NorthBay Medical Center is now Solano County's only Level 3 trauma center. An unveiling party was held Friday, Sept. 30, to undrape the Trauma Center on the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and B. Gale Boulevard.
 

Dr. Pete Zopfi, trauma medical director and chief of surgery, Kathy Richerson, vice president and chief nursing officer, Heather Venezio, trauma director and Daman Mott, director of Emergency Department/Trauma Services took part in the ceremony.

So did Solano County Supervisor Linda Seifert and Fairfield City Councilman Rick Vaccaro, who were ably assisted by Fairfield Fire Chief Walt Tibbet and Solano County Deputy Public Health Officer Dr. Michael Stacey, along with Fairfield Fire Battalion Chief Rob Bartoli and Fred Zaragoza, representing county Supervisor Mike Reagan.

The party in the adjacent parking lot included NorthBay Healthcare staff and senior managers, the NorthBay Trauma Team, local responders from fire departments, CALSTAR and Medic Ambulance.

"It's been a long journey, but well worth it. We're very proud of all the hard work that went into this achievement," said Richerson.

"It's a real victory for the citizens of Solano County," said NorthBay President and CEO Gary Passama. "They will no longer have to take their injured 45 minutes away to a trauma center."

Dr. Zopfi said he's been waiting years to see the designation come to fruition. "We've always handled trauma and we've done it really well, but now the focus is on making sure everyone knows what to do and when to do it. We've really come together as a team."
The designation means nearly all trauma cases, with the exception of neurological cases, will be brought to NorthBay Medical Center by first responders. 

After a five-member assessment team on Sept. 9 evaluated the emergency services and trauma support systems, NorthBay Healthcare officials were informed that their program had passed muster.

In a joint letter to trauma program leaders, County Health Officer Dr. Bela T. Matyas and Ted Selby, administrator of the Solano County Emergency Medical Services Agency, wrote, "The survey team felt that NorthBay Medical Center's application and on-site review demonstrate your hospital's commitment to providing excellent trauma care."

It has been a year since NorthBay officials were the first in the county to unveil a detailed plan to provide care for victims of traumatic events by the end of 2011.

The designation process will be completed by Dec. 31, the deadline for county health officials and NorthBay to sign a trauma center agreement that paves the way for emergency responders - police, firefighters, paramedics and ambulance companies - to deliver patients with traumatic injuries to the centrally located Fairfield hospital.

This will decrease the number of local residents who must leave the county for trauma treatment and care. In addition, some suggestions made by the surveyors during their visit already are being implemented, including reconfiguring and enhancing the trauma treatment room.

NorthBay officials said work was under way on other improvements that will be accomplished quickly. Solano County was one of the few counties its size within California that did not have a designated trauma center within its boundaries.

Designation as a Level III center means emergency medical services personnel can now bring trauma patients to the Fairfield hospital's Emergency Department for treatment. Patients will be triaged in the field according to criteria for treatment at the appropriate level of trauma care.

Patients with neurological injuries will continue to be transported to Level I and Level II trauma centers. There are about 1,000 trauma cases a year in Solano County, according to state statistics that show 42 percent are transferred out of the county, typically to trauma centers in Walnut Creek or Sacramento. Most are a result of traffic crashes (50 percent) and falls (39 percent). Less than 7 percent of traumatic injuries are a result of assaults.

"This is a life-saving advancement of medicine for residents of Solano County," noted Gary Passama, president and CEO of NorthBay Healthcare. "We didn't just decide to do this. This has been part of our long-range strategic plan for many, many years. Our role as the independent, community-based healthcare provider is to bring to local residents the medical services that do not exist here."

During the last three years, NorthBay Healthcare built the infrastructure for trauma care and other advanced medical services. It began by putting into place around-the-clock in-house physician staffing for general surgery, internal medicine, orthopedic surgery, anesthesia, OB-GYN and critical care medicine, all of which provide a strong foundation for a high-quality trauma medical team.

"We created that system to improve the care for all patients," explained Deborah Sugiyama, president of NorthBay Healthcare Group, which directly manages operations in NorthBay Medical Center and NorthBay VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville. "But it was the underpinnings of creating a trauma center."

