Development of oil-shale deposits under a large swath of Central California, which includes Kern County, is expected to boost the states economic activity by as much as 14.3 percent, increase per-capita gross domestic product, add about $24.6 billion in state and local tax revenues, and create 2.8 million jobs by 2020, accord-ing to a recent report by the University of Southern California.

California is believed to sit atop more shale oil and shale gas than any other state in the U.S. Central Californias Monterey Shale, which is estimated to hold 15.4 billion barrels of recoverable crude oil, is believed to comprise two-thirds of the na-tions total estimated reserves. By compari-son, North Dakotas Bakken Field has 3.6 billion barrels.

California is now the nations No. 4 oil

producing state, behind Texas, North Da-kota and Alaska. Kern County is the home to an estimated 70 percent of Californias oil reserves.

Increased oil prices and anticipated drilling into the Monterey Shale are trig-gering a flurry of activity in Kern Countys oil fields. How big this oil boom will be and how long it will last depends on the outcome of an ongoing battle between the oil companies and environmental interests over the use of hydraulic fracking, a tech-nique that injects fluids deep into the rock formation.

State rulemaking is underway. For more about the controversy, read the In the Oil Patch column on Page 21.

Kern Business Journal

KERN Business JournalVol. 2, No. 2 April/May 2013

Hall Ambulance delivers patients to KMC Page 30

Cover Story

Workplace wellness is good businessBy Michael Myers

As a locally based provider of health insurance for Kern County businesses, GEMCare Health Plan is

seeing a dramatic increase in onsite wellness programs. Throughout the county, businesses of all sizes are helping their employees lead healthier lives.

Of course, a healthier workforce eventually translates to lower health in-surance costs. Were working to move the industry in that direction. Our staff meets regularly with insurance bro-kers, business owners and managers to develop programs that will lead to healthier employees, help reduce costs and better serve their needs.

Its a win-win for all. When employees are provided the tools to improve their health, the benefits go beyond the reduction or containment of insurance costs. Our clients tell us that they see an increase in employee morale, reduction in absenteeism and higher levels of performance and engagement at work.

This issue of the Kern Business Journal features articles about local cutting-edge healthcare initiatives, including wellness programs. Turn to page 11 for an interview with GEMCares chief medical officer, Dr. Ramon Neufeld, about creating well-ness programs to meet business and employee needs.

Michael Myers is president and chief executive officer of GEMCare Health Plan Inc.

Kern Business Journal

P.O. Bin 440

Bakersfield, CA 93302

Business-at-a-glance ................................3Robotic surgery .......................................6Salter: Hometown success ......................6Pediatric intensive care ............................8Cancer centers ........................... 8 and 12Burn center ...........................................12Houchin opens complex .........................14Innovative joint surgery ..........................15

Rural health ..........................................26Training tomorrows doctors ....................34Healthcare providers needed ..................36Cutting-edge dentistry ............................40Caring for workers .................................42Horses are his business ........................42Centre for NeuroSkills ............................44Clinics brace for Obamacare ..................45Helping see more clearly ........................46

Presorted Standard U.S. Postage

PAIDBakersfield, CAPermit No. 758

INSIDE

Kern sitting atop massive shale oil reserves

Health Care Issue

Casey Christie / The Californian

Bakersfield cardiologist Brij Bhambi is one of several Bakersfield physicians working with area hospitals and Kern County officials to improve care for heart attack victims. Turn to page 4.

2 K E R N B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 3

A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 3 K E R N B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L 3

Showcasing Kern County business and industry

April/May 2013 / Vol. 2, No.2Kern Business Journal

is published by The Bakersfield Californian.

Copies of the bi-monthly journal are available from

The Bakersfield Californian, Kern Economic Development Corp.

and Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce.

Publisher Ginger Moorhouse

President/CEORichard Beene

Senior Vice President Revenue and Marketing

John Wells

EditorDianne Hardisty

Kern Business Journal SalesMira Patel

Art DirectorGlenn Hammett

To submit a story kernbusinessjournal@gmail.com

To advertise and subscribe mpatel@bakersfield.com Mira Patel 395-7586

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KERN Business JournalDianne Hardisty

Medical innovations, specialty centers bring advanced healthcare closer to Kern homes

Not that long ago, it was routine for Kern County residents to have to leave their communities to obtain specialized medical care. They had to drive hundreds of miles to seek treatment in urban medical centers.

But recent investments by area hospitals and healthcare providers are bringing advanced medical care closer to home. This edition of the Kern Business Journal showcases some of the innovative medical treat-ments and healthcare facilities now available in metropolitan Bakers-field and outlying communities.

For example, two hospital-based cancer treatment centers one at Dignity Healths Mercy and Bakersfield Memorial hospitals, and the other at San Joaquin Community Hospital promise to bring significant improve-ments to local patient care.

In dedicating the SJCH cancer center in Decem-ber, then president and CEO Robert Beehler noted that nearly 20 percent of cancer patients were leav-ing Kern County to receive treatment.

We dont think cancer should be fought as an away game, he said.

And that goes for other diseases and injuries. Kern County residents should be able to find the care they need closer to their homes. We are pleased to report that is becoming increasingly possible.

Kern County residents can now find in their communities the most advanced medical equipment ranging from cutting edge robotic surgery to advanced imaging and specialized centers of care. These centers range from the Grossman Burn Center at SJCH to the Pediatric

Intensive Care Unit at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital. More of these types of specialized centers are on the drawing boards.

And when it comes to responding to trauma, few other facilities can compete with Kern Medical Center, the countys hospital. The Southern San Joaquin Valleys Level 2 Trauma Center provides recognized, high-quality lifesaving care. The hospital also is a highly-regarded teaching institution, where generations of Bakersfield doctors have received their training.

But these advanced services are only as good as the people who deliver them. And that is where Kern County struggles. The county has too few primary care physicians and specialists. With area doctors aging and retiring, and health care services being expanded to more Ameri-cans, there is a dire need for more doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals.

In Kern County, educational institutions are working with health-care providers, employers and insurance companies to encourage young people to pursue healthcare careers and to recruit doctors. In this edi-tion, you will read about just a few of these initiatives.

The bi-monthly Kern Business Journal is a product of the Specialty Publication Division of The Bakersfield Californian, with the coopera-tion of the Kern Economic Development Corp., the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce and the County of Kern. Future editions will showcase Kern Countys other industries: Aerospace/Aviation, June; Energy (oil, gas and geothermal), August; Commercial Real Estate, October; and Water, December.

Dianne Hardisty is the editor of the Kern Business Journal.

Shafter is new home to organic felt paper mill California Paper Products LLC

has opened a new paper making facility at 5901 Zerker Road in Shafter. The plant will use 100 percent recycled consumer waste -- cardboard and newspaper to make eco-friendly organic paper that is used as an underlayment in the roofing business.California Paper will contribute

to Californias recycling effort by preventing more than 50,000 tons of cardboard and newspaper from going into landfills each year. The companys paper making process uses no virgin pulp, so it does not add to the deforestation of millions of acres of land each year. No bleaching chemicals are used in the process. And the system uses only recycled water. Natural gas is used as the primary fuel source.The plants presence in Kern

County and California will encour-age local communities recycling ef-forts, according to California Paper Products.Mathew Chakola, owner and

president of California Paper, holds a masters degree in mechanical engineering and has more than 35 years of experience in the design, construction and operation of paper manufacturing and roofing material facilities. He has engineered and designed numerous paper plants

similar to the one now open in Shafter, including the Maryland Pa-per Company in Williamsport, Md., and the Alabama Paper Products in Tuscaloosa, Ala. California Paper Products LLC

Womens Conference announces featured speakersJournalist, fashion expert and

breast cancer survivor Giuliana Rancic will be the keynote speaker at the 24th Annual Bakersfield Womens Business Conference. She will be joined by entrepreneur and author Lynda Resnick as the opening speaker. The conference will be held on April 18 at the Rabobank Arena Theater & Convention Center.Rancic is anchor of E! News,

co-host of E!s Fashion Police and star of Giuliana and Bill on the Style Network. She recently created Fab-U-Wish to grant fashion, beauty and celebrity-themed wishes to women battling breast cancer.

