January 29 to February 4, 2015
events
www.coachellavalleyweekly.com
By Denise Ortuno Neil
4th Annual Heroes in Recovery 6K
I
n today’s world, dealing with addiction and mental health issues are more prominent than ever. Those who go through recovery need the support of their community to get through the process of healing from their addictions. To help, Heroes in Recovery, in association with Michael’s House is holding their 4th Annual Heroes in Recovery 6k event on Saturday, January 31st benefitting Safe House of the Desert. Heroes in Recovery is an organization that promotes and supports those who are going through recovery of addiction and mental issues. Michael’s House is a treatment center part of the Foundations Recovery Network, and provides treatment of drug addiction and mental health disorders from depression to bi-polar issues. The benefitting charity is Safe House of the Desert. The non-profit organization is dedicated to giving shelter to youth in need, focusing on runaways and victims of human trafficking, and also provides assistance with drug addiction for youth. Jeff Skillen, one of the event organizers is excited about the annual event, “The idea is to bring awareness and break the stigma of those dealing with addiction and mental health issues,” said Skillen. The event will take place in downtown Palm Springs beginning and ending at the Michael’s House treatment center on North Palm Canyon. The 6k will kick off at 8am and end at 10:30, meandering around the base of the grand San Jacinto Mountain. The
26
race is open to all participants young and old with a variety of physical ability. There will be refreshments as well as musical entertainment and a variety of vendors representing intervention and recovery services. Skillen pointed out that many people ask why the event is a 6k instead of the more traditional 5k that most races are, to which he explains, “People in recovery have to go the extra distance.” Participants will receive a t-shirt, racing singlet and finishers metal. Prizes will be given to the top four male and females in Overall and Masters Divisions, to 1st, 2nd, 3rd and even 4th place lovingly titled, Almost Podium. Those interested in joining the race can register online for $30, on January 30th at Running Wild in Palm Springs, or for $40 on race day. Skillen himself will be joining the race with an enthusiastic “Heck ya!” As a community it is imperative to support those who are making strides to recover from their addictions and mental health issues. And to insure them that they are not alone will only encourage them to move forward in a positive direction. The Heroes in Recovery 6k will not only help those who need support, but also benefits our communities youth by benefitting Safe House of the Desert. So come out and help those in need go the extra distance. For more information and to register visit www.heroes6k.com
Community Free Ride home for those who have been drinking
T
he PGA-DUI Foundation Free Ride Service is the first program of its kind in the USA. PGA-DUI Foundation is a non-profit organization launching its services with four vehicles in July 2013. They are initially picking up riders in Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells to drop them off to their homes across the Coachella Valley. Although location pickup is restricted to these three cities, they are planning on expanding to cover the entire Coachella Valley in the very near future. Parents and Guardians Against Driving Under the Influence believe that Prevention is better than Punishment. Unlike other DUI organizations which seek to punish only after a DUI incident occurred, PGA-DUI believes in helping to PREVENT any and all DUI related accidents, injuries and arrests. According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, for the time period of July through October 2014, (since the launch of PGA-DUI) there was a 28% decrease in DUI arrests from the previous year in the cities of Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells combined.
Arrest Information for DUI’s 07/01/13 – 10/31/13 07/01/14 –10/31/14 Rancho 29 34 Mirage Palm 85 58 Desert Indian 16 04 Wells Communities have long struggled with the negative impact of impaired driving. From needless death and injury to overloaded criminal justice systems, alcohol-related crashes and DUI arrests take an emotional and economic toll on society. PGA-DUI wants to ensure a sober ride home for individuals who have consumed alcohol and would otherwise drive, posing a risk to themselves, their passengers, and others sharing the roadway. PGA-DUI program enjoys the broad support from potential users, drinking establishments, community organizations,
PGA DUI FOUNDATION
and the alcohol beverage industry and is believed to help reduce the number of intoxicated drivers on the road. PGA-DUI provides a safe transportation alternative for people who have driven themselves to a bar or restaurant and, after drinking alcohol, seek another way to get home. Generally, the patron’s car remains at the establishment until later the next day, when the vehicle owner, now presumably sober, is able to pick it up. The Automobile Club of Southern California (AAA) estimates that drivers pay $15,649 (over 10 years) for their first-driving-under-the-influence (DUI) conviction. A chunk of that is for higher auto insurance rates, accounting for most of the 29% increase since 2011. Expenses include fines, penalties, vehicle tow/ storage, legal fees and mandatory alcohol education classes, but do not include loss of income, medical costs, civil liability or vehicular damage. PGA-DUI provides weekend safe ride services, when impaired driving is most likely to occur in the community. WHERE TO FIND THEM CALL 760-340-1500 FRIDAY – SUNDAY 6:00 PM – 2:00 AM Look for their fleet of bright orange Toyota Prius vehicles which also feature a “FREE RIDES” vehicle wrap.