The next steps were just as complex, Sugiyama said. "Clinical systems needed to be created. Surgery and intensive care units had to be integrated into our trauma system. Thousands of hours of staff training were accomplished, quality monitoring was put into place and community education started." The program was developed under the guidance of Kathy Richerson, vice president and chief nursing officer at NorthBay, who had helped with the implementation of trauma services in her previous role in a Sacramento hospital.

"We can be proud of this accomplishment," Richerson said. "It required tremendous dedication to create something our community really needs. The team at NorthBay never wavered in its mission to deliver this program to those we serve. We knew we would be saving lives because we could eliminate the long transport times to other hospitals farther away. And we knew we could keep families of trauma victims closer to their loved ones, which quite often helps the recovery process."

Dr. Pete Zopfi is the trauma medical director and chief of surgery. Daman Mott, R.N., is director of Emergency Department and Trauma Services, assisted by Heather Venezio, R.N., trauma program director.

Richerson noted that NorthBay has been the leader in filling the gaps in the county's healthcare delivery system by investing in new technology and facilities. The trauma program follows NorthBay's pioneering efforts in providing neonatal intensive care for newborns, the first accredited cancer center in the county, the only advanced heart and vascular center offering open-heart surgery, along with programs for wound care, joint replacement and women's health.

It was the last day of their vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and Morgan Gallegos couldn't wait to get on the water. The adventurous 14-year-old was eager to try all things fast: roller coasters, motorcycles (Mom always said no) and even zip lines.

So, with her brown eyes sparkling, she jumped at the chance to spend the last few hours of vacation on the water with her father and brother while her sister and mom went shopping.

It took 15 minutes for a doctor to arrive on the beach, where her distraught father Tim and her brother, Austin, watched in horror as efforts to revive Morgan proved futile.

When her mother, Margot, and sister, Michaela, arrived, all they could do was wait for the ambulance that carried Morgan and her mother to a Mexican hospital for brain scans. 

The news wasn't encouraging, but they weren't ready to give up. Later, a prop jet took Margot and Morgan to a San Diego hospital, where they waited for the rest of the family and friends to arrive.

"Save lives, Mom," was how Morgan said goodbye every time Margot left for a shift in the NorthBay Medical Center Emergency Department.

"She was so proud that I went back to school and got my nursing degree at age 40," recalls Margot. "She'd even leave me little purple sticky notes that read, "Save Lives!" and "I Love You!"

So when Margot kissed her daughter goodbye for the last time in the hallway at Rady Children's Hospital, she whispered words that resonated: "Go save lives, Morgan."

The family never doubted that Morgan would want to be an organ donor.

 "Morgan always went out of her way to make people feel comfortable. She was amazing, caring and compassionate. Her brother and sister didn't hesitate in helping us make the decision," says Margot. "It was the right thing to do."

Morgan's generous gift has saved lives: five so far, and counting.

"Thank you for allowing such a precious part of your daughter to be given with the hope that someone else might live," a 51-year-old woman wrote to the Vacaville family. "I am the lucky someone who received her heart, and I am beyond grateful."

Her letter came in October 2010, just seven months after Morgan's tragic accident.

"I feel very close to your daughter's heart," she wrote. "Because of her I can now look forward to a longer and healthier life. Because of her, I can do things without chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness and sudden trips to the E.R. Because of her, I can now see a future filled with many new and wonderful things."

A 66-year-old man received her lungs. Before the transplant, he couldn't even walk to the mailbox. Now he's off the oxygen tank completely.

"His friends and family threw a party for him, and he asked everyone to write notes to us," says Margot. "They all shared what a wonderful man he is and how much it meant to them that our daughter saved his life."

A 10-year-old boy with congenital liver disease can now do things he couldn't before. Two other recipients benefited from her kidneys. And one more gift, still waiting to be used, are her corneas, says Tim.

"She was such an avid reader," recalls Margot. "We hope whoever gets her corneas will also love to read."

