Latest California Healthline Stories
Feinstein Pushes for Ban on BPA as Part of Federal Food Safety Legislation
Sen. Dianne Feinstein is calling for a ban on the chemical bisphenol-A as part of food safety legislation currently under consideration in Congress. Food and chemical industries have pledged to defeat the bill if the ban is included. San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post.
VA To Open Treatment Facility for Homeless Veterans in San Diego
The Department of Veterans Affairs is gearing up to launch a new San Diego-based treatment center for homeless veterans using a five-year, $33 million grant. Officials expect the 40-bed rehabilitation facility to open in early 2012. San Diego Union-Tribune.
County Officials Uneasy Over Proposal To Take On Services
A state Senate plan to move some health, welfare and public safety programs from state to county control has local leaders concerned over funding issues and the exact details of the proposal. Fresno County Budget Director Kathleen Donawa said that county officials cannot plan ahead because many provisions of the plan — intended as an alternative to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal — have yet to be announced. Fresno Bee.
Nurses Face Tight Job Market Despite Looming RN Shortage
Despite repeated projections of a nursing shortage, many recently graduated registered nurses are unable to find employment because the economic recession has discouraged the retirement of current RNs. However, industry experts still forecast a significant nursing shortage as the new health reform law helps more U.S. residents obtain coverage and as the baby boomer generation ages and requires more care. USA Today.
Obama Administration Plans National Strategy To Combat HIV/AIDS
The U.S. government will begin a new nationwide movement to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS by redirecting resources to the most affected areas and populations. The administration also has set benchmarks to measure the progress of the initiative. The Hill‘s “Healthwatch” et al.
Half of Ventura County Physicians Approaching Retirement, Experts Say
The Ventura County Medical Association estimates that half of its doctors will be at least 55 years old by the end of the year. The trend is sparking concerns about how hospitals will manage an expected increase in newly insured patients under health reform. Ventura County Star.
California Republicans Propose Initiatives To Dismantle Reform Law
California Republican Reps. Wally Herger and Dan Lungren have introduced proposals to repeal the entire health reform law or scale back certain requirements. Both lawmakers say the federal health care overhaul will have negative effects on small businesses. Sacramento Bee.
Lobbyists Sponsor Almost 40% of Bills in Calif. Legislature
From 2007 to 2008, outside lobbying groups wrote more than 1,800 bills that were introduced in the California Legislature, or about 39% of all bills, according to a new San Jose Mercury News analysis. The investigation found that roughly half of the bills supported by lobbyists became law, compared with about 20% of legislation written solely by lawmakers. There are no implications that lawmakers are acting illegally. San Jose Mercury News, AP/Ventura County Star.
Editorials Take Aim at State’s Stalled Budget Negotiations
The Schwarzenegger administration’s plan to pay state workers the minimum wage to help address California’s budget deficit amounts to a “drop in the budget ocean” and unfairly targets employees who have no control over how their programs are funded, according to a Los Angeles Times editorial. Meanwhile, the Sacramento Bee argues that lawmakers are scoring “cheap political points” by blaming members of the opposing party for stalled budget talks while holding events to raise campaign funds, instead of focusing on finding a budget solution, the “serious task at hand.” Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee.
Coalition Building Support for Medical School at UC-Merced
A growing coalition in the San Joaquin Valley is helping to build support for a proposed new medical school at UC-Merced, according to a report released last week in a news conference at the UCSF-Fresno Center for Medical Education and Research. The report, titled “A Vision for the Valley,” aims to educate the public about the proposed medical school, evaluate community support and raise new funds for the project. Fresno Bee.