www.coachellavalleyweekly.com
Haddon Libby:It’s all local
January 29 to February 4, 2015
How Safe Is Your Hospital?
O
ne out of 25 people who go to the hospital will contract a new infection during their stay. Even worse, 440,000 people will die in the United States this year because of hospital errors. Nonprofit The Leapfrog Group, grades 2,500 hospitals based on 28 performance measurements complied from data with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), American Hospital Association and other respected sources. The hospital grading is overseen by a blue ribbon group of medical safety experts from Stanford, John Hopkins, Harvard, UC-Davis, UC-SF and Vanderbilt. This letter grade is given twice a year to determine each hospitals safety record. An ‘A’ score means that the hospital complies with best practices for medical care while ‘F’ means that the hospital is failing. Of all hospitals, 31% received As, 27% Bs, 35% Cs, 6% Ds and 1% F’s. The Coachella Valley is very fortunate in that all three Coachella Valley hospitals posted some of the top scores in the state. For comparison, some of the most respected hospitals in Southern California had the following scores: the UCLA Medical Center in Westwood received a ‘C’, Scripps
Hospitals in Chula Vista and San Diego received ‘B’ scores while the Hoag Hospital, Cedar-Sinai, UCLA-Santa Monica and Riverside Community Hospitals received ‘A’ scores. Eisenhower Hospital had an ‘A’ rating due to proper staffing to prevent safety problems, staff follow-ups intended to make surgery safer, and proper nurse staffing levels. Problems at Eisenhower were negligible. Deaths from treatable serious infections were better than most hospitals nationally at 86 incidents per 1,000 cases. For comparison, the best hospital in the country has 53 occurrences for every 1,000 cases while the worst was 156 per 1,000. Desert Regional Medical Center also had an ‘A’ rating due to proper staffing to prevent safety problems, staff follow-ups to make surgery safer, and proper nurse staffing levels. Desert Regional’s worst score related to deaths from treatable serious complications which occurred at a rate of 141 for every 1,000 cases - the highest level in the Coachella Valley. Some of this poor score is most likely attributable to the very difficult cases brought to their Critical Care Unit. JFK Memorial had the lowest rating in the Coachella Valley with a still respectable ‘B’
score. JFK struggled when it came to having specially trained doctors available for the Intensive Care Unit as shown by a score of 5 out of 100 - a score that equals the lowest score in the nation. JFK also struggles to find enough qualified nurses. While this hospital was very effective at preventing infections, death from treatable serious complications occurred at a rate of 112 for every 1,000 cases, a level that is average but unacceptable according to Leapfrog. In the pass, Banning’s San Gorgonio Hospital received a ‘B’ score with its biggest problem mimicking JFK and related to insufficient specially trained doctors for the Intensive Care Unit. Receiving a surprisingly low, ‘D’ score was Loma Linda University Medical Center due to problems related to medication errors, poor ventilator administration, poor hand washing practices and failing marks when it came to surgery safety.
Hi-Desert Regional in Joshua Tree has received a ‘D’ score since 2012 due to generally poor usage of antibiotics at all stages of surgery and patient ventilation problems. El Centro Regional has received ‘F’ scores for the last 18 months due to medication errors, poor ventilator administration, poor hand washing practices and failing marks related to specially trained doctors for ICU, staff not working together, insufficient nurses and inadequate training. Other failing hospitals in Southern California include Loma Linda-Murrieta, Western Medical-Santa Ana and Antelope Valley Hospital of Lancaster. A full list of hospital scores nationally can be found at hospitalsafetyscore.org.
