October 2015 NEWSLETTER
Serving Northern California from Fresno to Monterey to the Oregon border
In This Issue
Website Quick Links
2015 Gala Sponsors
Platinum
Remick Family Foundation
 
Gold
 
Silver
Keeney-Falasco Family
Kerry Youker
Benefactor
Barbara Suskind &
Lowell Richards
Richard Thalheimer 

Halloween Costumes
Have Arrived! 

Donate Used Goods &
Shop Savers
Berkeley, Dublin, Vacaville

855.336.0212
D onations benefit the 
Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California and  are
tax deductible.
#DareTo Educate
Free Training Available

In the event of a seizure, 
will your friends, family or colleagues know what to do?
  • 60 min presentation on basic Seizure First Aid
  • Audiences include: School Personnel, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Service Providers, Corporations, Students, Families
415.677.4011
Shop Amazon!
Halloween Costumes! Decorations! Trick-O-Treats!

When you shop
AmazonSmile & select EFNC, Amazon will make a donation to help people w/ seizures.
Get Started Now!

Thank You
2015 Stroll Sponsors
Olympic

Marathon

Sprinter
  




Epilepsy Center of Excellence

Stroller



SATURDAY, November 21, 2015
The FAIRMONT Hotel, San Francisco
JOIN US!  Register /  Sponsor

Honored Guest: Daniel Lowenstein, M.D.
Innovation Award:  Tony Coelho
Flame Award: Samuel Ciricillo, M.D.
Volunteers of the Year: 
Max & Heather Berry, Brenda Porter, M.D. 

The Gala celebrates our epilepsy community, our heroes, our past wins and our accomplishments--and your commitment to put an end to epilepsy.

 
Want to Volunteer? Items to Auction?
tracie@epilepsynorcal.org
You're Invited! 
Family-Caregiver Epilepsy Luncheon

November is National Epilepsy Month and National Caregiver Month! Join the SF Veteran's Affairs Support Group for their 5th Annual FREE luncheon in recognition of people living with epilepsy AND their caregivers, parents, families, loved ones, and friends. Vets and NON-vets welcome. 

Monday, November 2, 2015  
SFVA Epilepsy Center
4150 Clement Street
Teak Conference Room
Building 200 1A-122
San Francisco, CA 94121

Call 415-379-5599 to RSVP. 
Let's Get Healthy!
Innovation Challenge

Are you working on an innovation that is improving health and promoting health equity in California?

As part of the
Let's Get Healthy California initiative to make our state the healthiest in the nation by 2022, the California Health and Human Services Agency and Department of Public Health have started an Innovation Challenge. They are looking to tap into California's strong track record of innovation and improving health, looking for submissions that: 
  • Address one of the six Let's Get Healthy California specific goals
  • Promote health equity
  • Showcase use of data
  • Help drive measurable health outcomes
  • Are rooted in strong research or theoretical evidence
  • Demonstrate credibility and influence in their targeted communities
APPLY here. Deadline is October 16, 2015.
FOR MORE: Innovate@chhs.ca.gov / LGHC@cdph.ca.gov
Meet Melissa
Volunteer of the Month
 
Melissa Campa, diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of fourteen, is a passionate advocate for the epilepsy community. She has  spearheaded our Savers Store Program in Vacaville, engaging customers and the community in conversations about epilepsy and providing seizure first aid demonstrations.

Melissa serves as a mentor to the EFNC Youth Board. She uses her own experience to help other youth adjust to this life-changing diagnosis. 

Melissa will be three years seizure free in December "When I was diagnosed I was absolutely terrified," said Melissa. "I had never heard the word 'seizure' or 'epilepsy' before.  B ecoming a part of the Foundation and a volunteer allowed me to cope with my seizures. As a result of my involvement with EFNC, I was finally able to meet people my own age with epilepsy."

Melissa loves attending sports games (hockey and baseball) and can be found binging on Netflix shows for hours at a time! 

EFNC is very grateful for all of Melissa's
 hard work in our epilepsy community!
#DareTo Be SUDEP Savvy
SUDEP Awareness Day, October 23
 
What is SUDEP?

Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) is said to occur when a person with epilepsy dies unexpectedly and was previously in their usual state of health. The death is not known to be related to an accident or seizure emergency such as status epilepticus. When an autopsy is done, no other cause of death can be found. Each year, more than 1 out of 1,000 people with epilepsy die from SUDEP. However, it occurs more frequently in people with epilepsy whose seizures are poorly controlled.  

Get Involved!
  • Know the FACTS!
  • Promote ways to manage epilepsy to reduce risk
  • Write/meet with local health professionals with information about SUDEP, epilepsy risks, and how they can help people with epilepsy.
  • If you have epilepsy, make an appointment to talk to your medical provider about your risk for SUDEP and how you can reduce your risk.
Medicare Part D 
Open Enrollment Open! 10/15-12/7

Open enrollment is an opportunity for beneficiaries to review and update their Part D prescription drug coverage. New healthcare plans become available each year that may offer better coverage or save money, so it's important for participants to take the time to carefully review their options. 

The resource below is for you to use to educate your networks about Medicare Part D plans offered during open enrollment. With a wide variety of prescription drug plans to choose from, Medicare Part D has a plan that will fit every patients' needs.

Medicare Part D saves and improves patient lives at a low cost, expanding access to treatment for patients in a dramatic way. The Part D program is an American success story, with total costs coming in at $349 billion, 45 percent less than 10-year projections, and an 86 percent patient satisfaction rate, according to a recent survey.

To learn more about the prescription drug plans that are available in your area, check out the Medicare Plan Finder at www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan. You can also call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or visit www.medicare.gov to enroll.