Resnick is the author of the best-selling book Rubies in the Orchard, detailing her marketing success. Through their holding company, Roll Global, she and her husband, Stewart, are owners of businesses, including Kern County agricultural giant Paramount Farms and Paramount Citrus in Delano, which distributes the Cuties brand of mandarin oranges and pista-chios. Other familiar company brands include POM Wonderful, FIJI Water and Teleflora floral wire service company.New this year is the Night Be-

fore event, in which the shopping pavilion will be open and attendees can watch cooking demonstra-tions and enjoy music, wine and hors doeuvres. Tickets for the Night Before only are $20, and doors open at 5:30 p.m. April 17. Admission to the Night Before is included in the full $95 conference fee. To register for the event, go to bakersfieldwomen.org. Kern Business Journal

Linn Energy to purchase Berry Petroleum Co.Houston-based Linn Energy LLC

has agreed to buy Berry Petro-leum Co. a long-time presence in Kern Countys oil fields -- in a stock-for-stock deal valued at $4.3 billion. The proposed acquisition is expected to be finalized in June fol-

lowing shareholder and regulatory approval.Berry is a mid-size oil and

natural gas producer that moved its headquarters from Bakersfield to Denver in 2008. It continues to have substantial operations in California, as well as in Texas, Utah and Colorado.Linn Energy is a publicly traded

company that focuses on buying older oil and natural gas fields. It was formed in 2003. Berry is active in the aging, but prolific diatomite oil formations near Taft.Bloomberg reported that the

transaction is the biggest oil and gas purchase to be announced this year, and Linns biggest ever. Kern Business Journal

Rabobank rewarding customer loyaltyRabobank N.A. has launched a

new program which automatically rewards customers for their every-day banking. Much like an airline or hotel loyalty program, Rabobank Rewards Banking allows customers to automatically earn higher rates and free services, save with loan discounts, and get money back.Rewards Banking is unique in

that you qualify for benefits by how you actively use your account or by the traditional bank method -- the size of your balance, said Anker Fanoe, regional president. Basical-ly, the more products and services you use or the more balances you maintain, the more rewards you automatically receive. Rabobank N.A.

California sets grape records with 2012 crushCalifornias 2012 grape harvest

was the biggest ever, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The 2012 crush came to nearly 4.4 million tons. That was up 13 percent from the year before, and 1 percent higher than the previous record in 2005. Kern is one of the states top grape-

producing counties.California also set a record in

2012 for the volume of grapes its growers exported. California shipped the equivalent of 101.5 million 19-pound boxes of fresh California grapes during the 2012 season.California produces 99 percent of

the commercial fresh grapes grown in the U.S., exporting the commod-ity throughout the world. In 2012, a reported 41 percent of the crop was exported.That volume has significantly

increased from just over 20 million boxes in 1971, 50 million in 1982, 60 million in 1988, 70 million in 1995, and 90 million boxes in 1997. Shipments approached 100 million boxes in 2008, 2010 and 2011 and broke through in 2012. Kern Business Journal

Solar energy industry keeps breaking recordsPity the poor record keepers

when it comes to Californias boom-ing solar energy industry. In early February, the California

Independent System Operator reported the states grid received 1,316 megawatts of power from solar arrays for a few hours in a single day likely an all-time record. And this came in the beginning of a month not known for its sunshine.California had only passed the

1,000-megawatt mark in its solar generating output on Aug. 20, 2012. The Feb. 6 record was around 33 percent higher.But dont get too excited, four

days later, on Feb. 10, California set a new record with 1,340 megawatts; on Valentines Day, the record was replaced with 1,345 megawatts; on Feb. 15, with 1,357 megawatts; on Feb. 17, with 1,421 megawatts.You get the picture. New day, new

record. Industry observers credit the record breaking to longer days, the sun growing higher in the sky as summer nears, and an increas-ing solar capacity coming online, particularly in eastern Kern County. Kern Business Journal

Artists rendering of California Paper Products Shafter Plant

Dianne Hardisty

Business at-a-glance

Giuliana Rancic Lynda Resnick

4 K E R N B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 3

By Rachel Cook

Minutes matter when it comes to a heart attack.

The longer it takes to open a blocked artery to the

heart, the more likely the muscle will suffer permanent damage. Wasted time may leave a heart attack sufferer with dead tissue.

As Stella Williams, coordinator for San Joaquin Community Hospitals Chest Pain Center, put it, Dead meat dont beat.

Knowing every minute counts, several local hospitals and Kern County Emergency Medical Services have worked for more than a year to create a new countywide system to help people with the most serious kind of heart attacks get the right care, as quickly as possible.

That means getting them to a hospital with a catheterization lab where doctors can open up the arteries and restore blood flow to the heart.

Nearly 300,000 people have a ST-Eleva-tion Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) in the United States every year, the American Heart Association reports. Heart disease is a major killer in Kern County. It was the second lead-ing cause of death here from 2008 to 2010 and the top cause for 13 years before that.

The goal is for all players -- hospitals, EMS, ambulance companies and even patients -- to follow county policy, quickly, when someone has a STEMI.

That means identifying the heart attack fast in the field and getting that person to one of three hospitals in the county with the right facilities to open up an artery or perform surgery if necessary.

The whole idea is trying to eliminate the dead time, said Dr. Brij Bhambi, an interventional cardiologist and chief-of-staff

of Central Cardiology.STEMI systems of care arent new. The

American Heart Association lists more than 650 on its website.

And while the concept sounds simple, its been difficult to get off the ground in Kern County, clinicians and administrators say especially when it came to bringing competing hospitals together and getting them to share data.

Last June, the Kern County Board of Supervisors approved a policy detailing how the system will work. Bakersfield Memori-al, San Joaquin Community and Bakersfield Heart hospitals have applied to be STEMI-receiving centers. Agreement negotiations are ongoing.

Lynne Ashbeck, regional vice president for the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California, said Bakersfield already has good cardiac care, but once the system is in

place it will elevate everyones performance. Kern County Emergency Medical Ser-

vices, which coordinates emergency medical care, was approached with the STEMI system concept four or five years ago, but the idea didnt quite take off.

There was some interest, but we didnt know how big the issue was, said Direc-tor Ross Elliott. We werent all that hot on moving it forward because we didnt know what the benefits would be.

The system required a big up-front expense for ambulance companies: 12-lead electrocardiograms (EKGs) to allow para-medics to recognize a STEMI heart attack in the field. Elliott said he wasnt keen on requiring ambulance companies to spend $1 million or more on equipment without data justifying the expense.

The idea was resurrected when Hall Ambulance bought the equipment on its

own, rolling out the devices in late 2010. The movement gained strength with guid-ance from the American Heart Association and a grant.

Elliott said three hospitals already have the personnel and cath labs to treat heart at-tacks, but what we dont have in place is the coordinated system where were constantly looking at data and setting benchmarks and looking at ways to improve.

If the system works as planned, para-medics will identify a STEMI with the 12-lead EKGs before a patient even sets foot in a hospital.

The paramedics will then transmit that information to a STEMI-receiving center -- a hospital equipped with a catheterization lab and approved by the county to take those patients.

The receiving centers must take a STE-MI patient from another hospital that doesnt have the designation if a STEMI Alert is called. With the alert that the patient is on the way, the hospital can start assembling its staff and have a cardiac team ready to meet the patient at the door, Williams said.

The system is awaiting the completion of negotiations between the county and hospi-tals to be activated.

Public awareness also will need to be raised. Doctors and administrators acknowl-edge that the system will work only if people dial 911 when they think they are having a heart attack.

The clock doesnt begin when the pa-tient shows up in that ER; the clock begins when the patient starts having the symp-toms, Bhambi said.

A longer version of this article ap-

peared in The Bakersfield Californian in December 2012.

System matches heart attack victim to hospital

Hoffmann hospice home to provide acute careBy Gretchen Daughtery

Hoffmann Hospice plans to create Kern Countys first and only hospice home, a specialized facility to provide end-of-life

care for patients with acute pain and symp-tom management needs.

A 25,000-square-foot, 18-room hospice home is being built in the new Seven Oaks Business Park, off Buena Vista Road. The site was provided at a reduced cost by Bol-thouse Properties LLC.