Dale Gribow On The Law
Palm Desert Lawyer Exposes Technology’s Effect on DUI’s
L
ast week’s discussion of technology and accident cases led to several calls asking if it has affected DUI matters too. The discussion herein addresses the DUI technology advances from chemical testing to sentencing. DUI, or “Drunk Driving” as it is usually called, is among the most commonly charged criminal offense in the greater Palm Springs community. Locally we have more DUI deaths per capita, than anywhere else in California. Drunk Driving is a charge that can have the most devastating effects on an individual’s life. Not only are there court punishments but many jobs and careers are lost or devastated by a criminal DUI conviction. DUI’s are the one charge that can, and do, occur with normally “non-criminal” law abiding citizens who have never been arrested before and will probably never come in contact with law enforcement again. They are shocked to find a “stacked deck” where technology considers them guilty if they are .08 or more… until they prove themselves innocent. Technology has come a long way when it comes to DUI’s. As a young lawyer, .15 was considered under the influence and the DA’s experts would testify that anyone .15 or over was “deuced” or under the influence. The DUI vehicle code violation has always ended
in a 2 and thus the deuce term. Initially called a 502, 23102 and currently a 23152. Then a driver with a .15 reading was not under the influence. Ironically most of the cases I see today are less than a .15 but over a .08. They would not have been arrested in “the day”. Technology then lowered the bar and .10 became the standard before it was reduced to the “gold standard” of .08. There is currently a national movement to lower it to .05. A driver previously had a choice of blood, breath or urine. The FBI determined that urine was not accurate, however the state courts continued to use the urine test until the state courts accepted the technology and disallowed urine. Yet there were tens of thousands of convictions from urine tests. After a plea or conviction the Indio Court imposes JAIL on a first offense DUI so technology developed an ankle bracelet to track a defendant in their home. The newest version can even detected if the wearer had consumed any alcohol. The Ignition Interlock was developed for more serious cases so that the driver has to blow into a device for the car to start. Social media created more challenges. The DA’s office saves a lot of time and money by going on line to find the names and information on defendant’s friends they can question if necessary. Law enforcement can
observe Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin posts where the driver boasts about his drinking the night of the arrest and other incriminating statements that make it easier to get a conviction. Body cameras and dash camera technology show what really happened. Drivers that thought they passed all the tests are often surprised when they see how poorly they did on field sobriety tests and how they look. Of course the opposite is true when the driver looks and acts sober and not under the influence. One of the biggest technological advances is the computer. Previously the arresting officer or DA had to look through records that were handwritten or typed up to determine if this was the first DUI or if the driver was on probation for anything else…thus increasing the severity of the sentence. Most Americans do not understand the multiple names given to Hispanics or mid easterners. In the past it allowed them to have numerous DUI’s under the different configurations of their name. With today’s technology it is more important than ever before to NOT DRINK AND DRIVE. Take a taxi…it is a lot cheaper than calling me. If you have any questions regarding this column or ideas for future columns please contact Dale Gribow Attorney at Law at his
NEW number 760 837 7500 and or his new email: dale@dalegribowlaw.com Dale Gribow 1) TOP LAWYER rating by Palm Springs Life every year. 2) Perfect AVVO 10.0 Peer Review Rating by fellow attorneys 3) Preeminent Rating by Martindale Hubbell legal directory. 4) Selected for Best Attorneys of America (Limited to Top 100 Attorneys in each state. 5) Man of the Year 7 times- including the City of Palm Desert and the City of Hope. 6) Dale Gribow Day proclaimed 4 x’s. In December 2013 Dale was sole attorney appointed to the Coachella Valley Association of Government’s Public Safety Ad Hoc Blue Ribbon Committee. It is made up of all the local police chiefs and mayors as well as the Sheriff of Riverside County, the head of CHP and Border Patrol to study Drunk Driving related issues. In 2014 Gribow was again the only attorney selected to the Clinton Foundation’s Clinton Health Matters Committee addressing Drunk Driving matters. Dale is also one of the founders of Shutdown Drunk Driving, formed upon the death of his client who was killed by a drunk driver while jogging in October 2013.
27