigations Bureau at (925) 779-6925. You may also text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using the key word ANTIOCH.
The high-speed chase ended in a crash of the suspect’s vehicle on the Loveridge Road overpass in Pittsburg on Saturday night, Nov. 16, 2024. Source: CHP Golden Gate Air Operations video screenshot
Saturday night, Nov. 16, 2024, Antioch PD, with incredible support from the California Highway Patrol and the Kensington Police Department, conducted a proactive enforcement detail targeting crime hot spots across our city. Here’s a recap of the evening’s efforts:
Cavallo Road/18th Street Pursuit: Officers attempted to stop an Infiniti, but the driver failed to yield, resulting in a pursuit that reached speeds of over 110 MPH. Thanks to CHP – Golden Gate Division Air Operations Air 37, officers were able to back off the pursuit, allowing the air unit to monitor the vehicle from the sky. This approach significantly enhanced safety for both our officers and the public, while still maintaining control of the situation. The pursuit ended on the Loveridge Road overpass, where the vehicle crashed into a wall. All occupants fled on foot but were quickly apprehended by Antioch PD and CHP officers. The vehicle, identified as an unreported stolen, was recovered, and the driver was booked at Juvenile Hall. (See surveillance video)
Sycamore Square Patrols: Officers observed light foot and vehicle traffic in Sycamore Square, Peppertree and Lemontree areas. During one of the evening’s first traffic stops, officers recovered an occupied stolen vehicle. The driver was taken into custody and booked at the County Jail.
Additional Patrols: Officers checked the W. 10th Street and D Street/20th Street areas with no unusual activity reported. Patrols returned to the 18th Street corridor for further vehicle stops.
Stats from the Night:
Traffic Stops: 54
Citations Issued: 7
Felony Arrests: 4
Stolen Vehicles Recovered: 4
Narcotics Seized: 16.2 grams of Meth
Thanks to our increased officer numbers and the continued cooperation of our partner agencies, these proactive patrols will continue into the future to ensure a sustained focus on community safety.
A special thank you to CHP and KPD for their continued partnership!
Focusing on crime hot spots and working collaboratively helps keep our community safe. Thank you for your trust and support!
Antioch Police investigate a second of two shootings on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, that occurred at Sycamore Square. Source: video screenshots from unknown source
22nd and 23rd shootings in city since Sept. 2nd
By Lt. Joe Njoroge #7052, Antioch Police Field Services Division
ShotSpotter technology alerted Antioch police officers to a pair of shootings that appear to be connected.
On Monday November 18th, 2024, at approximately 3:26 PM, Antioch police received a ShotSpotter activation indicating multiple shots around Spanos Street and Mahogany Way. Approximately three minutes later, a second ShotSpotter activation was received, reporting multiple shots from the 1000 block of Sycamore Drive.
Officers responded to both locations and determined the shootings were related. At the scene of the first shooting, it was determined that two to three suspects in one vehicle had shot at two victims who were inside another vehicle. The two victims, as 25-year-old male and 35-year-old female, were uninjured, and the suspects fled the scene.
At the scene of the second shooting, officers were unable to locate any victims. However, shortly thereafter, a third victim, a 27-year-old man, arrived at a local hospital with gunshot wounds. Through the investigation, it was determined that the third victim was present at the scene of the second shooting. The 27-year-old victim is in stable condition and is expected to survive.
This case is in the preliminary stages, and the names of the parties involved are not being released at this time. If you have any information related to this case, please email the Antioch Police Department at tips@antiochca.gov.
They were the 22nd and 23rd shootings in Antioch since Sept. 2nd and the fifth and sixth since the city council approved the Violence Reduction Initiative focused on both the Sycamore corridor and Cavallo Road neighborhood. Of the total, 20 shootings have occurred in the Sycamore corridor.
A Republic Services garbage auditor inspects a garbage bin on Vista Court in Antioch and left behind a two-sided notice for the resident. Photos courtesy of a resident who chose to remain anonymous.
Began January 2024 following 2016 state law to “address climate change impacts” from Methane, other greenhouse gases
“There have not been any contamination charges or citations issued for residential service at this point. Beginning in 2025, we will be working in conjunction with the City Attorney and Code Enforcement regarding city action to achieve compliance…” – City Manager Bessie Scott
Learn what goes in which bin
By Allen D. Payton
An Antioch resident who contacted the Herald last week, but chose not to be identified, wrote, “thought everyone should know that the City of Antioch has hired Auditors from Republic Services (the City’s garbage collection company) to inspect, take pics, and tag recycle, garbage, yard bins that do not have the correct items. Yesterday morning I woke to a lady auditing my neighborhood and tagging with an informational “oops” tag of bins with wrong items. The lady said she will be back in 60 days to inspect bins again and at that time if items are not placed correctly a ticket with a fine will be given to the household.
I have pictures. I spoke to the Republic Services auditor she was very informative, very nice, and my can happened to be correct (from what she saw) but, almost all my neighbors got tagged and no one knew about this….
I don’t know if this is a kind of story you do, but I just thought our city should be aware…..