Morgan Nicole Gallegos was a triplet, born a minute ahead of her brother Austin and sister Michaela, as she often reminded them, smiles Margot. She was a huge Johnny Depp fan, and her purple bedroom was plastered with posters reflecting that admiration. She saved up her own money so she could go to the Solano Community College's Tom Hanks Program and was shaking with nerves when it began. She loved soccer, books, writing, and was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society at Jepson Middle School.

One of her last assignments was for English class, when she was asked to comment on an excerpt from "The Diary of a Young Girl," by Anne Frank. She selected the famous quote, "I want to keep on living after my death!"

"I think almost everybody wants that," wrote Morgan. "But Anne said it in perfect words. Even I want to keep on living after death. I want people to remember me and know my name. I want to make a difference, big enough that people outside my family will be sad that I'm gone."

The tears flowed on Monday, Aug. 15, when a plaque in Morgan's honor was dedicated at NorthBay Medical Center and placed just outside Room No. 1 in the Emergency Department.

"Not everyone at NorthBay had a chance to meet this amazing young lady, but her story inspires us to be greater than we are. Our hearts go out to the family," said Daman Mott, director of Emergency Services and Trauma. "Morgan's spirit and her generosity made her immortal. Her unselfish gifts of life embody the heart and soul of NorthBay, which vows compassionate care and advanced medicine, close to home. Daily we will remember and honor Morgan's memory and the ideals she embraced in her all-too-short life."

A number of employees reporting for work were in the parking lot when it fell and reported hearing a large crack, followed by a crash.

According to Robert Thrash, engineering supervisor, the tree's diameter was about 4 feet across and it had two large trunks growing from a common trunk at the base. Half of the tree fell, and the other half was leaning toward Nut Tree Road, which created a concern that it could fall onto passing traffic.

The tree is owned by NorthBay and is not under jurisdiction of Vacaville's tree maintenance division, but city personnel were kind enough to secure the remainder of the tree by anchoring it to an adjacent tree using chains and strapping, said Thrash.

D&H Landscaping is on site this week to remove both the fallen section of the tree, as well as the standing portion, which might take some time, based on the size of the tree.

The only damage the fall caused was to knock a light head off a pole in the parking lot, said Thrash. The pole itself was not damaged and the light head will be replaced by an electrical contractor soon, said Thrash.

NorthBay Healthcare was proud to host three pink fire trucks, which spent a day parked outside the NorthBay Cancer Center in Fairfield and then joined NorthBay Healthcare's Fiesta Days Parade entry, May 28.
   

The non-profit Pink Heals Tour crosses the country to raise awareness about women's cancers and raise money to fight for a cure for breast cancer. Along the way, thousands of cancer survivors have signed the trucks. 

All Solano county women who have been touched by cancer were invited to add their signatures to the trucks. The funds raised here community have been be donated to the NorthBay Center for Women's Health to fund mammograms for women without health insurance.

Watch a short video of the visit, or a longer version.

The top award was given for the Spring 2010 issue, which featured the physicians of the NorthBay Center for Primary Care.

Wellspring has garnered three other awards this year. It earned a bronze Magnum Opus award for outstanding achievement in custom media. This competition was in conjunction with the Missouri School of Journalism.

Wellspring also earned a bronze award in the 2011 Aster Awards fro Excellence in Medical Marketing and a merit award in the 28th Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards competition, sponsored by the Healthcare Marketing Report.

Nominated by Human Resources Services Manager Diane Urbano, the award was presented during a Solano Economic Development Corp. breakfast June 29 at the Fairfield Hilton Garden Inn.

There to accept the award with Diane were Vice President of Human Resources Ken McCollum, NorthBay Healthcare System Chairman Ben Huber and NorthBay Healthcare System Director Stephen Power.

Other board members in attendance were NorthBay Healthcare System Director Dr. Mary Mancini, NorthBay Health Advantage Chairwoman Sandy Person, NorthBay Healthcare Foundation Director Sue Vaccaro and NorthBay Healthcare Group Director Gwen Runnels.

