Category Archives: Solano County Health Department

Save Solano’s drug advisory board — Open letter to Board of Supervisors

Write to Solano County’s Board of Supervisors today (or call in tomorrow) to keep the Alcohol & Drugs Advisory Board active

Image of U.S.A. map with pill bottle spilling pills on map

By Ramón Castellblanch, April 30, 2023.

Solano is at a critical moment in addressing our opioid epidemic.  Its toll has been steadily rising for years.  According to the state opioid dashboard, in the second quarter of 2018, there were five opioid OD deaths annually per 100,000 residents; by the second quarter of last year, it was 22/ 100,000.  Benicia’s rate is no exception, as our second quarter of 2022 annual opioid OD death rate was 14/ 100,000.

The County Board of Supervisors established the Alcohol & Drug Advisory Board (ADAB), “to assure we address drug and alcohol misuse through prevention, treatment and recovery.”  The policy of the Board requires the ADAB to meet at least 6 times/ year and it has done so for many years with facilities provided by the County official in charge of its opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment programs.

In 2019, Drug Safe Solano, our county’s opioid safety coalition, effectively urged the County to become a plaintiff to the national opioids lawsuit.  Last September, the County official in charge of OUD treatment, called the Substance Abuse Administrator (SAA), advised the ADAB that the Solano was about to start receiving its share of the National Opioids Settlement and she asked it for recommendations on spending those funds.  The ADAB was told it would be in the order of $400,000/ year for each of the next 18 years.  The documents found under National Opioids Settlement website explain the money is to target opioid remediation and list OUD treatment at the top of its opioid remediation list.  A settlement documents also indicate that Fairfield, Vallejo, & Vacaville may receive substantial settlement funds.


The ADAB was told [Solano’s] share of the National Opioids Settlement] would be in the order of $400,000/ year for each of the next 18 years.


Solano hospitals now have recently-hired staff with the most first-hand data on needed OUD treatments. Starting a year or two ago, our emergency departments began using substance use navigators (SUNs), staff specifically assigned to find treatment and recovery services for emergency department opioid OD survivors.  As a first step to treatment, SUNs can help OD survivors get medication assisted treatment (MAT).  MAT helps relieve withdrawal symptoms.   The SUNs not only have first-hand knowledge of treatment needs, they are contributing to a statewide database tracking opioid ODs and MAT starts.  Two of the ADAB’s four members are now SUNs and there were six other people with knowledge of the opioid epidemic and treatment seeking appointment to it.

Using the SUNs’ skills in particular, the ADAB was working on a set of OUD treatment measures toward which the County could direct its opioid settlement funds.  It had discussed peer support training to address the OUD treatment staffing shortage.  It had investigated an internet connection of local programs treating people with OUD to better coordinate their services.  It was researching meeting Solano’s need for sober living environments.


The acting Substance Abuse Administrator argued that [a] letter gave her the authority to override the full Board’s meeting policy for the ADAB.  This action was never discussed by the Board nor even known to all of its members.


But, in February, the acting SAA shut off the ADAB access to the County’s meeting facilities; in this case, its online meeting site.  She gotten a letter from two supervisors, Monica Brown and John Vasquez, noting that the previous June, they’d been asked to consider terminating County boards like the ADAB.  The acting SAA argued that the letter gave her the authority to override the full Board’s meeting policy for the ADAB.  This action was never discussed by the Board nor even known to all of its members.

At the May 2 Board of Supervisors’ meeting, the acting SAA will recommend that the ADAB be eliminated. She will evaluate its activities without having attended any ADAB meeting since the SAA left or having had any discussion with the ADAB.   She will argue that the Mental Health Advisory Board can fill its role although there’s nothing in the recent MHAB minutes to indicate that they’ve discussed the opioid epidemic or its remedies at all.