Matrix Architects, an Ohio-based firm that has completed more than 41 hospice home projects across the nation, has been se-lected to spearhead the project design phase. Hoffmann Hospice began off-site improve-ments in February, with groundbreaking for the $8.7 million facility scheduled for Janu-ary 2014. The hospice home is expected to open in December 2014 and care for about 2,000 families per year.

There are 250 hospice homes in the U.S.; however, there are none comparable to the one Hoffmann proposes to create within a 200-mile radius of Bakersfield.

Many hospice-appropriate patients in Kern County do not receive the compassion-ate end-of-life care that can benefit them and their families. For example, approximately 23 percent of hospice-eligible people recom-mended to Hoffmann Hospice die while still in the hospital, before receiving hospice care.

Moving a loved one from a hospital can present many challenges. Too often there is no space available in a skilled nursing

facility that can accommodate a patient who requires acute hospice care.

With the construction of Hoffmanns hospice home, these patients can be admit-ted to a homelike setting that will be staffed by clinical experts who are specially trained in end-of-life care.

The hospice home also will have a positive economic impact on the healthcare system. While hospice is often the best and

most compassionate way to care for patients at the end of life, it is also a less expensive option. It costs the healthcare system more than $3,000 per day for acute-care in the hospital, compared to only $700 per day for the same acute-care in a hospice home.

Founded in 1995 by Tom and Beth Hoff-mann, Hoffmann Hospice is Bakersfields only locally founded, nonprofit hospice provider. Hoffmann has launched a Com-

forts of Home campaign to raise community donations to pay for at least half of the hospice homes construction. The balance of construction costs will be financed.

Gretchen Daughtery is Hoffmann Hospices director of development. For more information about the hospice home project, contact Daughtery at 661-410-1010.

An artist rendering depicts the new hospice house that Hoffmann Hospice proposes to build in southwest Bakersfield.

Casey Christie / The Californian

A surgeon performs an angiogram on a heart patient at a Bakersfield hospital. Area hospitals and Kern County officials are developing a plan to improve emergency care for heart attack victims.

A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 3 K E R N B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L 5

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Houchin Community Blood Bank provides blood supply to all of our local hospitals. As a community owned and supported non-prot organization, HCBB relies on the generous nancial support of individuals, corporations, and foundations to enable them to serve growing local needs. As the steward of these valued donations, partnering with a safe, strong, local nancial institution is a priority. With Valley Republic Bank, weve found a trusted, solid banking partner whose board, management and sta care as much about the

future of Kern County residents as we do.

6 K E R N B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 3

By Paul N. Fuller

If you have driven Highway 99, north of Kern County, you may have no-ticed that billboards promoting robot-ic surgery have been replacing signs

for weight loss surgery. Robotic surgery has also come to Kern County, with the introduction of the da Vinci robotic system by Intuitive Surgery at both Bakersfield Memorial Hospital and San Joaquin Com-munity Hospital in Bakersfield.

The da Vinci system is the latest ad-vancement in minimally invasive surgery, commonly known as laparoscopic surgery or small incision surgery. It is being uti-lized by a few gynecologists and urologists in Bakersfield.

The da Vinci surgical system is made up of three components: a high definition 3D camera system is coupled to a four-arm robotic surgical instrument manipulator, which is controlled by a trained surgeon sit-ting at a computerized console. This system allows for very precise surgical procedures to be to be performed in very confined spaces, within the abdominal cavity.

Access to the abdomen is through a very small incision; thus, reducing the need to make very large incisions. This leads to fewer complications including fewer infections, less blood loss and less tissue damage. There are shorter hospital stays and faster recovery from surgery. In certain disease states, there are better surgical and quality outcomes.

In addition to the improved HD/3D

visualization, the key to the benefits of the da Vinci system is the ability to precisely translate the rotational motion of the sur-geons hand movements into the rotational movements of the surgical instruments, which are in very confined spaces. This rotational motion cannot be achieved with traditional minimally invasive procedures and instruments.

The da Vinci system is being used primarily in the specialties of urology (for prostate and kidney cancer surgery) and gynecology (for early cancers of the cervix, uterus and ovary). The da Vinci system is also being used for selected general surgery, cardiac surgery, and head and neck surgery procedures.

Both the surgical system and the training of robotic surgeons are unique. Robotic surgeons must take and pass: an Internet training program; a series of train-ing modules on a computer simulator; and a complex training program in a labora-tory simulation environment. The robotic surgeon must then participate in a series of surgical procedures assisting a trained surgeon before being proctored and approved in the performance of successful surgeries. After being certified as a ro-botic surgeon, the surgeon must maintain proficiency at robotic surgery by perform-ing a minimum number of cases per year and maintaining proficiency by ongoing computerized simulation practice.

Despite the many advantages of robotic surgery, there are disadvantages. The robotic system is very expensive for

hospitals to purchase. The cost of the disposable instruments is high. There are additional costs associated with longer operating room and anesthesia time, and increased surgical staffing costs.

Although the surgery is performed through very small incisions, there are multiple (more) incisions required than procedures performed via traditional mini-mally invasive laparoscopic surgeries.

Although robotic surgical procedures have distinct advantages and improved clinical outcomes for select disease states, the clinical outcomes for robotic surgery are not better than those obtained via tra-ditional laparoscopic procedures for most procedures. Thus, not every procedure will benefit from the use of the robotic surgical system. The surgeon will always need to make an assessment as to whether the patient will benefit from robotically assisted surgery.

To insure appropriate utilization of an expensive surgical system, San Joaquin Community Hospital has created a Ro-botic Surgery Committee, which approves surgeons to perform robotic surgery and as-sures that surgeons maintain proficiency in robotic surgery. The committee also reviews and maintains the appropriate use of robotic surgery.

Dr. Paul N. Fuller is the assistant area medical director for Kaiser Perman-ente Kern County. A gynecologist, Fuller and Dr. Jeffery Nalesnick, a Kaiser urologist, are among the few Bakersfield surgeons who perform robotic surgery.

Photo courtesy of Kaiser Permanente

Dr. Paul N. Fuller, assistant medical director for Kaiser Permanente Kern County, uses the da Vinci robotic surgical system.

Limited, controlled use of robotic surgery beneficial

By Tatiana Repelin

For nearly 40 years, Salter Labs has been breathing life into Kern County. With its products used in hospitals

and homes across the U.S. and around the world, Salter Labs has become a homegrown success story.

The companys worldwide head-quarters are located in Arvin, southeast of Bakersfield. In a setting known for expansive farmland, few would expect to find a manufacturer of innovative medical devices that sells its products in over 80 countries.

Since the late 1970s, Salter has been in Kern County developing and commercializing innovative medical technologies used daily by people at home, and by respiratory and anes-thesia personnel in local hospitals and hospitals throughout the world.

Respiratory illnesses of all kinds are increasing each year. For cutting-edge solutions that help people breathe easier, the name Salter is synonymous with high-quality care.

For example, take chronic obstruc-tive pulmonary disease, or COPD. In California, the overall incidence is below normal. But next door, in Nevada, as well as Oklahoma, Ohio and Alabama, its much worse. Helping COPD patients get the oxygen therapy they need to lead more fulfilling lives takes a company that is attuned to the users of its products and their needs.

Salter is a leader in one simple product that is at the center of COPD treatmentthe basic, invaluable nasal cannula. Visit any hospital and youve probably seen a patient wearing one, or perhaps you may have been sitting next to a person in a restaurant who is wear-ing one. Its that clear plastic tubing that fits snuggly into someones nose and then wraps around their ears.

Because COPD patients can require oxygen for extended periods of time, wearing a cannula can become uncom-fortable and bothersome. By attending to the needs of patients, therapists and nurses, Salters engineers designed the new 16SOFT Cannula using a super, soft-to-the-touch material, with curved features that conform to the natural shape of the nose and upper lip area, while gently sitting on a patients cheeks. Patients may even forget they are wearing a medical device.

By focusing on customers and listening to patient feedback, Salter has grown steadily to become one of the worlds largest respiratory consumables manufacturers, producing millions of cannulas each year. Despite their success, the company continues to innovate and deliver advancements in respiratory and critical care.