"NorthBay is like a big family," wrote Diane in her nomination. "We have many employees who have worked here 20 years or more and dozens of employees who have children and relatives who work at NorthBay."

She went on to describe how NorthBay hosts many family-friendly events, such as NorthBay Day at the River Cats and Oakland A's baseball games, snow trips, bicycling events, ice skating trips and other activities.

Diane noted that NorthBay offers a large number of on-call and part-time jobs for people who need flexibility, such as new parents or employees taking care of their adult parents, and that numerous benefits and programs such as back-up care and on-site employee concierge service are available to make their lives just a little easier.

"Policies and practices such as these are the backbone of a healthy and vibrant business climate," said Sandy Person, who also serves as Solano EDC President. "We join First 5 Solano in congratulating these local leaders who understand that their profitability rises when employees have reliable child care and other support to meet both family and work responsibilities."

Besides NorthBay Healthcare the other 2011 winners are: Vallejo State Farm, AT&T California; First Northern Bank; Panera Bread, Fairfield; and Travis Credit Union.

Baseball fans love it when pitchers throw strikes, and patients of NorthBay Cancer Center appreciate those strikes even more, especially when the "Ks" are racked up at a Sacramento River Cats home game.

That's because the River Cats have teamed with Genentech - Vacaville, a member of the Roche family, to create a fund-raising event to benefit NorthBay Cancer Center and its patients.

The Strike Out Cancer event was officially launched on Saturday, June 11, and it runs through the entire season. So far, the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland A's is leading its league and has tallied more than 502 strike outs through June 11.

Three NorthBay Cancer Center patients who received Genentech drugs as part of their treatment - Amy Rodoni, Jeff Grossen and Donna Quintero - were invited to tell their cancer treatment stories on a video that was played at the ballpark just before Donna tossed out the first pitch. The group was then escorted to a special suite, where they were treated to snacks and beverages and a great view of the game, which the River Cats won.

Genentech employees also turned out in droves to hand out more than 7,500 tote bags sporting the Genentech, NorthBay Cancer Center and River Cats logos to 'Cats baseball fans. They also held a raffle for various items, including River Cats memorabilia.

The Genentech raffle added another $2,800 to the funds heading to the Cancer Center, noted Dolly Rivero-Mendieta of Genentech. "It's a great program and a great partnership," she said at the game. "We get to tell everyone what we are about, what we are working for and how it benefits our patients."

"This is a great platform for educating people," added Greg Coletti, River Cats manager of corporate partnerships. "People can really relate to the stories the patients told on the video."

NorthBay Healthcare Foundation Board Member Stanley Davis also vowed to join in the K-parade, when he promised to match every strike out thrown at Saturday's game. By the end of the ninth inning, the 'Cats had thrown eight strike outs, and Davis added $800 to the pot.

"We are honored to be selected and feel priviledged to be associated with these two organizations, as we all seek to help the local community in their struggle with cancer," said Brett Johnson, president of NorthBay Healthcare Foundation.

Genentech Vacaville has agreed to make a donation of $100 for each strike-out the River Cats make during every home game for the entire 2011 season. The event - called Strike Out Cancer - will be officially kicked off on Saturday, June 11, during the game at Raley Field in Sacramento.

Three NorthBay Cancer Center patients will be honored during the event. The patients and their families family will be offered an opportunity to throw out the first pitch, to mingle with Genentech employees and to enjoy the game from special seating at the ballpark.

The Sacramento River Cats play the Tacoma Rainiers on this day, with the first pitch going out at 7:05 p.m.

The River Cats' home game season concludes on Sept. 1.

For more information, go to www.rivercats.com or www.strikeoutcancer.com.

Shortly after her cancer diagnosis, Christine, a Vacaville resident, decided she would be an upbeat but outspoken advocate for cancer awareness by sharing her story with newspapers and in local publications.

Christine chose to discontinue treatment earlier this year and came under the care of NorthBay Hospice. She was honored in April with a Spirit of Women Community Hero award.
Although she was invited to ride on a Pink Heals Tour fire engine in Vacaville's Fiesta Day's Parade, she was too weak. That didn't stop the Pink Heals firefighters from paying a special visit to her home so she could sign her name and add a message to one of their engines, just days before her death.

