Latest California Healthline Stories
Opinion: Ease Enrollment in Public Assistance Programs
In an opinion piece, Claudia Page — co-director of the Center to Promote HealthCare Access, an Oakland-based not-for-profit — writes that information technology “is a critical component to helping qualified families access services that could keep them from spiraling into deeper poverty or sickness.” Page cites One-e-App as a successful “Web-based system for connecting families with support programs.” Sacramento Bee.
Proposed Calif. Program Would Target Surgical Items Left in Patients
The California Department of Public Health wants to create a collaborative project to help prevent foreign objects from being left in patients during surgery. Such errors account for nearly 20% of the adverse events at the roughly 450 California hospitals that perform invasive procedures. HealthLeaders Media.
Inadequate Dental Care Could Create Problems for Kids, Experts Say
With the elimination of a school-based dental health program last year, advocates are raising concerns that low-income children will lose access to preventive oral health care. Experts say tooth decay can lead to school absences and other health problems. New America Media.
California Nursing Schools Can’t Handle Demand
Despite a statewide shortage of trained nurses, community colleges in the state are turning away thousands of prospective nursing students because they already are filled to capacity. Several governors have made nursing education a state priority. KQED’s “California Report.”
Rep. Miller Confident Congress Will Pass Health Care Reform
On Monday, House Education and Labor Committee Chair George Miller (D-Calif.) said he is confident lawmakers will pass health care reform this year. According to some reports, Democrats are pursuing a strategy in which the House would pass the Senate bill and send it back with amendments to the Senate under a budget reconciliation process that requires only a simple majority vote. Contra Costa Times.
Obama’s Budget Would Provide $1.5B in Extra Medi-Cal Funds
California would receive about $1.5 billion in additional Medi-Cal funding as part of the $25 billion allotted for state Medicaid programs under President Obama’s latest budget plan. However, California’s proposed share still falls short of the $6.9 billion federal funding request sought by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other state officials. Los Angeles Times et al.
UC-Davis Gets $267K Grant To Train Health Professionals
On Monday, the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development announced that UC-Davis will receive more than $267,000 in training grants for primary care and mental health professionals. UC-Davis is one of 15 universities in the state to receive grants totaling more than $1.7 million. Funding for the grants comes from the Song-Brown Program. Sacramento Business Journal.
Health Care Jobs Offer Bright Spot in Sacramento Area
The health care job market is offering hope to Sacramento-area residents affected by the recession and unemployment. The need for workers in high-demand health care specialties, such as radiology technology and nursing, is increasing in the area. Sacramento Bee.
Fresno County’s Medical Eligibility Rules Questioned
A new cost-of-living study questions Fresno County’s eligibility rules for its Medically Indigent Services Program. The study found that it costs $1,284 a month for a single adult in Fresno County to live at subsistence level. However, the county has a $509 monthly income limit for individuals to qualify for no-cost medical care. Fresno Bee.
California Health Care Personnel News Update for January 2010
Alfred Gilchrist is leaving his new post as CEO of the California Medical Association and returning to his former job in Colorado. Meanwhile, Brown & Toland Medical Group’s CEO Gloria Austin has announced plans to retire by the end of 2010, and Gov. Schwarzenegger filled a number of board positions.