With the increasing number of people who suffer from breathing problems, such as asthma and COPD, Salter employees in Arvin are working to satisfy a growing market.

Thats the business of Salter Labs: Helping people do something that seems so easy for most of us.

Tatiana Repelin is Salter Labs human resources director.

Salter Labs: Helping the world breathe easier

A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 3 K E R N B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L 7

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8 K E R N B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 3

Kids get intensive care at Memorial HospitalBy Michelle Willow

Pediatric care in Bakersfield changed forever on April 16, 2012, when the first patient was admitted to Memorial Hospi-

tals new pediatric intensive care unit. The only facility of its kind between Los Angeles and Madera, the PICU is a state-of-the-art, eight-bed unit designed to provide medical care to critically ill infants, children and teenagers.

It features specialized equipment, monitoring devices, and medical and nursing staffs to provide intensive care for a wide variety of life-threatening illnesses and injuries.

The PICU at Memorial Hospitals Lauren Small Childrens Medical Center is home to a team of board-certified pediatric intensivists. Together, they have dedicated decades to caring for sick children. Before assuming the post of medical director for the PICU, Dr. Jorge Montes served as a medical director for pediatric intensive care services at four hospitals, including Childrens Hospital Central California. He is joined by Dr. David Merzel, a pediatric anesthesiolo-gist, who also practices at CHCC, and Dr. Azadeh Fayazi, from CHCC.

In addition to benefitting critically ill children, the PICU will raise the level of pediatric care available to all children in Kern County. With access to local intensivists, pediatric subspecialists, such as neurologists and oncologists, are more likely to view Bakersfield as a desirable location to see patients.

Memorial Hospital has substantially invested in its facilities and infrastructure to provide the highest level of care for pediatric patients in Kern County. With recent additions to the hospital and inten-sive care programs, the Childrens Medi-cal Center is well positioned to recruit pediatric subspecialists to the area.

The eventual addition of a Pedi-atric Specialty Center on the Memo-rial Hospital campus will create a full healthcare safety net for the children of Kern County. The new center will provide

outpatient follow-up care for children with chronic illness, who are in need of outpatient procedures, or who require subspecialty consultation. The center will provide a local alternative for thousands of children and their families who now must travel many miles for routine doctor visits. The center is in the preliminary planning phase and is targeted for a 2015 opening date.

Recruiting subspecialists to Bakers-field is the critical next step. The new PICU and proposed Pediatric Specialty Center will help create an environment in which doctors can care for patients and follow their progress. With state-of-the-art, fully-funded office space, equip-ment, furniture and furnishings, supplies, personnel and administrative support, subspecialists from surrounding regions will be able to schedule regular monthly or weekly clinic days in Bakersfield.

New full-time subspecialists will complement the pediatric endocrinolo-gist, nephrologist, cardiologist, and infec-tious disease specialists already practicing in Bakersfield. Memorial hopes to recruit for its planned Pediatric Specialty Center

physicians in a variety of specialties, including neurology, gastroenterology, general surgery and pulmonology.

The opening of the PICU and the recently announced partnership between CBCC and Dignity Health Bakersfield also has sparked interest in creating Kern Countys first pediatric oncology pro-gram.

Connecting a patients local pediatri-cian to specialists in Bakersfield, as well as in other locations, is the next genera-tion of coordinating patient care through telehealth solutions. The Childrens Medi-cal Center will be equipped with a com-prehensive health information exchange system that enables multi-directional communication between care providers that spans various patient care settings.

These telehealth solutions involve the use of remote presence robotics that allows physicians to beam in from outlying locations to examine patients and provide specialty consultations in the PICU, NICU and Pediatric Unit.

Michelle Willow is the marketing and communications manager of Mercy and Memorial Hospitals.

By Sandy Doucette

Dignity Health Mercy and Memorial Hospitals and the Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center recently

announced their new partnership, which ensures residents of Kern County will continue to have access to quality cancer treatment options close to home.

Providing access to quality options for cancer detection, education, treatment and follow-up, as well as access to supportive services related to the treatment of cancer, have long been priorities for Dignity Health and CBCC, which is one of the largest free-standing cancer centers on the West Coast. Bakersfield-based CBCC was the first such cancer center in the U.S. to establish a CyberKnife center.

And now an inpatient oncology unit is being created at Mercy Hospital Down-town. The inpatient unit was designed in collaboration with hospital staff, physi-cians and representatives from Mercys Patient and Family Centered Care team. Nurses and support staff trained to care for the special needs of cancer patients and their families will be at the bedside when the project is complete in mid-2013.

The unit will offer private patient rooms and will include a space designed to feel like a den, where families can meet without being far from their loved ones. Mercy is recognized by the American College of Surgeons for meeting strict guidelines for the highest standard of can-cer care. The inpatient unit is being funded entirely by donations received through the Friends of Mercy Foundation.

The inpatient unit will be the newest addition to the continuum of oncology services already offered by Dignity Health Mercy and Memorial Hospitals to aid physicians in their diagnosis and treat-ment of cancer. The hospitals are home to advanced imaging technology and surgical options, such as the da Vinci robotic surgery program, as well as supportive services to enhance medical and surgical treatment.

Infusion, nutritional counseling, wound care, genetics testing, palliative care, home health, and hospice care are available to patients to support them in their battle against cancer. In addition, Dignity Health and CBCC maintain strong partnerships with the American Cancer Society, Links 4 Life, the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and the Kern County Cancer Fund.

The southern San Joaquin Valleys only pediatric intensive care unit, located at Memorial Hospital, has become the hub for the development of a pediatric oncol-ogy program, which will give children access to cancer treatment locally.

This new relationship aligns the areas major health care organizations to ensure that residents of Kern County continue to have access to quality cancer treatment options close to home now and into the future.

Sandy Doucette is the marketing and public relations manager for Dignity Health Mercy and Memorial Hospitals.

Dignity, CBCC partnership expands cancer care

Photo courtesy of Dignity Health

Flight Time Lang of the Harlem Globetrotters, shares a smile and a few tricks with a young patient at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital.

Henry A. Barrios / The Califoirnian

Catherine Harker, nursing supervisor at Bakersfield Memorial Hospitals new Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, shows some of the equip-ment specially designed for pediatric patients.

Dignity Health: Mercy Downtown, Mercy Southwest, Bakersfield Memorial

A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 3 K E R N B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L 9

By Sandy Doucette

Its no secret that men and women are very different. So different, in fact, that Mercy and Memorial Hospitals now offer programs just for women and their specific health care needs.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, as of 2010, women comprised 47 percent of the total U.S. labor force, making womens health an issue for more than just women. Women balance a variety of demands. In the constant struggle between family, work and self, often self does not come out on top.

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, 90 percent of U.S. adult women are responsible for health care decisions for themselves and/or members of their family. Women also are more likely to be the primary caregiver, when a family member becomes ill or disabled.

In fact, women devote so much time to others health, they often overlook their own. Thats not hard to imagine considering that in the U.S., more than 65 percent of females work more than 40 hours a week outside the home, in addition to fulfilling their roles as primary caregivers. Women suffer from chronic disease and disability at a rate dispro-portionate to men, with consequences for their own health and the health of their families.

Dignity Health Mercy and Memorial Hospitals have introduced Spirit of Women, a program to encourage women to make personal health a prior-ity. Spirit of Women focuses on inspiring women to make positive changes in their livesmind, body and spirit. It offers tools to help women be better health care consumers and to make the most of the partnership they have with their physician in order to achieve their personal health and wellness goals.

Dignity Health Mercy and Memorial Hospitals

provide access to a wide range of healthier lifestyle, preventive care and educational programs. Each month, health information, as well as special invita-tions to seminars and special events are emailed to participants.

Most women have a limited amount of down time. As a result, they dont want to hear a lecture. They want to be entertained. Spirit of Women events employ health-u-tainment, that is, the little bit of sugar that helps the medicine go down. The program balances serious information with a seri-ously good time.

Many women are unaware that heart disease is the leading cause of death among women, and do not recognize the warning signs or symptoms of heart disease and stroke, which may be more subtle than those exhibited by men. Unfortunately, this lack of awareness can extend to health care provid-ers, sometimes resulting in less aggressive diagnosis and treatment.

