Kaweah Delta Expanding Medical Services In Visalia & Dinuba
Kaweah Delta hospital will be expanding a number of services in Visalia as well as in Dinuba the district’s board decided this week.
The biggest news is that the medical center will launch a neurosurgical program in coming months with approval of a three year agreement with University Neurosurgical Associates, a group of six experienced neurosurgeons based out of Fresno and a newly recruited neurosurgeon who will reside in Visalia to provide 24/7, 365, neurosurgical Emergency Department (ED) call and consultations in the hospital. This group will also develop a Visalia-based medical office for patient consultations and referrals. CEO Lindsay Mann says ”this is a very significant development as it will provide our ED physicians, other members the medical staff, our patients, and community with ready access to neurosurgical consultations and emergency care for cranial neurosurgical needs.”
The hospital’s business study showed limited access to neurological services in Visalia have resulted in local patients leaving the area to get treatment. In 2012 almost 1000 patients were treated outside the area and almost half went to Fresno. In terms of level of care they have no Emergency Department neurosurgical coverage,despite KD’s status as a state-certified Level 3 trauma center, and they are actively seeking American College of Surgeons Level 3 status.As they institute a residency program in surgery next year-having a higher level of service in Visalia will be a plus for training as well.
Also the board approved a second location for a KD Urgent Care Center in town in the greater Demaree and Riggin area. The second Urgent Care Center, similar to their current Court Street Urgent Care Center, will be equipped with radiographic and laboratory capabilities, and will be led, medically, by California Emergency Physicians.
Mann says negotiations on the property are not yet complete.Besides the Urgent Care facilities – the hospital maintains two Sequoia Prompt Care centers in town – all designed to treat patients who otherwise might go the ER for care.
Also this week the board decided to expand Quail Park Enhanced Assisted Living(EAL) Facility. Their 12 bed EAL, immediately adjacent to Quail Park Assisted Living Facility, has been operating at full capacity for the past year – with a waiting list of patients needing this higher level of assisted living care. Several years ago, the Board approved acquiring a residential property immediately to the west of the EAL facility to provide for its expansion in the future – voting now the addition of 13 new EAL beds to the current facility.
Lastly, the board of directors voted to add a new service to Dinuba Rural Health Clinic expected to open in a matter of months. The board unanimously approved development of rehabilitation services in Dinuba in a 3,000 square foot area immediately adjacent to the Dinuba Rural Health Clinic. The adjacent therapy services will include: physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy services in a facility which will include: private treatment rooms and an open gym area with the latest and innovative therapy equipment.
Tulare Releases CaliCheese EIR
The City of Tulare has released the draft EIR for the CaliCheese project at Paige and Enterprise near the WWT plant. The cheese plant will produce 4 million pounds of milk a day in a 300,000sf building. The draft EIR identifies impacts including Tanker-type and sealed truck traffic for milk delivery, supplies and product shipment that will average 120 trucks, 240 trips per day. Some impacts like traffic are considered unavoidable.Comments on the draft will be received from September 18 to November 5 with a public hearing set for October 13, 2014 at 7:00pm.
Big Shipper Wants Truck Wash In Tulare
Major foodstuff shipper Indian River Transport wants to construct and operate a truck wash facility on 10.97 acres of vacant land at 900 Industrial Way at Blackstone in Tulare.The facility would also have an office for staff and provide interior tank wash services for food grade delivery tanker trucks.
Recycle Deal Making Visalia Money
The Visalia City Council voted this week to contract with Tulare County based Pena’s Disposal in the amount of $8.00 per ton payment to the City contingent upon executing a landfill tipping fee contract with Tulare County that reduces the tipping fee to $28 per ton. In exchange for the City taking 100% of its trash to the County landfill on Rd 80 – this offers a significant operational benefit and associated operational cost savings to the City over the Sunset Waste proposal since the City’s split trucks will only have to go to one place to dump both trash and recyclables says a city report.
“For a change – Visalia will be making money on recyclables ” notes council member Warren Gubler. Instead of paying out to support recycling “we should be a million dollars ahead once this deal works through” figures Gubler. The state says more people are recycling as California residents have cut their disposal by nearly half since 1989.
Home Sales Rise Here
Home sales rose in Tulare County in August according to DQNews, up 7.2% for all homes,new and used.Most metro area saw lower year- over-year home sales. The median price for all Tulare County homes is 13.2% higher than a year ago,now at $175,500. It was $155,000 in August 2013.
Job Fair This Week
The annual Tulare County Job Fair is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 24 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Visalia Convention Center. Some 50 employers will be there, sponsored by the Tulare County Employment Connection.
Diet Soda Danger?
Diabetics and those at risk for diabetes who love those diet sodas because they think it will cut their sugar intake may want to reach for a different beverage.The artificial sweeteners in diet sodas, yogurt and other foods consumed every day by millions can raise the blood-sugar level instead of reducing it, according to experiments done in mice and people made public by the Wall Street Journal. Statistics show that since the late 1970`s soft drink consumption in the United States has doubled for females and tripled for males.