Lakeport

Researchers are evaluating the HEATwise program, a heat preparedness and resilience intervention aimed at protecting communities vulnerable to extreme heat events, including older adults, Tribal members, and people facing housing or economic challenges in Lake County, California. This program is being studied to see if it can increase protective behaviors, reduce heat-related symptoms, and improve resilience over time. HEATwise is a 12-week program that includes group workshops on heat risks and preparedness, personalized resource navigation, a community celebration event, and distribution of cooling and emergency supply kits. The study will begin with a pilot phase in 2026 at three sites to assess feasibility and acceptability among about 60 participants. Following this, a full trial will randomly assign eight community sites to either receive HEATwise immediately or after a delay, comparing outcomes over 12 months. Participants will engage in group sessions and one-on-one support, with researchers monitoring changes in heat-related symptoms three months after the intervention and tracking resilience scores up to 15 months post-enrollment. The study involves regular communication, assessments of protective behaviors, and community engagement activities designed to strengthen individual and collective ability to cope with extreme heat, with participation lasting over a year.

Researchers are comparing the rates of surgical and minimally invasive interventions, as well as any harms, in Medicare beneficiaries treated with the MILD procedure versus those treated with interspinous process decompression IPD for lumbar spinal stenosis with neurogenic claudication. This observational study uses Medicare claims data to follow patients for 24 months after their initial procedure starting from January 1, 2017. The purpose is to evaluate outcomes between these two types of procedures without requiring prior patient enrollment or consent. The study includes two groups patients who received MILD, which is a percutaneous image-guided lumbar decompression performed under fluoroscopic guidance through a dorsal approach to the spine, and patients who received IPD, a different device-based decompression procedure. Data on reoperations and complications will be collected for both groups over a 24-month follow-up period using Medicare claims. Enrollment continues until the sponsor decides to stop. Participants involvement is passive as the study uses existing Medicare claims data. Researchers will monitor rates of harms related to the initial procedure and subsequent surgical or minimally invasive interventions over two years. No direct patient visits or interventions are conducted, and the study is exempt from institutional review board oversight. The total study duration extends to December 2026, covering cases treated since early 2017.