Meantime, the acting SAA has apparently formed a closed opioid settlement workgroup made up of County staff and people they selected to plan County use of its settlement money.  If she thought that the MHAB could handle such topics, it’s not clear why she’d form a separate body for that purpose.  The closed workgroup process may fail to produce allocations most effective at saving lives from Solano’s opioid epidemic.  It could even provide favors to some involved or be used to backfill unrelated County spending.


We need to get the ADAB back on track so that its SUNs and members of the community most knowledgeable about uses of the County’s opioid settlement funds can discuss it in the light of day […] and save the most Solano lives.


At least a half dozen residents with experience in opioid use disorder treatment will be testifying at the May 2 Board of Supervisors meeting when it comes up on the agenda.  We need to get the ADAB back on track so that its SUNs and members of the community most knowledgeable about uses of the County’s opioid settlement funds can discuss it in the light of day.  Thus, it can help assure that its national opioid settlement spending is most effectively used to comply with the settlement’s terms and save the most Solano lives.



A guide to submitting public comments to the Solano County Board of Supervisors

The Board of Supervisors (BOS) will meet to discuss ADAB’s future on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. The meeting begins at 9 am and the agenda item that concerns us is Agenda Item #12.

If you would like to ask the Board to keep the ADAB, follow the instructions below on the morning of May 2.

Please note that you must reference the Agenda Item (#12) you are commenting about when you make your public comment.

How to comment in person

Arrive at the County Board Chambers at 675 Texas Street on May 2 before 9 am so you are seated before the meeting starts. All persons who wish to speak on any agenda item should fill out a Speaker Card and deliver it to the Clerk before the Board considers the particular item unless invited to speak by the Chair or a Member. Remember, we are #12.

Persons making comments shall first be recognized by the Chair and give their names for the record. As a general policy, each speaker shall be limited to a three (3) minute comment, unless the agenda notes a different time limit for an item. The speaker’s comments should be directed to the Chair and the Board as a whole and not to any particular Member or staff member.

Temporary parking permits for the County Parking Garage are available from the Board Clerk for visitors attending the Board of Supervisors’ meeting for more than 2 hours.

How to comment virtually

BOS meetings are live-streamed and available to view at:

http://www.solanocounty.com/depts/bos/meetings/videos.asp

Email/Mail: If you wish to address any item listed on the Agenda in advance of the meeting, please submit comments in writing to the Clerk of the Board by U.S. Mail or by email. Put the agenda item number (#12) in the email’s subject line so the clerk can direct it appropriately.

Written comments should be received no later than 5:00 P.M. on the Monday prior to the Board meeting to ensure distribution in advance of the meeting. The email address for the Clerk is: clerk@solanocounty.com. Copies of comments received will be provided to the Board and will become a part of the official record but will not be read aloud at the meeting.

Phone: To submit comments verbally from your phone during the meeting, you may do so by dialing: 1-415-655-0001 and using Access Code 177 939 9414 on your phone. No attendee ID number is required. When the Chair or Clerk of the Board calls for an item (again, we’re #12) on which you wish to speak, press *3 to access the “raise your hand feature.” When Public Comment begins the Clerk will announce the last two digits of the phone number and will send you a request to unmute. Please press *6 to unmute yourself.

What to say

Your own words are always best, but the below represents a fine place to get started if you’re stuck. Please take just a few minutes to write or call in.

I’m writing to call on the Board of Supervisors to keep the Alcohol & Drug Advisory Board an active and distinct commission.

The “behavioral health umbrella” that some County officials intend to sweep the ADAB under represents an overly broad approach to addressing opioid abuse and treatment. It also ignores the fact that this Board is singularly qualified to provide the best and most effective guidance to the County on how funds may best be expended to prevent and treat substance abuse. Additionally, commissions like the ADAB ensure the public has a voice in how the county fights the opioid epidemic.

We are at a critical point in the fight to curb the opioid epidemic and the Board — and the constituents it serves — needs the ADAB to guide Solano to a healthier and brighter future. The wealth of experience and training the ADAB represents make it the County’s best hope as we work together to save Solano lives.

