“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” Directed by John Madden Review by Malcolm Maclachlan and Tony Sheppard Malcolm: I loved the Newsweek headline for their review of “Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”—“Eat, Pray, Die.” Not that there was a lot of praying going on. Actually, I don’t remember any. Maybe it should have been “Eat, Love, Die,” (though that sounds a little Darwinian) because the aging Brits in this predictable but charming little tale remain obsessed with their love lives, but not much concerned with any afterlife they’ll soon experience (or not). To back up, the story involves a group of down-on-their-finances British retirees who decide to stretch their money by settling at a hotel i

Cost of chronic illness will break healthcare system If people do not change their ways, healthcare will become the largest segment of the economy, estimated to reach $4.2 trillion, in three years (2015). It will severely impact the quality of life for all Americans as it drains the federal budget of funds needed for other services. As the cost of healthcare rises, individuals and employers alike will bear the burden not only in larger deductions, co-payments and cost of prescriptions, but in funding the rest of the system. Baby boomers are the most obese generation ever. One-third struggle with being overweight or obese. Baby boomers aren’t the only ones. One in three children and a

Ronan Longwedel-Donaldson was born at Sutter Memorial Hospital on Leap Day 2012 – not by chance, but by choice. That’s because Leap Day, Feb. 29, marked the 39th week in the pregnancy of Ronan’s mother, Andrea Longwedel, and Andrea and her husband, Scott Donaldson, knew how important it is for the health of their newborn to be full-term – at least 39 weeks in utero. For the past year, Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento has embraced a March of Dimes initiative to not schedule inductions and C-sections before 39 weeks, unless medically necessary. Studies show that there are increased risks to babies born earlier than 39 weeks, including complications from breathing and feeding problems to b

The Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento and Sutter Cancer Center, Sacramento is now among a select group of transplant programs nationwide officially recognized for its overall care excellence. After extensive preparation and evaluation, Sutter’s BMT Program was recognized as a National Marrow Donor Program transplant center. “We are extremely passionate about our program and do everything in our power to give our patients the personalized and specialized care they deserve,” said Michael Carroll, M.D., medical director of the Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Hematological Malignancies Program. “Being named as a NMDP Transplant Center expands our ho

In recognition of the VSP Eye Pledge campaign reaching its goal to provide more than $19.2 million worth of free eye exams and glasses to 50,000 at-risk youth across America, the Boys & Girls Clubs Teichert Branch in Sacramento and VSP Vision Care (VSP) hosted a fun-filled celebration Friday. Karolina Maluga, development manager of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Sacramento was on-hand to receive a giant gift certificate for 50,000 free eye exams and glasses on behalf of Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. Local Boys & Girls Club members also enjoyed an eye-opening tour inside one of VSP's state-of-the-art, 45-foot mobile eyecare clinics. In the online campaign that kicked off in mi

Rancho Cordova-based VSP® Vision Care and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) announced they have reached the VSP Eye Pledge campaign goal to provide more than $19.2 million worth of free eye exams and glasses to 50,000 at-risk youth. In the online campaign that kicked off in mid-August, VSP and BGCA partnered to encourage everyone to visit www.SeeMuchMore.com and take the free VSP Eye Pledge. For each pledge made, a gift certificate for a free eye exam and glasses was directed to a local Club child in need. One in four children have an undetected vision problem that can interfere with their ability to learn. Manashe, age 13, from Plainfield, N.J., was struggling in school because he co

Sutter’s Diagnostic Imaging centers across the region – including Sutter Women’s Imaging, Capitol Pavilion at 2725 Capitol Ave., Suite 104 in Sacramento – gave uninsured women the opportunity to receive free digital mammograms on Oct. 22 in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Thirty-one women were seen in Sacramento during the free screening sessions. Women will receive their results within several days and those women whose mammograms show an abnormality will be referred to Sutter-affiliated physicians to discuss next steps and receive follow-up care. This service was spearheaded at Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital in 2009, where more than 70 uninsured women were given free mam

In recognition of “Cancer in the Underserved Action Week Plus,” the Sacramento Community Cancer Coalition (SCCC) including VSP® Vision Care, Albie Carson Breast Cancer Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, Susan G. Komen for the Cure Sacramento Valley Affiliate, and UC Davis Cancer Center, hosted the first day of a two-day health fair providing free medical services for local uninsured and underserved residents at Loaves and Fishes in Sacramento today. Patients received free comprehensive eye exams from local VSP optometrists Elisabeth Swan, O.D., Paul Kim, O.D., and Wesley Umeda, O.D. onboard a state-of-the-art, 45-foot long VSP Mobile Eyes Clinic. Free glasses were also prescribed for patient

The greater Sacramento community is invited to live, silent and online auctions that benefit breast cancer research and treatment programs at Sutter Cancer Center. More than 600 handcrafted quilts and textile art are displayed at the Sutter Cancer Center during October. Sutter Cancer Center is open daily from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. and the public is welcome to visit the quilt display anytime during the month. There will be a bid sheet for each item on display so that individuals may bid during their visit. The Silent Auction takes place Oct. 3 - Nov. 5, 2011, while the Live Auction happens Nov. 5, 2011 at 10 a.m. The Online Auction takes place now through Nov. 5. Those interested can visit www.

