September 17, 2013
WHAT’S HAPPENING’S TRI-CITY VOICE
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Seminar Focuses on Advancements in Stroke Care, Moving Forward After Stroke tooutcomes. Once they can recognize signs of stroke and know to call 9-1-1, residents of Washington Township Health Care District have the added benefit of living close to a certified Primary Stroke Center that offers comprehensive care and free educational seminars. “During this stage of the Free Stroke Education Series, I will be discussing the latest developments and what’s to come in stroke care,” says Dr. Jain. “Our program’s goal is to achieve the most efficient means of diagnosis and proven acute management techniques, but it’s also important that we educate the community about stroke.” One of the ways that Washington Hospital’s program has stayed ahead of the curve is by actively seeking the most up-to-date data available—and then going beyond. The program at Washington Hospital provides care that is at the cutting edge of acute stroke management and has continued toward its goal of becoming a nationally recognized leader in the field. “We modify our treatment strategies to keep up with advances on a regular basis, which enables us to provide the latest care at a local level,” he says. “The future of acute stroke management is constantly evolving, and we make great efforts to stay at the forefront of the research.” Widening treatment windows and impressive advancements have allowed for better stroke outcomes in recent years, but Dr. Jain says the role of community members should not be forgotten. “Now is the time to find out more about stroke,” he notes. “What you learn at the next seminar could save your life or family member’s life.” Portrait of a Stroke Survivor Just as diagnosis and management of stroke continue to advance through the development of new technology and techniques, stroke survivors themselves also have to move forward in order to get better. Doug Van Houten, R.N., clinical coordinator of Washington Hospital’s Stroke Program, will talk about “Living with Stroke” at the upcoming seminar. He points to a participant in the hospital’s Stroke Support Group, whom he calls “BT,” as an example of a reallife stroke survivor success story. “He’s coming into his own and has been a really positive influence on the group,” Van Houten explains. “He’s not letting the stroke keep him back, and he’s found a way to look at the positives in life and move forward in a way that is positive. I think because of that he’s a happier person and he’s not limiting his potential growth and restoration.”
Alameda County Teacher of the Year awards ceremony SUBMITTED BY SHEILA JORDAN, ALAMEDA COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS We invite you to join us for the 24th Annual Alameda County Teacher of the Year awards ceremony on the evening of Thursday, October 3 at Castro Valley Center for the Arts. This year’s event, “Growing Futures: From Seed to Success,” celebrates twenty amazing teachers who cultivate academic excellence and nurture students’ potential for success in classrooms every day. Bring your colleagues, friends and family to join us for the celebration. Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for children. To order, visit www.acoe.org. For questions, contact Daisy Clark at (510) 670-4105 or email dclark@acoe.org. We thank you for your support, and look forward to seeing you there! Alameda County Teacher of the Year Awards Ceremony Thursday, October 3 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. (Reception/appetizers: 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.) Castro Valley Center for the Arts 19501 Redwood Rd., Castro Valley (510) 670-4105 dclark@acoe.org Register at: www.acoe.org Tickets: Adults/$20 and $5 for Children under 12
As someone who really enjoyed landscaping before his stroke, BT started working with terra cotta pots and growing succulents as a way to stay active with a pastime he enjoys. “He brought a plant in for me,” Van Houten recalls. “It was so perfectly balanced, and he had a couple of twigs in place that made it very artistic. He said he gets a feeling of peace from doing this.” Van Houten says this is what stroke recovery is all about—finding new ways to enjoy life. “Most people aren’t prepared for the fact that stroke recovery is a long haul and that it takes a long time to make improvement,” he points out. “Generally, most patients make the biggest improvement in four or five months. They might get to 80 percent functionality in 6 months. The next year they’re at 82 percent, then 83 percent, then 84 percent.” “Progress gets slow toward the end, but even more important than regaining function, you’re teaching yourself other coping mechanisms for enjoying life.” Another stroke survivor success story he cites is that of Gary Batchers, a 38-year-old physician who suffered a left-brain stroke. Following his stroke, Batchers—who was featured in Stroke Connection, the newsletter published by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association—couldn’t use his right arm and leg and couldn’t speak, yet he went on to become an artist. “Certain things can happen and they may seem very negative at the time, but you confront the challenge and it leads you to a different pathway that you might not have taken before,” Van Houten says. “This physician suffered a pretty devastating stroke, but he taught himself to draw with his left arm. He probably wouldn’t have been an artist if the stroke had never happened.” “I don’t want to call a stroke a gift, but these kinds of stories highlight the fact that the ultimate goal of a stroke survivor is to look at the new opportunity and make the most of the current situation.” Stay Ahead of the Learning Curve To learn more about what future holds as far as diagnosis and acute management of stroke and to learn more about living with stroke, attend the free community education seminar on Tuesday, Oct. 1, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Conrad E. Anderson, M.D. Auditorium, Rooms A and B, in the Washington West building at 2500 Mowry Avenue in Fremont. To register, visit www.whhs.com or call (800) 963-7070.
Financial literacy bill signed into law SUBMITTED BY PRIMITIVO CASTRO On August 26, Assembly Bill 166, authored by Assemblymember Roger Hernández (D-West Covina), was signed into law. AB 166 promotes financial literacy in the K-12 curriculum, which includes education on budgeting, student loans, managing credit, consumer debt and identity theft security. “Our schools will be able to tackle the issue of financial management and provide our children with the knowledge to become better informed financial planners. Requiring our children to learn the benefits of savings, reading of interest rates and the like, will give them the skills to make wise financial decisions,” said Hernández. With this new law, California requires financial literacy to be taught as part of the official state curriculum. A biennial survey by Jumpstart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, conducted between 1997 and 2008 showed financial literacy of high school seniors had fallen from 57 percent in 1997 to a record low of 48 percent in 2008. This bill becomes effective once the California Department of Education revises the history/social science, health and mathematics curriculum frameworks. “AB 166 empowers young Californians with the financial literacy tools they need to enter a globally competitive workforce and helps protect them against deceptive practices,” added Hernández.
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