What's New                 

CHA LAUNCHES EMERGENCY ROOM PUBLIC ADVOCACY WEBSITE
To help educate patients, consumer advocates, community leaders and elected officials about the critical issues impacting emergency room (ER) services in California, the California Hospital Association has launched its advocacy website: SaveMyEmergencyRoom.com.  The website includes current facts and information on critical hospital issues, pinpoints ERs at risk, and allows visitors to submit their top health care concerns and share personal health care stories.  Colusa Regional Medical Center operates the only Emergency Room in Colusa County.  Experiencing over 5,000 visits per year, CRMC's Emergency Services Department provides a vital public service to the community.

                 Chief of Staff:  Samuel Medrano, MD, Emergency Medicine
                 Vice Chief of Staff:  Michael Goodman, MD, Family Practice/Obstetrics
                 Secretary/Treasurer:  Riquaza Zavahir, MD, Internal Medicine
                 Member At Large:  Dale Bass, MD, Radiology

Congratulations to these exceptional physicians!

KIRBY ELECTED TO CHA BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Dale A. Kirby, Chief Executive Officer of Colusa Regional Medical Center, Colusa, California, has been elected to the Board of Trustees of the California Hospital Association.  Kirby will serve a two-year term.  CHA is one of the largest hospital trade associations in the nation serving nearly 450 hospitals and health systems.

CRMC WELCOMES NEW PHYSICIANS AND CLINIC SERVICES
Charla Parker, Director of Planning and Program Development, announced new physicians have joined the medical staff of Colusa Regional Medical Center.  “We are very pleased to welcome several new physicians to our community and medical staff.  With the arrival of these new physicians, we will have increased the number of specialists who add expertise to our “Hospitalist” program and will also be adding several new special-care programs in the outpatient clinics:  critical care, nephrology, hypertension and women’s health.

Venu Kondle, MD
Dr. Kondle is double board certified in Internal Medicine and Nephrology.  He completed his medical education in India with fellowships at the University of Missouri and Oregon Health Sciences University.  Dr. Kondle provides hospitalist coverage as well as Internal Medicine and Nephrology consultation.  He operates kidney dialysis centers in Northern California, including a center in Colusa County.

Antonio Meraz, MD,
Dr. Meraz joins the CRMC medical staff and practice of North Valley Family Physicians.  He is board certified in Family Practice with Obstetrics privileges.  Dr. Meraz completed his residency in Family Practice at Natividad Medical Center in Salinas, CA. 

Robert Polhemus, MD
Dr. Polhemus joins the medical staff as a double board certified Internal Medicine and Nephrology physician.  He completed his clinical and research fellowship in nephrology at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA.  He is pursuing another certification with the American Board of Internal Medicine in critical care.  He works closely with Dr. Kondle in providing care to patients in their Northern California dialysis centers and provides hospitalist coverage for CRMC inpatients (See "Practitioner Spotlight" on this page).

For more information on the new outpatient special-care clinics or to schedule an appointment, call the Colusa Specialty and Industrial Medicine Clinic at (530) 458-3243. 

PHYSICAL REHABILITATION CENTER OPENS
CRMC's new Physical Rehabilitation Center is now open and accepting new patients.  Located on the hospital campus in the new Medical Arts Buildings complex, the rehab center offers physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy services.  "This project is the culmination of a year long effort by a partnership of our rehab team, our hospital staff, and the CRMC Foundation to bring a new level of physical rehabilitation services to Colusa County," stated Charla Parker, Director of Planning and Program Development.  The CRMC Foundation generously contributed $12,000 toward the purchase of new equipment and accessories for the center. To make an appointment please call (530) 458-3287.

QUALITY AND SAFETY OF CARE COMMITMENT:
Colusa Regional Medical Center is committed to providing the highest quality of patient care possible in a safe, comfortable and reassuring environment.  To communicate a service problem or concern please contact the manager of the service involved (see "Hospital Directory" under the "Contact Us" tab above), or you may contact our administration office at (530) 458-5821, ext. 254.  In addition, you may contact The Joint Commission by telephone at 1-800-994-6610, or by email at "complaint@jointcommission.org."