Latest California Healthline Stories
Senate OKs Bill Allowing School Staff To Provide Seizure Drug to Students
Last week, the California Senate passed a bill that would let school employees administer anti-seizure medication to children with epilepsy. Many teachers and nurses oppose the bill, saying children should be treated by medical staff. California Watch, Orange County Register.
California Health Care Personnel News Update for May 2011
David Carlisle of the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development has been named president of Charles Drew University. Meanwhile, Kaiser Permanente’s Joe Selby has been named executive director of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.
Chiang: Lawmakers Will Stop Collecting Pay if They Fail To Pass Budget
Controller John Chiang recently said legislators will stop receiving their salaries and per diem pay if they fail to pass a balanced budget by June 15. Lawmakers said they are committed to meeting the constitutional deadline. Sacramento Bee, Los Angeles Times.
State Could Face Dire Health Effects From Ozone Changes
A Union of Concerned Scientists report finds California could be hit hardest of all states by negative health-related effects triggered from worsening ozone pollution associated with climate change. The report states that in 2020, California could see 443,000 additional cases of respiratory illnesses and more than $729 million in health care costs. According to the report, the most vulnerable states are those with high child, elderly and urban populations, as well as those with high levels of nitrogen oxides and emissions from power plants and vehicles. San Francisco Chronicle‘s “Chron Rx” et al.
Health Care Top Issue for Calif. Veterans, Report Says
Health care ranks among the top concerns identified by California veterans, according to a California Department of Veterans Affairs report. The report — which surveyed 43,075 veterans — found that 45% of veterans are interested in VA health care services and that 23% have asked for mental health referrals. North County Times.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of June 3, 2011
Stanford University plans to increase the amount it is offering to Palo Alto as it works to secure approval for a $3 billion hospital construction project. Meanwhile, UnitedHealth Group has bought $8.6 million in tax-exempt revenue bonds from Antelope Valley Healthcare District.
Assembly Passes Bill To Boost Oversight of Health Plan Rates
The Assembly has voted 47-28 to pass a bill that would authorize state regulators to reject health insurance rate hikes that are deemed excessive. Health plans say the measure will drive up health care costs. Sacramento Bee‘s “Capitol Alert” et al.
Opinion: Payments to Health Care Providers Fueling Costs
AB 52, by Assembly member Mike Feuer, “may not go nearly far enough” to prevent excessive increases in health insurance rates, Micah Weinberg — senior research fellow at the New America Foundation — writes in a Sacramento Bee opinion piece. Weinberg suggests that lowering health care costs might require California to target “the primary source of increases in health care spending: rising payments to hospitals, doctors, pharmaceutical companies and other providers of health care goods and services.” Sacramento Bee.
State Regulators Impose $650K in Fines for Safety Lapses at 12 Hospitals
The state Department of Public Health has fined 12 hospitals a total of $650,000 for errors that jeopardized patients’ health or resulted in death. Many of the lapses involved medication mistakes or leaving surgical tools inside patients. AP/San Jose Mercury News et al.
Legislators Urge Officials To Boost Anti-Infection Efforts
Several California lawmakers are voicing concern about the state’s slow progress in implementing laws designed to reduce rates of hospital-acquired infections. Assembly Committee on Health Chair William Monning and Senate Health Committee Chair Ed Hernandez said they are calling for state health officials to accelerate their anti-infection efforts. Sacramento Bee.