Through NorthBay Hospice, Christine was the recent recipient of a Dream of a Lifetime wish, which included taking her family to San Francisco to see a theatrical performance and to enjoy an overnight stay in one of the city's finest hotels, The Fairmont.

"Christine had a special joy of life that she shared with all of us," says Jane Schilling, director of Volunteer Services. "Although her cancer never stayed in remission long, when she wasn't going through chemo, you could count on her for anything. She worked in the thrift shop, on the floor at VacaValley Hospital, at health fairs and even served as our mistress of ceremonies for NorthBay Healthcare's first-ever Girls Night Out event last October.

"She knew how to leave an impression on everyone she met," says Jane. "She taught me about the strength of the human spirit."

Private family services have been scheduled.

Team NorthBay fielded more than 90 bicycle riders May 1 in the Tour de Cure fundraiser for the American Diabetes Association.

According to Team Captain Patrick Garner R.N., nearly $30,000 was raised by Team NorthBay.

This is the second year Team NorthBay has participated in the Tour de Cure in Yountville. In 2011 the team numbered 33 riders.

"Working with the American Diabetes Association is a no-brainer for me," says Patrick. "NorthBay is a healthcare organization, and we want to encourage good health in our community. This is just one way to raise awareness."

Because members of these Aetna plans have out-of-network benefits, our physicians have been seeing many of them during the years without a contract. The contract means that these patients will now see a reduction in their out-of-pocket expenses.

The new contract does not currently include HMO products. NorthBay and Aetna have agreed to amend the contract to add the HMO line of business at a later date.

Titled, "If Healthcare Were Designed by Women," a trio of newspaper and magazine ads won one of eight Judges Choice awards in the prestigious national Aster Awards competition. It is the highest honor presented to division winners who receive a perfect score from the judges.

One of the more innovative ads showed a metal exam room table's stirrup with the caption, "If women had designed health care, they would have chosen better footwear."

The campaign was created for NorthBay by Runyon, Salzman & Einhorn, Inc., a Sacramento-based advertising and public relations firm.

Wellspring, NorthBay's community magazine, received a bronze award in the magazine category of the Aster Awards, which is conducted by Creative Images Inc., an internationally recognized firm that has specialized in strategic healthcare marketing. The contest drew about 3,000 entries.

Col. Prather, as she is known to her military colleagues, is currently on a military leave of absence from her duties at NorthBay. She is serving as deputy commander for the Task Force Medical-East, which covers about 60 percent of U.S. medical assets within Afghanistan.

Prather has been with NorthBay since 1999, when she became the manager for the Center for Wound Care. During her civilian career, she worked in various disciplines, from school nursing, dialysis nursing, in-patient neurosurgical nursing to managing acute care clinics, correctional medicine consulting and wound care.

She joined the Army Reserve Medical Service Corps 25 years ago and notes "it hasn't been just one weekend a month and two weeks every summer for the past 15 years."

She promises to blog in the future about life on a Forward Operating Base (or FOB, as she calls it) and to share notes on the people she's met and the places she's been. She'll aim to post weekly, but her schedule will dictate her frequency, so stay tuned.

It was a day of laughter, tears, shopping, yoga, cooking, healing and so much more.
In other words, it was a perfect day for women.

And that's just what it was: NorthBay Healthcare's annual "A Day for Women" celebration of health and wellness.

Honored were Shahane Everett, who earned the Young Person Role Model award for her trip to Kenya, in which she met a young girl who needed surgery, and then proceeded to raise money so the surgery can happen.

Earning the Healthcare Heroes award were Maureen Allain, R.N., and Mary Hempen, R.N., who are the annual organizers of NorthBay's popular Nurse Camp.

And earning the Community Hero award was Christine Franklin, who has shared her battle with breast cancer with the public, and continues to support NorthBay and its Guild, even as her health is failing.

"We are honored to be a part of this day, and to honor these amazing women," says Mary Dickey, interim Director for the NorthBay Center for Women's Health.