A healthy kids initiative had its funding cut Tuesday when the City Council voted to decrease grant funding by 60 percent, a move officials say stems from the state budget difficulties. The Sacramento First 5 Commission funds 60 percent of Cover the Kids (CTK), a program launched in 1998 with the funds from a tobacco tax that engages in family outreach to enroll children into health care programs by helping and educating families on the importance of preventative care and how to navigate the health care system in five counties: Colusa, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yuba. CTK assisted to enroll approximately 3,500 children in this past fiscal year into health coverage programs, Joil X

Ahmeer Rivac has a competitive will. He’s a big fan of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and mixed martial arts. His spirited attitude has been known to be on display during his workouts at Capital City Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. But now the 33-year-old has harnessed his energy for a battle against Stage II Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Rivac’s fighting spirit will give others a fighting chance, when he serves as the face and the voice to the upcoming blood and marrow drive that takes place June 10 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Sutter Cancer Center, 2800 L St., Classrooms 1-4, in Sacramento. The event is sponsored by BloodSource and Sutter Cancer Center. “Although those who donate may not directly help me, it will definit

Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento and its construction partner, The Boldt Co., today “topped out” the Anderson Lucchetti Women’s and Children’s Center by placing the final steel beam on top of the hospital under construction adjacent to the Capital City Freeway and between L Street and Capitol Avenue. At 179 feet, 3 inches, it is the tallest building in midtown Sacramento. A traditional “topping out” ceremony was held by The Boldt Co. and Sutter Medical Center to thank the construction workers for their hard work and safe, efficient erection of the steel, and to celebrate the continuance of the midtown expansion that also includes a major renovation of Sutter General Hospital. The final b

Stepping in to replace funding eliminated by state budget cuts, Kaiser Permanente has approved a nearly $50,000 grant to fund Sacramento County’s flu immunization program for low-income and underserved schoolchildren. The grant for the Immunization Assistance Program, which is run by the county’s Public Health Division, will allow public health officials to re-establish plans to vaccinate hundreds of children at 20 elementary schools this fall. The $49,737 grant is provided by Kaiser Permanente’s Community Benefit program in the greater Sacramento area. The grant is among $1.2 million in funding approved last week to improve access to health care and health-care coverage, increase health

In an effort to raise awareness about violence prevention in our community, Increase the Peace, a community event for the entire family, will be held on Saturday, April 16 at South Sacramento Christian Center, 7710 Stockton Boulevard, in Sacramento. Registration begins at 9 a.m. and the event lasts from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is sponsored by People Reaching Out, The South Sacramento Christian Center and Kaiser Permanente. Highlights of the day include a special performance at 10:30 a.m. of Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Theatre Program production of "Peace Signs," which uses theatre to teach students how to resolve conflicts without violence. In addition, a free lunch will be given

     What would you think if someone could remember the names of all the Presidents of the United States in the exact order that they served in office? Incredible memory, history buff maybe? This is but one example of what someone with Autism or Asperger’s syndrome might do. If you didn’t know, April is Autism awareness month. Autism and Aspergers Syndrome are more common than one might Image. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 1 in 110 children have an Autism spectrum disorder. Autism and Asperger’s syndrome are developmental disorders which until recently have not been well understood by the medical community or general population. Autism is a disorder that effects how

CARES (the Center for AIDS Research, Education & Services) is across the street from the Townhouse, which is quiet at 4:00pm on a Monday afternoon long before they open up for Open-Mic night. I walk there after my obligatory after-work nap, still a little groggy, stopping at Old Soul for a mocha to keep my hands warm and bumping into customers who find it strange to see me on the other side of the counter. Mocha in hand, I’m heading across Midtown through the alleyways and wondering if the sun-turned-overcast sky is going to turn to rain, which would put a damper on the bonfire plans I’ve set in motion for later in the day. Over at 21st, I make a right and tell a homeless man I’ll help him

For the second year in a row, Kaiser Permanente is supporting the Center for AIDS Research Education and Services (CARES) in their HIV and STI testing campaign geared towards African American and Latino youth age 15-26. The program trains youth peer educators to reach out to minority youth through social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and MySpace and gets them out in to the community to do counseling, HIV testing and education. “We’re seeing a very high rate of new HIV cases among minority youth,” said Amanda Chi, CARES Manager for Outreach, Education and Prevention. “This program is unique in that it uses new ways to connect with youth who otherwise wouldn’t be seeing or hearin

The Gray Panthers of Sacramento are senior citizens who meet monthly to discuss concerns about Social Security, health care and the community. They campaign for change by writing letters to elected officials, attending City Council meetings, hosting marches and protesting unjust budget cuts by the government. “Our representatives need to know how we feel,” said Margie Metzler, head of the Gray Panthers. “If enough of us speak out, they’ll pay attention.” The Gray Panthers were founded in 1970 by Maggie Kuhn and has since expanded across the country. “I was forced to retire when I was 65,” Metzler said. “But I thought it was wrong because I still had lots of energy. I wanted to change th

There are two words that fitly describe SacMed Training: Quality and Affordability. The program begun as a concept in July 2009. “Some of my friends from the Bay Area encouraged me to start a Nursing Assistant program in Sacramento,” said Lito Navarro, a former computer analyst turned into a nurse, also the Administrator and founder of the program. Lito is a dynamic leader who is passionate in serving others. In January 2010, the first batch of five graduates did well in the certifying exam conducted by the American Red Cross. The subsequent batches increased into fifteen students per batch on the average. They have high passing rate and most of them find rewarding jobs beyond their expect

Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento became the first hospital in the greater region to open a Hybrid Surgical Suite – a cardiovascular catheterization lab with immediate surgical capabilities designed to enable cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons to work side by side – and the first to have a cardiology hospitalist program, providing in-hospital coverage by fully trained, board-certified cardiologists 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The goal of the new cardiology hospitalist program is to improve the quality of care in the cardiology division at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, assist with lowering the overall length of stay for patients and, overall, to maintain the cardiac prog