Recognizing the unique heart health needs of women, Mercy and Memorial Hospitals became the areas exclusive HeartCaring provider, commit-ting to share clinical information on the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease, P.A.D., and stroke in women with local physicians. The program provides women with educational messages and tools to motivate them to make posi-tive, healthy choices and to work with their doctor to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and other cardio-vascular conditions.

More information about Spirit of Women and HeartCaring is available at www.ChooseMercyMe-morial.org.

Sandy Doucette is the marketing and pub-lic relations manager for Dignity Health Mercy and Memorial Hospitals.

Womens health targeted

San Dimas Medical Group opens new building

Outgrowing its current location at 300 Old River Road, the San Dimas Medical Group expects to move into a new, 26,000-square-foot building on May 1. The new facility is being built across the parking lot from SDMGs present location on the Mercy Southwest Hospital campus.

The group will continue to provide womens health services, with obstetrics and gynecology being the primary focus. But it will also provide services in the following areas: infertility, perinatology, ultrasounds, esthetics, massage therapy, diabetic counseling and nutritional counseling.

Additionally, the new building will have an expanded proce-dures area, which will allow physicians to perform more in-office procedures and services, which are now provided elsewhere. The complex will also have a caf, a full-size boutique and a pharmacy to serve patients.

San Dimas Medical Group is celebrating its 40th year of provid-ing womens health services to the women of Kern County. The group began in the 1970s with Drs. Harry Knudsen and Larry Hub-bell. Today, Drs. Marietta Tan, Wendy Crenshaw, Dana Edwards, Jigisha Upadhyaya, Tillai Kannappan, Gregory Klis, James Tsai, Noel Del Mundo, Jacqueline Olango, Tony Hoang, Luis Lopez, and Sonia Ghia work together to continue the founders legacy. In addition to these 12 physicians, the staff includes three NP/PAs and 75 employees.

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CBCC determined to outsmart cancerBy Gitesh Patel

The term clinical trials has be-come so common that it is nearly a household name. However, un-less you are a healthcare provider

or someone enrolled in a clinical trial, you probably dont recognize the scope of these endeavors and the benefits they can yield.

Basically, a clinical trial is a set of tests conducted in the course of medical research and drug development. Trial goals are to determine the safety and effectiveness of various treatments, including new pharma-ceuticals, procedures and equipment.

Conducting clinical trials dates back to ancient times. Early trials contain the tem-plate for todays more sophisticated efforts administering a treatment and observing the results. Trials are not the beginning of research. Rather, they are conducted under very strict guidelines after extensive research already has been completed.

Patients are not guinea pigs in some cavalier process. Rather they are the benefi-ciaries of research, with participation based on the hope that a disease will be cured, a life extended, quality of life improved, or information obtained that will help cure future victims.

It is common for local healthcare provid-ers to participate to some limited extent in clinical trials. Generally participation is narrowly defined by practice specialties and capabilities.

But at Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center, one of nations largest physician-

owned and operated freestanding cancer centers, clinical trials have been embraced as ways to bring early, advanced cancer treat-ment to patients living in the Southern San Joaquin Valley.

Founded in the 1980s by Dr. Ravi Patel, CBCC has participated in numerous clinical trials involving all the major cancer drugs approved by the FDA over the past decade. These include Herceptin, Rituxan, Avastin, Crizotinib and others.

CBCC was one of the first community-based cancer centers to be affiliated with UCLA, and one of the first to offer stem cell transplants and prostate seed implants.

Besides conducting clinical trials as-sociated with UCLA, Dr. Patel noted that pharmaceutical companies seek out CBCC

to take part in pivotal clinical trials for cancer research. This allows our doctors to choose the trials that they feel will best fit our community of patients.

Pharmaceutical companies know that CBCC has everything in place at one facility to gather the data they need to conduct a study, said Dr. Alan Cartmell, noting that CBCCs facility on Truxtun Avenue has won the prestigious HOPE Award for both facili-ties design and integrated care.

CBCC also is a pioneer in offering a revolutionary new prostate cancer immuno-theraphy treatment called Provenge, which uses the patients own immune cells and acti-vates them with protein to locate and destroy prostate cancer cells.

CBCC had to comply with stringent

guidelines and training to be approved to offer this exciting new therapy, said Dr. Shawn Shabaugh , noting other technolo-gies and procedures CBCC has pioneered, including intensity modulated radiation therapy and Image guided radiation therapy. CBCC was among the first centers in the U.S. to run FDA-approved circulating tumor cell tests for colorectal cancer.

To enhance its capabilities, CBCC in-stalled a CyberKnife an advanced robotic radiosurgery system directed at tumors considered to be inoperable.

But despite CBCCs emphasis on the use of cutting-edge technology and therapy de-velopment, including participation in clini-cal trials, patient safety is never sacrificed, said Dr. Ajay Desai.

Patient safety comes first, he said, noting that CBCCs entire radiation depart-ment recently achieved certification from the American Society of Radiation Oncology and the American College of Radiology. These are prestigious designations that fewer than 10 percent of the cancer centers in the country have attained.

For 25 years, CBCC has been on the forefront of cancer treatment both locally and nationally, said Dr. Patel. The mission changing lives through hope and innova-tion continues to every day motivate and inspire the entire team of physicians, nurses and staff. We are determined to outsmart cancer.

Gitesh Patel is the director of global business development for Comprehensive Blood & Cancer Centers.

Photo courtesy of CBCC

The Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center on Truxtun Avenue has been given the HOPE award for both facilities design and integrated care.

A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 3 K E R N B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L 1 1

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Local businesses encourage healthy habitsBy Ana Igoa

When employers initiate wellness programs at work, the benefits go beyond the bottom line to affect nearly

every aspect of business life. Often, the pay-off can be almost immediate.

Employers are accustomed to hear-ing about the long-term financial reward of health and wellness programs which trans-lates to healthier employees and stable or reduced health insurance costs. At the same time, engaged employees tend to be happier employees who are more connected to one another at work, said Dr. Ramon Neufeld, a long-time Bakersfield physician and chief medical officer for GEMCare Health Plan in Bakersfield.

Dr. Neufeld works with staff members to help craft and manage plan benefits, including those related to health promotion and preven-tion. The staff meets regularly with insurance brokers and employers in Kern County.

What theyre telling us is that there is more interest in workplace wellness programs, said Dr. Neufeld. With our wellness and health education programs, employees are able to work with our experts toward positive change in their own lives. That connection translates into better communication, improved creativity and increased productivity.

GEMCares team will visit workplaces to develop specialized programs with employers. Health plan members also are in-vited to participate in workshops and fitness programs held at GEMCares headquarters in Bakersfield.

The program often starts with on-site

health screenings, such as cholesterol, glu-cose, blood pressure and more. The results, which are given to employees within 10 minutes, are confidential. This often includes a health-risk assessment that gives employ-ees their own wellness profile and action steps to improve their health.

Its all about empowering people to make healthy change, said Dr. Neufeld. Once people have the screenings and under-stand where they can improve, the next step is providing access to information, classes and other assistance.

Among the topics covered in GEMCare wellness classes and workshops are smok-ing-cessation, nutrition, heart-health and stress reduction. GEMCare also conducts ongoing walking and fitness programs for employee groups and health plan members.

In addition to the extensive wellness programs, GEMCare provides health plan members with individualized support. Examples include GEMCares Medica-tion Consultation Program, which encour-ages health plan members to meet with GEMCares licensed pharmacist to review medications and discuss concerns.

We want to give each member the op-portunity to ask his or her own questions, and get personalized recommendations from our pharmacist, said Dr. Neufeld.

Individualized health education is also a part of the personalized care now offered by many health plans. For GEMCare, that means a health educator will meet one-on-one with a member (and family, if the member desires) to go over health concerns and address specific medical conditions.

Ana Igoa is the director of market-ing for GEMCare Health Plan Inc.