Quick COVID update as of May 26

By Roger Straw, Monday, May 26, 2022

Solano County reports 2,262 new COVID infections since May 16, nearly 150 per day.  Benicia has experienced 114 new COVID infections since May 16, more than 7 per day.

It was a real slog hanging in there with my COVID reports for so long.  On May 25, I reported an end to my regular pandemic reports and a renewed focus on issues of deep and abiding concern, including anti-racism, gun control, democratic principles, gender justice and LBGTQ rights, women’s health, peace, freedom and anti-fascism.   Whoa, rather a daunting agenda….

I was pretty sure going into my 3rd year of COVID reporting that few were paying any attention to my posts, anyway – important as they might’ve been.

Today I checked in on the County’s COVID dashboard.  There have been:

    • 2,250 new cases countywide since my last report 16 days ago (141 each day), and 1
    • 14 new cases in Benicia (more than 7 per day).
    • No new deaths, thank goodness.
    • But 22 have been hospitalized since May 12.
    • The County Health Department (despite its very conservative stance, to put it mildly) reports 1,994 ACTIVE CASES at last report (May 26).

On a personal level, the number of my own friends and family reporting COVID positive has noticeably increased.

The bad bug is still around and still surging, even though – and clearly because of –relaxed restrictions and people going all over the place maskless.

IMPORTANT…

As Bay Area cases swell again, it’s ‘very hard right now to avoid getting COVID’
San Francisco Chronicle, May 31, 2022

COVID Cases, Hospitalizations Rising in Bay Area
NBC Bay Area, May 31, 2022


HOW DOES TODAY’S REPORT COMPARE?  See archived reports and others going back to April 20, 2020 in my ARCHIVE of daily Solano COVID updates (an excel spreadsheet).

Click green text above or on the image.

>The data on this page is from the Solano County COVID-19 Dashboard.  The Dashboard is full of much more information and is updated Monday and Thursday between 4 and 6pm.  On the County’s dashboard, you can hover a mouse or click on an item for more information.  Note the tabs at top for “Summary, Demographics” and “Vaccines.”  Click here to go to today’s Solano County Dashboard.

I have also archived the hundreds of full CORONAVIRUS REPORTS posted here on the Benicia Independent April 2020 – May 16, 2022.

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COVID case numbers on the rise in Solano and Benicia

By Roger Straw, Monday, May 16, 2022

Solano County reports 675 new COVID infections, nearly 1,200 in 7 days.  Benicia and Solano continue in VERY HIGH transmission rate.

Solano Public Health COVID dashboard, Monday, May 16, 2022:

DEATHS:  Solano reported no new COVID-related deaths in today’s report.  Solano has reported 5 deaths so far in May.  COMPARE: COVID deaths reported in Solano County this year: 30 in January, 15 in February, 17 in March, 7 in April.  A total of 425 Solano residents have now died of COVID or COVID-related causes over the course of the pandemic.

TRANSMISSION RATE: With today’s report, Solano continues to  experience an extremely HIGH rate of transmission, with 1,177 new cases in the last 7 days, up from 971 at last report and 2.6 times the CDC formula for HIGH transmissionCDC FORMULA: Based on Solano County’s population, 450 or more cases in 7 days places Solano in the CDC’s population-based definition of a HIGH transmission rate.  Below 225 cases in 7 days shows MODERATE community transmission.  Numbers between 225 and 450 are considered SUBSTANTIAL transmission.

ACTIVE CASES: Solano reported 1,229 ACTIVE cases today, up from 1,164 at last report and over 5 times the 244 active cases reported about a month ago (April 11).

CASES BY CITY – Monday, May 16, 2022:

  • BENICIA added 39 (!) new cases today, a total of 3,363 cases since the outbreak began.  TRANSMISSION RATE: Benicia has reported 53 new cases in the last 7 days, (see below)For a city with Benicia’s population, anything over 27 cases in 7 days is considered HIGH TRANSMISSION.  14 to 27 cases is considered SUBSTANTIAL.  Below 14 is rated MODERATE.

