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

Sacramento area residents voiced their opinion on the region’s Metropolitan Transportation Plan at a workshop on Wednesday, and they largely agreed to support a plan that includes greater emphasis on the environment and public transit. This plan, or MTP2035 (Metropolitan Transportation Plan for 2035), is based on assumptions regarding population growth, the economy, transportation, housing, employment, and how infrastructure will need to adjust for the inevitable changes that will occur over the next 25 years. “We’re not shy to give you a lot of information to work with,” said SACOG Executive Director Mike McKeever. Updating the plan, which is a federal requirement, has involved the Sac

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

SACRAMENTO – Mayor Kevin Johnson insists Sacramento’s popular Second Saturday art walk is alive and well, and this month includes a different kind of gallery to tour: a medical building. “For anyone who thinks Second Saturday is dead, it’s not,” the mayor said during a press conference Tuesday for the grand opening of the Sutter Capitol Pavilion at 2725 Capitol Ave. “Sutter is opening up its new medical facility to the public for Second Saturday in order to showcase its art installation and the local artists who created the pieces.” The public open house is billed as “Art & Medicine” and will feature tours of the artwork installed throughout the medical office building and outpatient ser

The Health IT market is consolidating. E-Clinical Data Management demands all but force R&D, as well as post-market prescription and OTC product surveillance, into digital domains. Robust database applications are needed to support these applications and systems. Oracle, Microsoft, and SAP are the three dominant players in the space. Oracle has been on a steady acquisition spree for some time and has just strengthened its position further. The Oracle Health Sciences (OHS) unit, created in 2008, acquired safety and pharmacovigilance specialist Relsys (makers of Argus Safety) in April 2009. Past Oracle acquisitions of Siebel Systems (Siebel Clinical CTMS - Clinical Trial Management System)

SACRAMENTO – In a new twist to the benefit walk, area residents who support the health of our region’s children will walk Arden Fair Mall on Saturday, Oct. 17, as part of Together for Kids’ fund-raising campaign called Walk Across America. A full 100 percent of the funds raised during the local walk will go directly to the specialty care services at the Children’s Center at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, where many of the children throughout the region and beyond receive their care from birth to 18 years old for conditions ranging from low birth weight, cancer and brain tumors to diabetes and congenital heart defects. The goal of the Sacramento walk is to help bring better health care

Prior to arrival of Europeans in the 1700’s, California’s Central Valley, including what is now Sacramento’s Central City, was one of the most densely populated areas of the continent. The Nisenan people lived from just south of present-day Sacramento to north of where the Sacramento Airport is now, around what is now called the Bear River. For thousands of years (2500? 4000? more? --estimates vary), the Nisenan and others thrived, enjoying an abundant natural food supply of acorns, game, fish, and much more. There were towns and villages throughout the area, usually on high ground near water. Towns typically had hundreds of inhabitants; a large town such as Sama (not far from present-day