Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Berg’s Assembly Bill 682 into law Friday. It will take effect Jan. 1, 2008.

The law will not force anyone to be tested for HIV. It simply eliminates the requirement that patients sign a consent form before a test.

“It’s a simple change that will have a big impact,” said Berg, D-Eureka.

Health experts say as many as 40,000 people in California are unaware they carry the virus that causes AIDS. Many of them won’t find out until they seek care for another illness. That means those people will miss out on years of treatment that could dramatically extend and improve their lives.

“This is the most significant shift in HIV policy in over a decade,” said Michael Weinstein, president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “We believe that many states will follow California's lead.”

Doctors have said that they are less likely to provide testing when patients have to fill out a form. The new law is expected to result in earlier detection of the virus and better care for patients. Doctors will still have to tell patients that they would like to add HIV to the list of other conditions for which they are testing, and patients can simply decline if they don’t want testing.

“The idea that we don’t detect and treat this disease because of some social stigma about testing is ridiculous,” said Berg. “Knowledge is power, and this is a perfect example.”

Studies have shown that people with HIV often go undetected and untreated even when they are receiving medical care for other diseases. Even as recently as 2004, 39 percent of HIV patients were unaware of their status until they were less than a year away from being diagnosed with full-blown AIDS.

“This simple yet historic change will help stem the spread of HIV and will ensure that more people receive treatment,” said Anmol S. Mahal, president of the California Medical Association. “After years of treating HIV differently than other diseases, we need a cultural shift to ensure that HIV screening becomes routine, and AB 682 is a critical step in that direction.”

The Center for Disease Control estimates that more than a million Americans are living with HIV, but nearly 250,000 don’t know it. In California, the State Office of AIDS estimates that about 40,000 Californians don’t know they are carrying the virus.

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Battalion Chief Willie Sapeta of Lake County Fire Protection District will be the guest speaker at this training, open only to IHSS providers and recipients.

Training will be held from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18, in the Department of Social Services conference room, 15975 Anderson Ranch Parkway, Lower Lake.

Space is limited, and you must be registered to attend.

For more information call 707-995-4854.

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Assembly Bill 106, by Berg, D-Eureka, requires that every elderly patient be offered the chance to receive flu and pneumonia immunization before they are discharged from a hospital.

“Vaccinations save lives,” said Berg. “And while we’re not forcing anyone to get a shot, we are saying that everyone needs to have the option.”

Berg’s bill closes an unusual loophole in existing law that requires nursing facilities to offer vaccines, even though hospitals face no such requirement.

“These shots save lives, and hospitals are in the life-saving business,” said Berg.

The bill incorporates recommendations by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases reports, that flu together with pneumonia, is the fifth leading cause of death among the elderly. A pneumonia complication is a leading cause of illness and death among the elderly.

AB 106 becomes law in January.

Visit Berg's Web site at http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a01/.

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Pictured from left to right are Carrie McClure, Sutter Healthy Kids Are Contagious coordinator; students from Stacey Holland's sixth grade class at Terrace Middle School in Lakeport, Philip Leighton and Nathan Harper; and Kelly Mather, Sutter Lakeside Hospital and Center for Health CEO and author of the 5 Keys to Wellness which is the touchstone of the organization's wellness programs. Courtesy photo.

Sutter Lakeside Hospital CEO and author, Kelly Mather; Carrie McClure, school site coordinator; and Tammi Silva, “Healthy Kids Are Contagious” program director, made their rounds to Lake County schools beginning with Terrace School in Lakeport where Stacey Holland, teacher and originator of the binder program, was enjoying the first day of school with her students.

Principal Mike Beery at Mt. Vista Middle School greeted Mrs. Mather, McClure and Silva with smiles and appreciation.

The initial leg of the trip was concluded at Cobb Elementary School where Principal Tracy Skeen expressed her appreciation to Sutter Lakeside Hospital and Center for Health for their continued dedication to the health of students not only at her school but across the county.

Other members of the Healthy Kids Are Contagious school site team, including Kayla Hickey, school site assistant; Anna Knudson, K-4 program coordinator; and Christine Petty, fifth grade fitness testing coordinator, delivered binders to sixth graders at Lucerne Elementary, Coyote Valley Elementary, Eastlake School, Pomo Elementary, Minnie Cannon Elementary, Upper Lake Middle School, Burns Valley Elementary, Lower Lake Elementary and Lake County International Charter School.

The binders are donated as part of the Sutter’s Healthy Kids Are Contagious program, which provides education to students about not only nutrition, and exercise but also addresses mental emotional issues from the Wellness University Five Keys to Wellness curriculum so that they will be motivated to make healthier choices for a lifetime.

The Five Keys identifies and promotes five aspects of healthful living, including self-love, breathing, positive choices, balance and trust.

“To improve health and lower health care costs in our county, we are reaching children as they create the habits that will guide their lives,” said Mather.

The Healthy Kids Are Contagious program offers school presentations that cover a variety of subjects ranging from avoiding the flu; spine health; the benefits of exercise on the heart; yellow, red, green-light food choices; and the importance of self-respect.

For each of the programs a costumed mascot, such as “Healthy Mr. Heart,” makes an appearance and helps build enthusiasm.

During “Create Your Health” sessions, sixth graders learn the Five Keys to Wellness. After introducing these concepts in the classroom, Lake County teachers report their students have passed up sweets and treats because, as one student put it, “I care about myself so I won’t eat things that aren’t good for me.”

“What is exciting about the programs is that children help their peers to make more healthy choices, positively reinforcing each other and consequently build a culture of wellness in their classrooms and their schools,” said Mather. “Then they take home these messages and spread wellness to other children and ultimately, to the community.”

Sutter Lakeside Hospital & Center for Health’s mission is to improve the health of the community by supporting the inherent ability of each community member to create a healthier life.

A leader in the transformation of health care whose focus is beginning to move from illness care to embracing wellness concepts, Sutter Lakeside Hospital and Center for Health provides both high quality illness care and access to wellness care that emphasizes personal responsibility for healthy living while providing the resources needed for community members to create health.

For more information, contact Tammi Silva, director, Center for Health at 707-262-5122 or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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Pictured from left to right is Carrie McClure, Sutter Healthy Kids Are Contagious coordinator; Tracy Skeen, principal of Cobb Mountain Elementary School; and Kelly Mather, Sutter Lakeside's CEO. Courtesy photo.