  • Dixon added 37 new cases today, total of 4,477 cases.
  • Fairfield added 169 new cases today, total of 23,539 cases.
  • Rio Vista added 4 new cases today, total of 1,223 cases.
  • Suisun City added 48 new cases today, total of 6,188 cases.
  • Vacaville added 154 new cases today, a total of 22,456 cases.
  • Vallejo added 224 new cases today, a total of 26,605 cases.
  • Unincorporated added 0 new cases today, a total of 202 cases.

TEST RATE:  Solano Public Health no longer reports numbers of residents tested and the County’s 7-day positive test rate.  >>With so many home-tests, I agree that these numbers are no longer reliable, BUT they do give the public helpful information when compared to similar numbers for the state and nation.  NO WAY TO COMPARE: The CALIFORNIA 7-day % positive rate was 3.9% today.  [Source: Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Tracking Center]. The U.S. 7-day % positive rate was 11.5%. today. [Source: CDC COVID Data Tracker.] 

HOSPITALIZATIONS:

CURRENT: Solano reported the number of those currently hospitalized with COVID was 24 persons, double the 12 who were hospitalized at last report.   Current hospitalizations don’t tell the whole story, though.  Only from the increase in total hospitalizations by age and race (below) can we know how many new admissions have come into our hospitals as of this date.

TOTAL hospitalizations: Solano County did not update it’s hospitalizations by Age Group and by Race/Ethnicity today.  TREND: Solano reported 284 hospitalizations in January, 184 in February, 644 in March, and 53 in April, and 44 so far in May(NOTE: The County occasionally updates age/race hospitalization data long after the fact, which probably accounts for the huge increase reported in March.)

ICU Bed Availability Solano County reported that the number of available hospital beds rose today, from 40% at last report to 43% today, within the County’s GREEN safe zone.

Ventilator Availability in Solano County remained rose today from 77% to 80% available, in the County’s GREEN safe zone. 


HOW DOES TODAY’S REPORT COMPARE?  See recent reports and others going back to April 20, 2020 in my ARCHIVE of daily Solano COVID updates (an excel spreadsheet).

Click green text above or on the image.

>The data on this page is from the Solano County COVID-19 Dashboard.  The Dashboard is full of much more information and (as of 3/14/2022) is updated Monday and Thursday between 4 and 6pm.  On the County’s dashboard, you can hover a mouse or click on an item for more information.  Note the tabs at top for “Summary, Demographics” and “Vaccines.”  Click here to go to today’s Solano County Dashboard.

See also my BENINDY ARCHIVE of daily Solano COVID updates (an excel spreadsheet).  I have also archived the hundreds of full CORONAVIRUS REPORTS posted here almost daily on the Benicia Independent since April 2020.

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Solano County reports 502 new COVID infections, 195 of them in Vacaville

NOTE: The information below is not the latest.  TAP HERE for today’s latest information.

By Roger Straw, Thursday, May 12, 2022

Solano County reports 502 new COVID infections and 25 new hospitalizations. (Tap here for hospitalizations. Benicia and Solano 7-day transmission rates continue very HIGH.

Solano Public Health COVID dashboard, Thursday, May 12, 2022:

DEATHS:  Solano reported no new COVID-related deaths in today’s report.  Solano has reported 5 deaths so far in May. COMPARE: COVID deaths reported in Solano County this year: 30 in January, 15 in February, 17 in March, 7 in April.  A total of 425 Solano residents have now died of COVID or COVID-related causes over the course of the pandemic.

https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/mortality

The U.S. is nearing one million COVID deaths:

 

TRANSMISSION RATE: With today’s report, Solano continues to  experience an extremely HIGH rate of transmission, with 971 new cases in the last 7 days, up from 731 at last report and more than DOUBLE the CDC formula for HIGH transmissionCDC FORMULA: Based on Solano County’s population, 450 or more cases in 7 days places Solano in the CDC’s population-based definition of a HIGH transmission rate.  Below 225 cases in 7 days shows MODERATE community transmission.  Numbers between 225 and 450 are considered SUBSTANTIAL transmission.

