IN AN EMERGENCY, SECONDS CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN SAVING A LIFE.

For almost two decades, our community has relied on Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center to provide emergency services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

As the area’s population has grown and matured, the hospital has experienced a steep rise in the demand for acute care.

Over the past nine years, visits to the emergency room at Orange Coast Memorial have increased by more than 44 percent. They now treat over 32,000 ill and injured people a year in the same square footage that served emergency patients when the hospital first opened its doors to the community in 1996. That’s an average of almost 90 patients per day.

As a result, paramedics must increasingly bypass the hospital’s emergency room because it is too full to accept any more patients.

Patient volumes are projected to increase another 29% over the next ten years, bringing the average number of emergency visits to over 100 per day.

With this expected upsurge in the number of patients who will require care, and the severity of the conditions for which they seek treatment, a new facility with improved access is essential.

To meet this growing need, Orange Coast Memorial has plans to build a new Emergency Pavilion that will be twice the size of the current facility and will double their treatment capacity. Occupying 11,400 square feet, it will contain a total of 27 treatment rooms, including 16 private treatment suites, one of which is designed exclusively for young children, and a “fast track” evaluation station which will facilitate rapid medical evaluations.

It will also offer separate entrances for both ambulances and walk-in patients, along with accommodations for bedside registration and increased infection control. The project includes a comfortable reception lobby with seating for 35 patients and visitors, enhanced space for physician consultations, and an adjacent chapel and healing garden.

This comprehensive expansion will allow Orange Coast Memorial physicians and staff to provide top-quality emergency care in an efficiently designed, modern setting. It will address the limitations of the existing facilities and provide the community with easy access and reduced wait times.

As a nonprofit hospital, Orange Coast relies on philanthropy to help fund facility enhancements such as this. Gifts received by the Orange Coast Memorial Foundation from individuals and businesses throughout the community play a vital role in strengthening the hospital’s ability to fund advanced technology purchases and provide crucial patient programs and services.

In support of the new Emergency Pavilion, the Orange Coast Memorial Foundation is hosting its thirteenth annual Fall Gala on Saturday, October 17, 2015 at the Ritz- Carlton in Laguna Niguel. “Light up the Night” is the theme of this year’s event which will feature an evening of fine dining, musical entertainment, dancing and a live and silent auction.

For more information regarding the Orange Coast Memorial Foundation and their upcoming event, please call (714) 378-7397 or visit them online at memorialcare.org/ocmf

Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 730,000 Americans experience a heart attack annually.

If you have diabetes, a poor diet, are overweight or don’t regularly exercise, you could be at risk for a heart attack or heart disease. Additionally, high LDL (bad) cholesterol, a waxy, fat-like substance that clogs your arteries may slow down the flow of blood to your heart and brain, and can lead to chest pain, heart attack, stroke or other health problems.

So, what can you do to protect your heart and keep it healthy? CalOptima, the health insurance provider for thousands of adults and children throughout Orange County, offers these tips:

• It’s all about your diet: following a diet that is low in salt, total fat, saturated fat (such as fatty beef or cheese made with whole milk) and cholesterol helps to keep your heart healthy. It’s also important to incorporate plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables into your daily meals.
• Exercise: lack of physical activity can negatively impact your heart – like any muscle, it needs to be exercised. The CDC recommends taking a brisk 10-minute walk three times a day, five days a week to help stay healthy. Check with your doctor to make sure it is safe for you to be active and get moving!
• Visit your doctor: if you have a family history of heart disease, it’s important that you see your primary physician or cardiologist on a regular basis. Make sure to bring a copy of the results of any recent heart tests, a list of your medications, questions about any other di- agnostic tests you may need and if you’ve noticed any new health problems to your appointment.
• Take your medications: there’s a reason why your doctor has prescribed specific medications for you to take. Follow each medicine’s directions – let you doctor know if you have any strange side effects. Also, avoid suddenly stopping your medications unless directed by a medical professional.

Additionally, make a point to avoid smoking – if you do smoke, quit as soon as possible. Remember regular visits to your doctor can help to keep you out of the hospital.

Sometimes, women can have a heart attack without the “typical” symptoms. Instead, they may have pain in their stomach, feel dizzy, light headed, and pressure in their back or feel very tired.

CalOptima is a county organized health system, and provides publicly funded health care coverage for low-income children, adults, seniors and people with disabilities in Orange County. In total, CalOptima serves more than 736,000 members with a network of more than 7,000 primary care doctors and specialists, as well as 30 hospitals.

As the official hotel partner of Pageant of the Masters and Festival of Arts, The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel is showcasing original works from 25 Festival of Arts artists. The exhibit will be on display in the Art Exhibit Space through September 30, 2015.

The Festival of Arts is California’s premiere fine art show. The Festival’s prestigious juried art show includes a wide variety of media such as paintings,photography, printmaking, sculpture, jewelry, handcrafted wood and furniture, ceramics, glass and more – all by 140 of Orange County’s finest artists. Established in 1932, Festival of Arts promotes, produces and sponsors events and activities that encourage the appreciation, study and performance of the arts.

For a more comprehensive art experience, guests can book one of the two Pageant of the Masters overnight experiences that feature incredible seats and exclusive offerings. The Behind the Velvet Rope Experience features ocean view overnight accommodations on The Ritz-Carlton Club Level, two premium seat tickets to the Pageant, a guided docent tour of the Festival, a backstage tour of the Pageant for $1,699 per night. The Pursuit of Happiness Experience includes overnight accommodations and two premium seat tickets to the Pageant with rates starting at 775 per night. Both packages can be booked on-line at www.ritzcarlton.com/LaguanPageant.

If your business serves 55+ seniors in Orange County, California, then Sorbet Magazine is your outlet of choice.

Each issue of this monthly glossy format publication is direct-mailed into EVERY 55+ senior community in Orange County, direct- mailed to 55+ homeowners and is available on high-foot traffic stand locations and distribution locations across OC, including EVERY senior center and public library branch, as well as medical offices, hospitals, retail and restaurants.

In addition to widespread distribution, competitive rates and a quality product, at Sorbet Magazine we enjoy connecting people – businesses to customers, people to people and community organizations to community members. Our advertisers and our readers are our friends.

Let us create an added-value advertising/editorial package that works for you.

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The mission of each monthly edition is to serve as a resource for our readership - features penned by experts in their respective industries designed to provide education, information and entertainment focused on the interests of mature adults in Orange County.

Each issue of this monthly glossy format publication is direct-mailed into EVERY 55+ senior community in Orange County, direct- mailed to 55+ homeowners and is available on high-foot traffic stand locations and distribution locations across OC, including EVERY senior center and public library branch, as well as medical offices, hospitals, retail and restaurants.

Why “Sorbet” you ask? Our editorial team considered a number of options with the goal of finding a moniker that would communicate “light, active, fun” to an ever-growing younger population of 55+ adults. Sorbet is a fruit-flavored ice served between courses as a palate cleanser. We thought the name was particularly apropos for our audience – individuals poised to embark on the main “course” of their lives and all of the wonderful activities, accomplishment, entertainment and endeavors to come.

We will strive to continually improve the depth and breadth of our editorial content. If you have a topic you’d like to see addressed or would like to share feedback or thoughts on any aspect of Sorbet, I encourage you to call or email me directly.

Jody Robinson, editor
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