I’m not sure how the fines and hiring an auditor works, but I thought the city council should hire someone to clean the garbage laying around our as opposed to tagging & fining residents
Maybe there is more behind this, I’m not sure… but all my neighbors were upset…. A lot of us don’t really understand how to properly dispose of items ….
Like for example we use paper plates in my home, I’ve been placing them in brown recycling….. the auditor said this is wrong and I will be fined next month. Paper plates with food should be in the green container loose not in any plastic bag…..
So again the lady/ auditor was very informative but I just think many people including myself are not aware of proper disposal
Oh also 60 days, would be when our new Mayor starts which I am super happy he got elected (thank you Lord!! Welcome to our new Mayor Ron!!))
But he will probably start the new year with people questioning why they have fines…
Thank you.”
Source: Republic Services
City Manager Explains Program
Questions were sent to staff for both Republic Services and the City, including City Manager Bessie Scott, Department of Public Safety and Community Resources Director Tasha Johnson and Environmental Resources Coordinator Julie Haas-Wajdowicz, asking about the audit, for details and who on the City staff should residents contact with questions and concerns.
City Manager Scott responded with the following, “Please note that pursuant to California Senate Bill 1383 (SB1383), the City of Antioch is required to conduct these route reviews and contamination audits, as well as issue Notices of Violations and fines should contamination persist. Note that Republic began this audit process in January 2024 for residential service, thus we are slated to wrap up our first year of audits. Republic Services, in partnership with the City, has been educating residents around these regulations with “Oops!” tags, and if the issue persists, follow-up contact and reinspection is initiated. In addition to this education and outreach, a post on Nextdoor went out citywide when the program first began in January of this year. There have not been any contamination charges or citations issued for residential service at this point.
“Republic is also conducting this audit for commercial accounts, and contamination charges do occur when recycling or organics containers must service as garbage.
I will work with Julie and liaise with Republic to discuss what additional education and outreach is needed so that customers feel like they know how to sort garbage- as we do not want our neighbors to feel unable to do this as noted below.
According to that webpage, “California State Senate Bill (SB) 1383 was adopted in September 2016 and went into effect in 2022. It establishes 2 statewide targets to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants by reducing the amount of organic waste disposed of in landfills.
The 2 statewide targets are:
Reduce organic waste sent to landfills by 75% by 2025.
Rescue at least 20% of currently disposed surplus food to donate to Californians in need by 2025.
Successful implementation at the local level will take effort on all parts in the City of Antioch and the community. Please visit this page for program updates and information.
SB 1383 primarily aims to achieve a sharp reduction in the generation of Methane & other harmful greenhouse gases that result from the decomposition of organic materials disposed of in landfills. Organic materials are all materials that come from plants and some materials that come from animals including all food waste, disposable paper products and yard trimmings. The State of California is mandating these reductions to address climate change impacts such as extreme heat, drought, and forest fires.”
State Senator Steve Glazer voted for the bill while then-Assemblyman Jim Frazier voted against it, which was subsequently signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown.
Jurisdictions must begin enforcement of SB 1383 compliant programs on or before January 1, 2024.
Inspections and Monitoring
Jurisdictions must conduct inspections and monitor for compliance. Jurisdictions may identify a designee to fulfill these obligations.
Recordkeeping
Jurisdictions must maintain all documentation of inspections and enforcement in the Implementation Record
Penalties
14 CCR section 18997.2 requires jurisdictions to impose the following penalties:
$50 – $100 per violation for the first violation
$100 – $200 per violation if the entity is found in violation a second time for the same violation within one year of the first levied penalty
$250 – $500 per violation if the entity is found in violation for any additional violations of the same section within one year of the most recent penalty
In addition to penalties, jurisdictions may also take actions, such as revoking, suspending, or denying a:
Permit
Registration
License or
Other authorization consistent with local requirements.
As with all SB 1383 regulations, jurisdictions must meet the minimum requirements, but may also implement additional, more stringent requirements.
According to the Best Best & Krieger law firm, “Under the SB 1383 regulations, if a local jurisdiction fails to adopt enforceable mechanisms (ordinances, franchise agreements, etc.) to implement the SB 1383 regulations by Jan. 1, 2022, the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) can impose administrative civil penalties against the jurisdiction. Penalties vary based on the severity of the violation. Violations that substantially deviate from the SB 1383 regulations are considered to be major and will result in penalties between $7,500 and $10,000 per violation per day.
Major violations may include violations that are knowing, willful or intentional, or chronic violations. Specific major violations by a jurisdiction include:
Failure to have any ordinance or similar enforceable mechanism for organic waste disposal reduction and edible food recovery
Failure to have a provision in a contract, agreement or other authorization that requires a hauler to comply with SB 1383 regulations
Failure to have an edible food recovery program
Failure to have the required SB 1383 implementation records
Implementation or enforcement of any ordinance, policy, procedure, condition or initiative prohibited by SB 1383 regulations
Failure to submit reports to CalRecycle regarding its implementation and compliance with SB 1383 regulations”
UPDATE 2: City Manager Scott later shared, “we are not punitive, and our enforcement mechanisms strive for (and encourage) voluntary compliance- not delving out fines.”