ACTIVE CASES: Solano reported 1,164 ACTIVE cases today, up from 829 at last report and nearly 5 times the 244 active cases reported a month ago (April 11).

CASES BY CITY – Thursday, May 12, 2022:

  • BENICIA added 14 new cases today, a total of 3,324 cases since the outbreak began.  TRANSMISSION RATE: Benicia has reported 47 new cases in the last 7 days, (see below)For a city with Benicia’s population, anything over 27 cases in 7 days is considered HIGH TRANSMISSION.  14 to 27 cases is considered SUBSTANTIAL.  Below 14 is rated MODERATE.
  • Dixon added 19 new cases today, total of 4,440 cases.
  • Fairfield added 110 new cases today, total of 23,370 cases.
  • Rio Vista added 7 new cases today, total of 1,219 cases.
  • Suisun City added 31 new cases today, total of 6,140 cases.
  • Vacaville added 195 new cases today, a total of 22,302 cases. Vacaville has 23% of Solano’s population, but reported 39% of today’s new cases.  Outbreak in Vacaville?
  • Vallejo added 125 new cases today, a total of 26,381 cases.
  • Unincorporated added 1 new case today, a total of 202 cases.

TEST RATE:  Solano County’s 7-Day Percent Positive TEST RATE was 17% today, up from 14% at last report.
>> Solano Public Health announced that beginning on May 16, it will no longer report numbers of residents tested and the County’s 7-day positive test rate.  >>With so many home-tests, I agree that these numbers are no longer reliable, BUT they do give the public helpful information when compared to similar numbers for the state and nation.  COMPARE: The CALIFORNIA 7-day % positive rate was 22.7% today, up dramatically from 8.9% at last report (May 6).  [Source: Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Tracking Center]. The U.S. 7-day % positive rate was 9.7%. today, up from 9.6% at last report. [Source: CDC COVID Data Tracker.] 

HOSPITALIZATIONS:

CURRENT: Solano reported the number of those currently hospitalized with COVID was 12 persons, down from 19 at last report.   Current hospitalizations don’t tell the whole story, though.  Only from the increase in total hospitalizations by age and race (below) can we know how many new admissions have come into our hospitals as of this date.

TOTAL hospitalizations: Solano County’s recent and total hospitalizations must be independently discovered in the County’s occasional update of hospitalizations by Age Group and by Race/Ethnicity.  Solano updated its Age and Race charts today, adding 25 previously unreported hospitalizations, for a pandemic total of 4,444.  Note below that over half of these new hospitalizations are age 65+, a group that is only 17% of total Solano population.  TREND: Solano reported 284 hospitalizations in January, 184 in February, 644 in March, and 53 in April, and 44 so far in May(NOTE: The County occasionally updates age/race hospitalization data long after the fact, which probably accounts for the huge increase reported in March.)

ICU Bed Availability Solano County reported that the number of available hospital beds dropped today, from 45% at last report to only 40% today, still within the County’s GREEN safe zone.

Ventilator Availability in Solano County remained unchanged today at 77% available, in the County’s GREEN safe zone. 


HOW DOES TODAY’S REPORT COMPARE?  See recent reports and others going back to April 20, 2020 in my ARCHIVE of daily Solano COVID updates (an excel spreadsheet).

Click green text above or on the image.

>The data on this page is from the Solano County COVID-19 Dashboard.  The Dashboard is full of much more information and (as of 3/14/2022) is updated Monday and Thursday between 4 and 6pm.  On the County’s dashboard, you can hover a mouse or click on an item for more information.  Note the tabs at top for “Summary, Demographics” and “Vaccines.”  Click here to go to today’s Solano County Dashboard.

See also my BENINDY ARCHIVE of daily Solano COVID updates (an excel spreadsheet).  I have also archived the hundreds of full CORONAVIRUS REPORTS posted here almost daily on the Benicia Independent since April 2020.

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