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Lags Medical Centers, which has multiple pain management clinics across the state including in Tulare, Kings, Fresno, Madera, Monterey, Santa Cruz, and Merced counties, have abruptly closed leaving patients coping with chronic pain scrambling to find alternative care.
Lags, which on its website touts it operates 38 clinics in 25 counties with nearly 30,000 patients across California and Nevada, said it specialized in treating a large base of underserved Medicaid/Medicare patients who often experience challenges in accessing healthcare.
Vance Hallman, whose wife and son are patients at the Tulare County clinic, said the sudden closure has shaken his family. You have 28,000 people cut off with nowhere to go. Do you know that when people start at a new clinic they have to start the whole process of getting new doctors and then those doctors have to refer them to other overloaded pain management clinics? he said. Meanwhile they have to suffer three to
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The causes: Loss of cash flow from elective and non-emergency procedures, as well as the tremendous costs of intensive treatment and increased staffing needed to care for patients who might spend weeks to months in intensive care units. The problem appears to be worst in areas of the state hit hardest by the pandemic, especially where they intersect with rural populations and high rates of government-sponsored insurance like Medicare and Medi-Cal. These public insurers typically reimburse hospitals at lower rates for care than commercial insurance networks.
This week’s COVID-19 update dives into the findings of the report, featuring Carmela Coyle, president of the California Hospital Association, and Gary Herbst, CEO of Kaweah Health Medical Center in Visalia.
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Which California lakes are best to visit this summer? Here are 50 close to the Bay Area
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Men fish near Pleasure Cove at Lake Berryessa, which is in better shape than nearby Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino.John Storey / Special to the ChronicleShow MoreShow Less
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Two men fish near Pleasure Cove Marina at Lake Berryessa in Napa, Calif. on March 6th, 2021John Storey / Special to the ChronicleShow MoreShow Less
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With catastrophic drought forecast this summer, more than 50 recreational lakes across the state will look like silver dollars in a field of pennies for people hoping to escape the heat.
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WASHINGTON, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ Students nationwide will be able to experience national parks in new and exciting ways, thanks to the National Park Foundation s (NPF) Open OutDoors for Kids Hybrid Learning grant program. NPF is awarding grants to 32 National Park Service (NPS) sites and their partners to implement or enhance innovative distance learning programs to better serve educators and students, especially in under-resourced communities.
Rangers at Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks teach students about the park through a virtual program.
Image description: A ranger holds two pine cones up to the laptop camera with the park scenery in the background.
10 Fantastic Experiences Happening At California National Parks This Week
Apr.16.2021
With nine national parks and an additional 24 monuments, trails, seashores, and historic sites, California might just be the best state in the union to celebrate National Park Week. Whether youâre looking to hike, bike, climb, or volunteer, the National Park Service has something to offer everyone from April 17 to 25.
Each year, the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation set aside one week to celebrate Americaâs treasured places. Each day of the week has a special theme.
April 17 is one of six free days offered every year in the park system