Kern County making air clean-up progressBy Janelle Schneider

Better air quality means a better outlook for improved health and quality of life. And judging from the data, the prospects are bright

for Kern County.Within the past 10 years, air quality

throughout the San Joaquin Valley has dra-matically improved, as days categorized as unhealthy dropped exponentially. Perhaps nowhere in the 25,000 square-mile air basin is this trend as stunning as in Kern County.

In 2003, there were 64 days in the valley air basin portion of Kern County ranked as unhealthy, which is poor air quality that affects even those with no preexisting re-spiratory conditions. Last year, by contrast, there were just four such days a reduction of 94 percent.

In addition to this overall improvement, the number of days that exceeded federal health standards for every separate category of pollutant have also improved, including 1-hour ozone (smog), a 100 percent im-provement over 10 years, 8-hour ozone (a 77 percent improvement), and fine-particulate matter (26 percent improved).

Poor air quality wreaks detrimental health effects on everyone in the valley. Exacerbation of asthma and respiratory dis-ease, along with long-term lung damage, ac-company high smog levels. Fine-particulate matter causes lung infections, bronchitis and

chronic lung disease, and even heart attacks and stroke.

With the improvement in air quality, of course, comes corresponding improve-ments in quality of life and health for valley residents.

We see this trend as affirmation of the commitment of Kern County businesses and residents to being strong partners in our work to clean up the air, said Seyed Sadre-din, the Air Districts executive director and air pollution control officer.

Charged with attaining health standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Valley Air District regulates stationary sources of pollution and awards grants to encourage voluntary emission-reduction investment by business and industry, municipalities and Valley residents. With a new fine-particulate matter (PM2.5) plan just adopted by the Valley Air Districts governing board and a grants program that last year awarded millions of dollars to thou-sands of applicants, the district is aggres-sively targeting early attainment of health standards.

But officials consistently emphasize that all the plans in the world cannot accomplish the goal of clean valley air without the active participation and support of residents.

Janelle Schneider is an air quality public information representative with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.

1 2 K E R N B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 3

SJCHs AIS Cancer Center gives local patients home field advantageBy Teresa Adamo

San Joaquin Community Hospitals new AIS Cancer Center is expected to begin treating patients by mid-2013.

The four-story, 60,000-square-foot AIS Cancer Center will house radiation oncology, medical oncology and an outpatient surgery center under one roof. The new cancer center is located on the east side of Chester Avenue, near 26th and 27th streets.

At a dedication of the $36 million facil-ity in December, Cancer Center Director Lori Muir noted the need for increased local services for cancer patients. Nearly 20 percent of cancer patients now leave Kern County to receive treatment. The southern San Joaquin Valley region is affected by five types of cancer at higher rates than the national average.

Then-SJCH President and CEO Robert Beehler emphasized how the Adventist hospitals Sacred Work mission to heal the whole person physically, emotionally and spiritually is a natural fit to how the AIS Cancer Center will operate.

Nothing cries out for the unique minis-try of Sacred Work like cancer patients and currently 1 in 5 cancer patients leave town to seek care elsewhere, Beehler said. We dont think cancer should be fought as an away game. We believe we need the home field advantage, with family support nearby.

Beehler said SJCH plans to provide cancer care equal to that available in the most respected academic centers; we will demonstrate that with our affiliations and our certifications.

San Joaquin Community Hospital recently announced the AIS Cancer Centers affiliation with the UC Davis Comprehen-

sive Cancer Center.The UC Davis Health System Can-

cer Care Network is a partnership among cancer centers throughout Northern and Central California, working together to offer cutting-edge cancer care in local communi-ties. Patients benefit from both the nationally recognized academic expertise and research of the National Cancer Institute-designated UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, as well as from the personal relationships and care they receive from healthcare providers at community cancer centers.

Member cancer centers use state-of-the-art telehealth technology to meet remotely,

giving patients throughout California access to UC Davis multidisciplinary team of specialists. This consultation can result in the development of treatment plans and use of additional resources, such as innovative treatments available through clinical trials or referrals to UC Davis for specialty care.

Clinical trials help cancer researchers understand complex diseases and develop new treatments and medications to help manage them. UC Davis offers more than 200 cancer clinical trials at any time. For patients, this can be an opportunity to access the newest and most advanced treatments before they are widely available.

Dr. Ralph deVere-White, director of the UC Davis Comprehensive Care Center, explained that the partnership with SJCH is mutually beneficial and helps UC Davis share its knowledge to improve cancer care beyond its own walls.

Dr. Oscar Streeter, medical director for the AIS Cancer Center at SJCH, explained that doctors will be able to get second opin-ions and collaborate with other physicians throughout the network.

Since the inception of a cancer center at SJCH, hospital officials envisioned partner-ing with an academic center. Streeter said UC Davis was attractive because it already had the UC Davis Cancer Care Network in operation and UC Davis is designated a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute.

When the AIS Cancer Center opens, it will be equipped with advanced technology and staffed with experienced caregivers, including specialists with board certification in oncology.

The new building, which is located just east of the 254-bed San Joaquin Community Hospital, also will house physician offices and an outpatient surgery center that will serve general and cancer patients.

San Joaquin Community Hospital has been in the expansion mode for the last sev-eral years. It opened a 130,000-square-foot patient tower in 2007, doubling the hospitals size. Two years later, it opened the Grossman Burn Center, as well as an outpatient clinic and a new intensive care unit. The hospital also has been designated a nationally ac-credited Chest Pain Center and nationally certified Stroke Center.

Teresa Adamo is a senior marketing and communication coordinator at San Joaquin Community Hospital.

San Joaquin Community Hospital

By Jimmy Phillips

The opening of its burn center at San Joaquin Commu-nity Hospital in 2009 was the Grossman Burn Centers first

venture outside of the Los Angeles/Or-ange County area.

Founded in 1969 by the pioneering burn surgeon Dr. A. Richard Grossman and now under the direction of his son, Dr. Peter H. Grossman, the Grossman Burn Center is the largest privately held and fastest growing burn practice in the western U.S. After opening its burn cen-ter in Bakersfield, Grossman established its first out-of-state center in Phoenix.

During a 2008 interview, Dr. Peter Grossman noted the demographics of the (Bakersfield) region call for a burn center.

Grossman was referring to Kern Countys major industries, which include agriculture, oil, manufacturing and con-struction all having worksites that present the possibility of major burn accidents.

And since the Grossman Burn Center at SJCH opened, staff has treated both major and minor job-related burns. But surprisingly, the majority of the burn cases seen at SJCH have resulted from accidents in the home.

Darci Combs, program coordinator for the Grossman Burn Center at SJCH, said one reason for these surprising statistics could be the emphasis local

employers place on workplace safety.Most high-risk employers require

regular safety meetings. Employers have found it cost effective to take time away from production to focus on safety and prevention, Combs said. Employees are more encouraged than ever to report unsafe work conditions. Unfortunately, people often dont employ the same safety standards in their homes.

Although infants to 18-year-olds rep-resent only 32 percent of Kern Countys population, nearly 45 percent of the burn victims treated at the Grossman Burn Center at SJCH are children. Of those burns, the vast majority were caused by accidents in the kitchen.

Tips for preventing and caring for burn incidents at home include: Keep the hot water heater temperature at 120 degrees or less.

Keep children out of the kitchen. Cool a burn for 15 to 20 minutes with cool water only.

Seek medical attention for any burn larger than your hand.What if we kept that safety hat on

when we got home, had a safety meeting prior to starting an improvement project, or put safety cones in our bathroom and kitchen? Our homes should be just as safe as our job sites, Combs said.

Jimmy Phillips is a senior marketing and communications co-ordinator at San Joaquin Community Hospital.

More burns caused by in-home accidents than on-the-job

Photo courtesy of San Joaquin Community Hospital

Dramatic lighting was featured during the December dedication of San Joaquin Community Hospitals AIS Cancer Center. The center on Chester Avenue is expected to open in mid-2013.

Photos courtesy of San Joaquin Community Hospital

Trina Headlen, age 4 at the time of her 2010 burn injury (left), spent time in San Joa-quin Community Hospitals in-patient burn unit after a kitchen accident in her home. In just a matter of months of outpatient treatment, Trina Headlens porcelain-like skin had remarkably recovered and she was back to doing what 4-year-olds like to do.

