The first big piece of the new County Operations Center is now open. The state-of-the-art building houses the Medical Examiner, County Veterinarian and Department of Environmental Health. It is a LEED Silver building, with the latest in energy saving design and technology. CTN.org got a behind-the-scenes look.
Have overdue library books at home? Dreading the fine and the shame, oh the shame! for returning them so late? Well, on the County Library's "Fine Free Friday" all is forgiven.
With demand from high-risk groups declining and supply steadily increasing, the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency announced today that the H1N1 vaccine will be available to everyone starting tomorrow.
“We have been closely monitoring the demand for H1N1 vaccine and have seen a decline in interest from the priority groups at our Public Health centers and in the community,” said County Public Health Officer Wilma Wooten.
“While there is not an unlimited supply of vaccine available, with the decline in priority groups’ interest and increased supplies available, vaccinations are now open to non-priority groups who want protection against the H1N1 virus," Wooten said.
More vaccine is now available and additional shipments are expected in the coming weeks.
County residents are encouraged to contact their primary care physician since private providers receive most of the H1N1 vaccine. Residents who don’t have a primary care physician or whose doctor did not order H1N1 vaccine can get vaccinated at one of the County’s seven vaccination sites or at evening and weekend clinics conducted by local community health centers. Clinic hours may vary.
To date, 833,090 doses of vaccine have arrived in the region and another 88,900 doses are expected in the next two weeks. Currently, the County has approximately 12,000 doses that will be available at the seven public health clinics and is expecting an additional 12,000 doses. The County is also anticipating the arrival of 25,000 doses for distribution at school vaccination clinics.
Also, the California Department of Public Health has announced that phase three of vaccine distribution will begin in January. At this time, approximately 6 to 7 million more doses will be coming to the state, on average 8 to10 percent of the state’s allocation comes to San Diego. From this order, the County will plan to conduct mass vaccination clinics in mid to late January. Subsequent orders will allow for retail pharmacies and all vaccinators registered with the State to begin offering the vaccine.
“During the planning stages, we estimated that 1.7 million comprised the five priority groups and that about 50% would be vaccinated. We have reached this estimation,” added Wooten.
For more information on vaccine availability and vaccination hours, visit www.sdcounty.ca.gov or call 2-1-1.
The Board of Supervisors and Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Glenn Wagner today opened the County's new, state-of-the-art Medical Examiner & Forensic Center in Kearny Mesa.
“This is critical public infrastructure designed to meet the region’s changing needs for decades to come,” Jacob said. “The center can accommodate a large-scale disaster while prioritizing compassion for grieving families.” Take a look.
The 84,000-square-foot facility at 5570 Overland Ave. includes a Bereavement Center, expanded toxicology lab, teaching classroom and electronic touch-screens at exam stations to better manage cases.
The center meets silver-level LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
“Everyday, there are tremendous developments in the forensic sciences. We now have the space to harness those breakthroughs to solve crime, find answers, track trends of disease, trauma, drug addiction and better serve the public,” said Dr. Glenn Wagner, Chief Medical Examiner.
The Board of Supervisors budgeted $85 million for the project; the project came in on time and under budget at $73 million. The County paid for the project in cash. It is the first building to be completed within the larger County Operations Center campus currently under construction.
“Every case is special; it is that person’s last opportunity to tell of their death and their life— a story certainly worth hearing and learning from,” Wagner said.
On Monday evening, 15 2-month-old puppies were discovered by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers as a smuggler attempted to bring the puppies into the U.S. at the Tecate Port of Entry to be sold as Christmas presents.
The sick puppies, all described as mixed breed miniature poodles, were immediately taken to an emergency veterinary hospital by Animal Control officers with the County Department of Animal Services. The majority of the puppies has been diagnosed with parvo and will be receiving intensive care provided by County Animal Services or an adoption partner.
The alleged smuggler, Raul Jimenez Gonzalez, claimed a bottle of tequila at the border, but CBP officers observed movement in the back seat of the vehicle. The puppies were found hidden in the back seat under a blanket.
Jimenez admitted to the officers that he was taking the puppies to Los Angeles to sell as Christmas presents. Animal Services had previously rescued 27 puppies in 2006 and 11 in 2007 after smuggling attempts involving Jimenez. The Department of Animal Services is working with Customs and Border Protection to determine what, if any, criminal charges can be filed against Jimenez.
“With the holidays approaching, there is a demand for puppies and this demand results in puppies being smuggled across the border into the U.S.,” said Dawn Danielson, Director of Animal Services.
“Unfortunately, most of these puppies are sick, so the unsuspecting buyer ends up spending a great deal of money trying to save the puppy’s life, usually without success.”
The Department of Animal Services encourages people to visit their local animal shelters or contact a rescue group to adopt a pet during the holidays. For more information on adoptions at any of the three County Animal Shelters, or to view photos of available animals, please visit http://www.sddac.com.
Learning how to avoid physical attacks and financial scams are discussed within the "Senior Expo: Protect Yourself and your Wallet." This program is offered by the County's Aging & Independence Services, the District Attorney's Office, and the County Library. Funding for the series is provided by the Barona, Sycuan, and Viejas tribal governments.
DEH staff return each year from the Thanksgiving holiday to discover their office decked out in hand-crafted decorations, courtesy of the department's administrative secretery, Jan Estavillo. This year's theme is "Sea-Sun Greetings." Check out her handiwork here.
Thanks to a $207,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety the County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) will improve child safety by offering vehicle protection education and providing 2,000 child car seats to low-income families.
Funding for “Keep ‘Em Safe” comes from a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“This is great news for San Diego County families,” said Board Chairwoman Dianne Jacob. “The safety seats will help save lives and reduce the rates of injury during a crash.”
The “Keep “Em Safe” program will be implemented by HHSA’s local partner, the Pacific Safety Council, a non-profit, educational organization providing safety resources and child passenger safety education in San Diego County.
The program promotes the safe transportation of children through a traffic safety education campaign providing a total of 132 safety presentations and 50 safety check-up events throughout San Diego County. At least 2,000 child passenger safety seats will be provided free of cost to people in need through September, 2010.
The goal of the campaign is to increase the proper use of child passenger safety seats and seat belt usage by families; provide safety presentations that include education on the proper installation and use of a child passenger restraint system for children of all ages; seatbelt usage air bag safety; the dangers of leaving children alone in the car, and awareness of SB 255 (Kaitlyn’s Law).
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic crashes are the top cause of death among young children. In 2008, about 4 children ages 14 or younger were killed in motor vehicle crashes every day, and many more were injured, the CDC reported.
“Parents and caregivers can make a lifesaving difference by using age-appropriate, vehicle safety seats,” said HHSA Director Nick Macchione. “Whenever you’re on the road, make sure children are safe and secure, every trip, every time.”
The County and HHSA are strong supporters of programs that provide services on child passenger safety, particularly for low-income families who use safety vehicle seats at lower rates. HHSA’s Community Action Partnership (CAP) has been administering child safety programs for the last five years and this grant is the result of HHSA’s efforts to sustain programs that promote health and safety.
If you're having trouble figuring out what medications go together, or don't, and what needs to be thrown out, then it's time to Meet the Pharmacist.
Imagine coming upon this creature on your morning stroll.
Now in the care of Animal Services, this 5-foot Columbian Red-tailed Boa Constrictor - an abandoned pet - was found this week near a trail along the Batiquitos Lagoon in Carlsbad.
Animal Care Attendant Donnie Stephens and Animal Control Lt. Kalani Hudson with the abandoned snake.