The California Alliance for Retired American is a non-profit organization that works toward the advancement and achievement of just and equitable living conditions for seniors within the state.

“We’re non-partisan advocacy group,” said Nan Brasmer, who is the president of CARA since 2003.

She’s the wife of the late Ed Brasmer, who was principal of Manteca High. He retired in 1993 and passed away in 1997.

Nan Brasmer still lives in Manteca – she calls home that “small 80-year-old house right across the street from MHS” – and was recently re-elected to another four-year term as president of CARA that’s based in Oakland and with 950,000 members strong statewide.

CARA hosted Wednesday’s Town Hall session involving Kaiser-Manteca Medical Center cuts and closures. Most of those attending were from the Woodbridge by Del Webb active adult retirement community in Manteca.

Karen Eastham and others chose Del Webb because it was located not too far from Kaiser-Manteca, where family and loved ones could receive full-coverage medical service.

Since the beginning of the year, certain services were reduced or closed, including:

•The Medical Surgical Unit, consisting of the entire hospital floor.

•Ultrasound services in Radiology after 5 p.m. Patients needing an emergency ultrasound after hours have to be transferred o other hospitals.

•Knee and hip replacement services in Orthopedics.

•Colonoscopy and endoscopy for in-patients. The Gastrointestinal Services specialist was moved to Kaiser in Modesto.

•Stress test on treadmills in Cardiology is also conducted in Modesto.

CARA, in particular, has been concerned about the delays in care and other impacts from the cuts on seniors.

“As seniors, many of us no longer drive or have trouble driving at night,” said Nan Brasmer, who was once the labor relation representative for the California School Employees Association. “Just going to Modesto can be a hardship on patients and their spouses.”

That’s part of the reason CARA opted to coordinate the investigatory meeting.

Brasmer was pleased with the turnout, where nearly 50 attended the session held in the Manteca Transit Center.