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By Maureen Buscher-Dang

Margaret Delfino, a 94-year-old donor who has reached an im-pressive 27-gallon milestone, was first in line in February

to give blood at Houchin Community Blood Banks newly opened consolidated complex in southwest Bakersfield.

In addition to featuring a donor drawing site, the complex consolidates Houchins labo-ratory, quality assurance, manufacturing, dis-tribution, information technology, community development, telerecruiting and transportation. Houchins Truxtun Avenue donor drawing site remains open.

A blood donor since 1954, Delfino wanted to be the first person to give blood at the new $10 million, 42,000-square-foot consolidated complex at 11515 Bolthouse Drive.

Mike Ross and KERN radio personality Scott Cox were the first to donate platelets when the new facility opened. Ross hit a per-sonal milestone that day, as well. He donated his 100th unit of platelets.

As a Christmas present, Delfinos son and daughter-in-law purchased a Houchin brick engraved with Delfinos name. The family is among many donors who have paid $150 to purchase a commemorative brick, which will be placed in the complexs courtyard.

As long as I can, I will keep giving blood, said Delfino. Its important to give. Its the least you can do if you are healthy. It saves peoples lives.

Medical procedures requiring blood products have advanced and Bakersfield has

an increasing number of healthcare providers that specialize in these treatments, said Greg Gallion, president and chief executive officer of Houchin Community Blood Bank.

Houchins new consolidated complex in the Seven Oaks Business Park began with the donation of five acres of land from Bolthouse Properties LLC. With Houchin focused on maximizing the use of local contractors and subcontractors, the blood banks new complex was designed by Bakersfield architects Paul Skarphol and Associates, and Paul Dhanes Architects Inc. The projects general contractor was Wallace & Smith of Bakersfield.

Houchin was started in 1951 by a group of community leaders and doctors who envi-sioned supplying blood for the emergency needs of local hospitals. At that time, there was no blood bank in Kern County and deliveries from Los Angeles and San Francisco could take many days.

It is important to recognize that keeping Kern County healthy is a team effort. Every member of the team from first responders, doctors and nurses, to hospitals provides es-sential lifesaving services, said Gallion.

Houchin Community Blood Bank is a critical link between health professionals and the people who rely on their care. Its truly a partnership of giving back to the community: People helping so that hospitals, doctors and others can save lives.

For information about donating blood and contributing money to build the consolidated complex, go to www.hcbb.com

Bakersfield marketing consultant Maureen Buscher-Dang wrote this article for Houchin Community Blood Bank.

Houchin Community Blood Bank opens consolidated complex

A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 3 K E R N B U S I N E S S J O U R N A L 1 5

By Brij Bhambi

For patients with advanced coro-nary artery disease, coronary angiography is performed to assess the severity of the disease

and choose appropriate interventions. Coronary artery stenting is commonly used to open the clogged arteries.

However, coronary angiography alone can underestimate the blockage and may be unable to differentiate the nature of blockage.

Optical Coherence Tomography, a new advanced technology, complements angiography for a detailed assessment of the blockage. This can help improve stent placement for better short- and long-term outcomes.

The St. Jude Medical OCT, which now is being used at the Bakersfield Heart Hospi-tal, is a leading imaging technology plat-form that utilizes near-infrared light to create images to visualize and measure important vessel characteristics otherwise not visible or difficult to assess with older intracoronary imaging technologies, such as fluoroscopy and intravascular ultrasound.

OCT can be especially important for the assessment of stent placement, because the high-resolution images show precisely how the stent is holding the artery open and whether it is positioned correctly against the artery wall, optimiz-ing treatment and follow-up strategies.

When a stent is optimally deployed, the risk of early clot development and subsequent re-narrowing is decreased. This translates into reduced readmissions

and more favorable outcomes. The Bakersfield Heart Hospital has

set the bar high by relentlessly pursuing the latest and most effective technologies and treatments, such as the OCT, for its

patients. Dr. Brij Bhambi is a board certified

interventional cardiologist, who has been practicing in Bakersfield for 20 years. He is a local pioneer in coronary stents.

Center focuses on womens heart attack

Bakersfield Heart Hospital

By Michelle Oxford

Women do so much every day and put the needs of their family first. As mothers, daughters, wives,

friends and leaders, women need to un-derstand that they should take the time to take care of themselves.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and is the No. 1 killer of women. This silent killer tends to be more subtle in its presentation among women and is often misdiagnosed and undertreated.

In the U.S., approximately one woman dies every minute of heart disease and 90 percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease.

To create awareness and help fight this disease, the Bakersfield Heart Hospital created the Womens Heart Center. The center is tailored to meet the cardiovascu-lar needs of women in all age groups in an inclusive and thorough manner, with special attention to education, prevention, screening, medical consultation and sup-port group.

The center provides a relaxing environment that offers a complete heart health check-up at a nominal charge of $25. The check-up includes a nurse consultation, blood work, risk factor as-

sessment and a personalized report with recommendations for future care. Accord-ing to health guidelines, women should become aware of their numbers and risk factors starting at the age of 20.

Addressing the needs of women heart disease survivors, the Bakersfield Heart hospital became a founding member of the hospital alliance for WomenHeart, a national coalition for women with heart disease.

In October 2012, the Bakersfield Heart Hospital sent Beverly Thompson, one of the hospitals heart attack survi-vors, to attend the WomenHeart Science and Leadership symposium at the Mayo Clinic. There she was given the tools and training to lead the Bakersfield Heart Hospitals monthly support group meet-ings, which are open to all women in Kern County, who are living with or at risk of developing heart disease.

The Bakersfield Heart Hospital opened its Womens Heart Center in Janu-ary and is already making a difference in the fight against heart disease. At the cen-ter, women are given the tools to identify their risk factors. Knowledge, indeed, is power. At the center, women are given the knowledge and power every step of the way to fighting their No.1 killer.

Michelle Oxford is the Bakers-field Heart Hospitals vice president of business development.

By Randy Rolfe

A new destination center for joint replacement at the Bakersfield Heart Hospital brings to Bakersfield a new

level of care integration and cutting-edge technologies.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Thomas D. Ferro was recruited to head the hospitals Orthopedic Joint Replacement Program. Dr. Ferro brings more than 20 years of experience in rapid recovery surgery for active lifestyle individuals. He currently is involved in developing the latest ligament and bone sparing techniques in hip and knee replacement surgery.

The program at Bakersfield Heart Hospital will transform the regional provision of orthopedic care by providing exciting new treatment options for osteo-arthritis, said Dr. Ferro, noting that this includes the latest minimally-invasive

surgical technolo-gies in a destination venue that focuses on patient-centered care.

In this compre-hensive program, each patient will be assigned a team of specialists who will create an individual-

ized treatment plan designed to provide optimum management and care.

The mission of the Joint Replace-ment Center at Bakersfield Heart Hospital is to restore patient mobility using the most modern and innovative techniques in orthopedic surgery, as we believe that every patient is unique and that each pa-tients treatment plan must be tailored to his or her specific goals for an active life, said Dr. Ferro.

Dedication to the individualized patient has proven to result in superior recovery times and more effective pain management. Patient satisfactions levels also are substantially increased.

Patients can pre-register for their surgery at the Bakersfield Heart Hospital Joint Replacement Center and be paired with an orthopedic care coach, who will assist in all aspects of care and treatment, including facilitating and expediting the pre-surgery process.

Patients will be given information re-garding the anticipated pre-operative and post-operative care, with literature and educational classes available. Specially appointed, roomy, family-friendly rooms have been designated exclusively for patients in the Joint Replacement Center.

Randy Rolfe is the chief executive officer of the Bakersfield Heart Hospital.

Heart Hospital adds joint replacement center

Risk factors that cannot be changed Family history of early heart dis-ease. If your father or brother had a heart attack before age 55, or if your mother or sister had one before age 65, you are more likely to get heart disease yourself.

Age. After menopause, women are more apt to get heart disease, in part because their bodys production of estrogen drops. Women who have gone through early menopause, either naturally or because they have had a hysterectomy, are twice as likely to develop heart disease as women of the same age who have not yet gone through menopause.

