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• Over and out

• Lodi industrial firms seek more qualified employees

• Patient numbers plummet: Delta family planning clinic in Lodi closes

• Eastside families waiting for heat as temperatures drop

• Methamphetamine bill co-sponsored by Jerry McNerney signed into law

November 2nd, 2009

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

November 7th, 2009

• Lodi High graduate was at Fort Hood

• Lining up for flu shots in Lodi

• Tour packs buses as birdwatchers admire Sandhill cranes

• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks

• Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

• Lodi High School rally featured on 'Good Day Sacramento'

• Out of control

• Homicide suspect Anthony Hubbard arraigned

• Regional Roundup

• New Lodi Memorial rule to combat spread of H1N1: Visitors must be older than 16

November 6th, 2009

• Short sales make up nearly half of Lodi market

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi man accused of smuggling drugs, weapons for inmates at state prison

• 'I-5 Strangler' sentenced to 6 terms of life

• Jury convicts Acampo man of torture, assault of his girlfriend

• Young girl is 200,000th person to assemble AIDS, HIV care kit

• Woman in wheelchair struck by car

November 5th, 2009

• A lower Lodi Lake

• Streetside scarecrows

• San Joaquin County considers moratorium on new Williamson Act contracts

• Speakers address Lodi Unified School District budget shortfalls, plea to keep programs

• Armed robbers still targeting Lodi shops

• Regional Roundup

• California voters have final say over $11 billion water bond

• Weekend bus service to continue until Lodi City Council makes decision

• Paul Tebbel shines spotlight on sandhill cranes

• Your complete guide to Sandhill Crane Festival

• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy

• Man wanted in Acampo homicide gives up to San Joaquin County Sheriff's detectives

November 4th, 2009

• Candle fire

• Rep. Jerry McNerney sets telephone town hall for Thursday

• Jason Behrmann is unanimously named Galt's city manager

• Regional Roundup

• Galt City Council argues over ordinance hiring residents

• San Joaquin County sues state over prison hospital planned for Stockton

• Big win for Allen Baroni in reclamation election

• California sends Democratic loyalist John Garamendi to Congress

• Bicycling father raising awareness of teen suicide

• Lodi City Council weighs raising fares to restore some bus service

November 3rd, 2009

• 500 attend service for Kyle Coumas

• Correction

• Galt considers ordinance that would require city contractors to hire locally

• Regional Roundup

• Have you seen a missing guide dog puppy in Lodi?

• Galt man dies after weekend Highway 12 crash

• Jason Behrmann is top candidate for Galt city manager

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

• Clarification

November 2nd, 2009

• Downtown Lodi trick or treat

• Public Meetings

• Correction

• Kyle Coumas funeral today

• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home

• Regional Roundup

• Group investigates reports of haunting

• Sandhill Cranes Festival comes to Lodi next weekend

• Lamborghini lovers gather for show, fine wine, luncheon in Woodbridge

• Lodi's 'Biggest Loser' Christy Richesin runs 5K Halloween race

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

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• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy (70)
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Patient numbers plummet: Delta family planning clinic in Lodi closes

Delta Health Care's Lodi family planning clinic, which caters to low-income adults and teens, closed Friday due to a significant drop in patients during the last two years.

The clinic offers annual exams, contraception and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases to uninsured women under 45, teens and a few males.

"It's just plain losing too much money," said Dr. Gordon Roget, the clinic's medical director for 20 years. Roget also works at the clinic part time, examining breast lumps and abnormal pap smears.

Brent Williams, executive director for Delta Health Care said the clinic has been losing approximately $50,000 to $75,000 a year for the past two years.

The clinic, which is funded on a per visit basis through Medi-Cal and the Family Planning, Access, Care and Treatment program, started seeing a declining number of patients in 2006.

In 2005, the clinic saw 2,900 patients in 6,700 visits. In 2006, those numbers dropped to approximately 2,300 clients and 4,600 visits.

A year ago, Delta Health care closed a family planning clinic in Stockton, hoping that those patients would travel to Lodi for services.

Some patients who liked the doctors and nurses at the Stockton clinic did follow them to Lodi, but it just wasn't enough, Williams said.

Through December of this year the clinic saw 2,400 clients in 4,000 visits.

Neither Williams nor staff members at the clinic could give a reason for why patients numbers had dropped.

Roget, who had no idea the clinic was in financial trouble, said he was surprised when Delta Health Care officials told him Dec. 10 that the clinic was set to close in just shy of two weeks.

The family planning clinic shares an office with Delta Health Care's Women, Infants and Children clinic, which provides nutrition education, vouchers for food and breast feeding assistance to pregnant women and mothers with young children.

"The WIC program has blossomed, but the family planning clinic has declined steadily over the past few years," Williams said.

Delta Health Care's family planning patients will be referred to Woodbridge Medical Group. Delta Health Care's family planning clinic will continue to see patients for follow up appointments through January, and will keep patient's records on file.

However, Roget fears that patients from the clinic will switch to condoms instead of going to another clinic to get other forms of contraceptive.

"That will result in a couple hundred unplanned pregnancies per year, as well as a mini-epidemic of gonorrhea and chlamydia once patients are no longer being screened," Roget said in a letter.

Roget said that if a couple uses condoms as their only form of contraception for three years, they can pretty much count on having an unwanted pregnancy.

Roget sent the letter to every physician in Lodi and every pharmacy in Lodi and Stockton requesting donations to save the clinic. He hoped that he could convince Delta Health Care's board of directors to keep the clinic open temporarily while he searched for a long-term solution to the problem.

As of Friday, Roget had raised just $725 from three donors. He also volunteered to work at the clinic for free.

Williams said it would take approximately $75,000 to save the clinic.

Roget plans to send the checks he received back to their donors.

"It would've been nice to explore options to carry on this work," Roget said.

Alexandra Crippen, a medical assistant at the family planning clinic, said she's sad to see the clinic go, especially right before the holidays.

"I've gotten really close with my patients. There's a lot that I see on a regular basis," said Crippen, who feels her patients value the clinic's small, all-female staff.

Crippen will transfer to Delta Health Care's health education department.

Sara Godwin, a nurse practitioner for the clinic, has worked for Delta Health Care for 25 years. She plans to retire after the clinic closes.

Godwin said several of her patients travel from as far away as Walnut Creek, Elk Grove and the foothills to visit the clinic.

"I'm very sad. I'm sad for the patients that have trusted us for so many years," Godwin said.

Contact reporter Amanda Dyer at amandad@lodinews.com.