Race/ethnicity. African-American, Hispanic and Native American women are all at greater risk of heart disease than white women and are also more likely to have contributing risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and obesity.

Risk factors that can be modified High blood pressureHigh blood cholesterol DiabetesSmoking Being overweightBeing physically inactive Source: The Heart Truth Campaign

Dr. Ferro

Bakersfield Heart Hospital brings new imaging technology to cath lab

Casey Christie / Bakersfield Californian

Dr. Brij Bhambi is shown in the cath lab at Bakersfield Heart Hospital.

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Got the Dot? team promotes organ donationBy Katie Werdel

Inspiration can come from joy. Other times it comes from heartache, followed by hope. For a group of local teens, their inspiration came from all of these emotions conveyed by the stories of two Bakersfield families.

The Jackson Vaughan familys joyous story began in the early 2000s, when Jackson was just a toddler. His mother, Jenny Vaughan, gave him a hug and noticed something just didnt feel right. Jackson eventually was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma, a rare form of liver cancer.

Jacksons treatment at the Lucille Packard Childrens Hospital in Stanford included chemotherapy, nearly a dozen surgeries and two liver transplants. At times, the outcome for Jackson appeared to be bleak. But miraculously his disease was declared cured.

The family of Jeffrey Johns has felt the heartache of loss, fol-lowed by hope. A young man pursuing a career in real estate, Jef-frey died of head injuries received in a tragic accident. His familys decision to donate Jeffreys organs saved the lives of five people in need of transplants and healed 50 others through tissue donation.

In memory of her son Jeffrey, Lori Malkin formed JJs Legacy, a movement to encourage organ and tissue donor registration in California. (Go to www.jjslegacy.com for more information.)

Loris outreach efforts brought her heartfelt testimony to the teens of the Jim Burke Education Foundation Dream Builders and set the wheels in motion for a high school age awareness program.

Team Got the Dot? is sponsored by Dignity Health Mercy and Memorial Hospitals, and consists of eight local high school seniors: Katie Cornford (Frontier), Sean Tieau (Independence), Brianna Wright (Highland), Connor Fisher (Stockdale), Heather Hansen (Centennial), Ryan Holmes (Stockdale), Paige Basconcillo (Liberty) and Joshua Park (Centennial).

Team members started a movement on high school campuses to encourage teens to register as organ donors. The registration is designated by a pink dot on a donors drivers license. To promote the cause, they hosted a countywide high school film festival, with the assistance of JJs Legacy and Donate Life CA.

Katie Werdel is a member of the Jim Burke Education Foundation.

By Jerry Sturz

Kern Radiology Medical Group has expanded into southwest Bakersfield, opening its third facility at 9330 Stock-dale Highway, east of Calloway Drive

and across from Cal State Bakersfield. The groups other two radiology facilities are located at 2301 Bahamas Dr. and 3838 San Dimas St., Building A.

Requests from area physicians and patients prompted Kern Radiology to open its third facility this month on Stockdale Highway. The location is near a hospital and numerous healthcare provider offices. The location is convenient for patients who live in the citys southwest and northwest quadrants.

Kern Radiologys 7,700-square-foot Stockdale Highway facility is equipped with an advanced ver-sion of the G.E. Healthcare 3.0 Tesla MRI system, which benefits both patients and technicians.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses radio waves and a strong magnetic field, rather than X-rays, to produce detailed, cross-sectional images of the body. The system allows evaluation of anatomy that may not be as visible using other imaging methods.

The 3.0 Tesla MRI that will be used at Kern Radiologys new facility is more powerful than pre-vious generation MRI systems. It will more quickly produce high-resolution images that can help evaluate a wide range of cases ranging from sports injuries to life-threatening heart conditions.

The machine features a wider opening to accom-modate larger, claustrophobic patients. People who are in pain are provided a wider, roomier space than

in earlier MRI systems. The additional allowance for headroom, legroom and torsos ensures the most comfortable MRI experience. This unit is also much quieter than previous generations.

In the new unit, patients rest on a table that is cushioned with flexible coils and designed to follow the contours of the human body. This minimizes anxiety and movement, and allows patients to relax. This advanced MRI system provides rapid screen-ing of multiple areas of the body without patient repositioning.

Kern Radiologys Stockdale Highway facility is also equipped with CT, digital mammography, ultrasound and digital diagnostic X-ray systems. It is staffed by a team of experienced professionals.

Kern Radiology is the only local physician-owned imaging center in Bakersfield. Known for its innovation, Kern Radiology presently has 14 board-certified radiologists. With increasing demand for Kern Radiologys services, the group is recruiting additional radiologists.

Jerry Sturz is the chief executive officer of the Kern Radiology Medical Group. For more information go to www.kernradiology.com.

Kern Radiology opens Stockdale Highway facility

Photo courtesy of GE Healthcare

Kern Radiologys new southwest Bakersfield facility features an advanced MRI.

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Kaplan training Kerns workforceBusiness Profile: Mary Whitlock, Kaplan College

Mary Whitlock is the executive director of Kaplan College in Bakersfield. She holds a bachelors degree from

Pomona College and a masters in busi-ness administration from Duke University. Kaplan College is an accredited, vocational school that provides career-focused edu-cational programs and develops employer-based workforce solutions. Kaplan continu-ally solicits feedback from local employers to ensure the colleges programs meet local

needs. Noting that Kaplans

mission is to prepare its students with the training and professional skills necessary to start their careers, change their lives and strengthen the Bakersfield workforce, Mary Whitlock recently

responded to the Kern Business Journals questions about Kaplan College.

What is Kaplans educational goal?

We believe in matching the right student to the right career. We do so by creating an exceptional educational experience that prepares our students for a career in their chosen field of study. This, of course, de-pends on maintaining strong ties to the local community and local employers, enhancing our curriculum where appropriate and pivot-ing quickly to address Bakersfields talent needs.

How does Kaplan differ from a tradition-al four-year school?

We tend to serve non-traditional students who learn best in a hands-on environment. They come to us seeking fast-paced, targeted programs that can prepare them for the workforce as quickly as possible. Many of our students are not able to spend four years at a traditional school. They have respon-sibilities and obligations requiring them to become gainfully employed as quickly as possible, and this is where we come in.

How do you prepare students to enter the workforce?

In addition to offering targeted technical skills, we place a strong emphasis on profes-sional development. Many Kern County employers noted a need for enhanced profes-sional training. In response, we recently introduced our Kaplan Certified Profession-al Program that incorporates key elements of professional development throughout the students course of study, from elevator pitches to networking to resume writing and more, culminating in a Kaplan certification of critical professional skills. Ultimately, we are committed to student success and meet-ing the needs of our community.

How do you work with Kern County employers to ensure your programs are meeting area workforce needs?

As I mentioned, regular interaction with Kern County employers is critical to main-taining our programs relevance. We have developed advisory boards for each of our programs. Each advisory board consists of our key employers and community partners. Advisory board members even get involved in our professional development curriculum by participating in mock interviews and net-working activities with our students. We also work closely with community partners, such as the Kern Economic Development Corp.,

Career Services Center, Employers Training Resource, Adult Literacy Council and Veter-ans Affairs, to name a few. Our partners are as committed to meeting the needs of our community as we are. We believe in working together to make Bakersfield even stronger than it is today.

Does Kaplan College plan to expand its Bakersfield program offerings?

Bakersfield is an extremely vibrant community. There are a number of sectors that are growing very rapidly. By working closely with the Kern Economic Develop-ment Corp., we are able to keep tabs on our markets changing needs. We are currently working with our employer partners to identify new programs that will prepare our students for the employment opportunities that exist today and those that we anticipate will grow in the future.

Does Kaplan College participate in lo-cal initiatives or community outreach programs?

We support many community initiatives, including Relay for Life, Keep Bakersfield Clean and Healthy Bakersfield Expo. We also work closely with our community partners, such as the Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Career Services Center and the Kern Economic Develop-ment Corp., to ensure that our goals are aligned and that we are supporting their initiatives, as well. Wherever possible, we involve our students in outreach efforts. Strong civic involvement makes Bakers-field unique. It is important to prepare our students for this aspect of their professional lives.

How does Kaplan College engage with the community for both bu