Latest California Healthline Stories
San Bernardino Program Provides Dental Care to Kids
The Rialto Unified School District’s dental program aims to provide dental care to low-income children. The program is funded by First 5 San Bernardino and is conducted in partnership with that agency and the county health department. Riverside Press-Enterprise.
Settlement Could Lead To Drop in Residents at Developmental Centers
A recently approved settlement will require California to provide more information and assistance to people with developmental disabilities who are interested in moving from state hospitals, called developmental centers, to community-based facilities. San Francisco Chronicle.
U.S. Representative Says U.S. Will Adopt Single-Payer Plan
Speaking at an event at CSU-Monterey Bay on Sunday, Rep. Jim McDermott predicted that the country will adopt a single-payer health plan. He noted that several influential groups, including physicians and unions, support national health coverage. Monterey County Herald.
Bay Area Health Care Leaders Say Stimulus Funds Could Be Delayed
Health care officials say that vacancies at HHS and CMS could throw a wrench in decisions on issues that will affect the release of more than $19 billion for health information technology that was included in the federal economic stimulus package. San Francisco Business Times.
Report: U.S. Hospitals Still Lag on Infection-Prevention Measures
Consumers Union released a report indicating that about 100,000 hospital patients were at risk of developing surgical infections during a one-year period because hospitals are not complying fully with infection-prevention strategies. Stockton Record.
Yolo County Awarded Grant for Safe Needle Disposal
Yolo County received a $197,680 grant from the California Integrated Waste Management Board to develop programs to safely dispose of hypodermic needles and other sharp medical products. Sacramento Business Journal.
Funds Run Dry for Ventura County Program Targeting the Uninsured
A Ventura County health care program that serves the uninsured will not accept new applications because of funding limitations. The director of the county health care agency said program staff would refer people to county clinics for care and try to help people enroll in Medi-Cal. Ventura County Star.
Health Center Receives $2.4M in Federal Stimulus Funding
The San Ysidro Health Center has received two grants totaling $2.4 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help provide health care to low-income residents in the area. San Diego Union-Tribune.
Rural California RHIO Gains Federal Tax-Exempt Status
The East Kern County Integrated Technology Association, a rural regional health information organization in California, recently received federal tax-exemption status from IRS. The designation could help the organization receive grant funding. Health Data Management.
Uninsured Rate Tops 25% in San Joaquin Valley
More than 25% of residents younger than 65 who live in California’s 18th Congressional District, which stretches from Stockton to Fresno, are uninsured, according to data released last week by the Center for Health Policy Research at UCLA. UCLA researchers said that the number of uninsured residents might have increased further since the data were collected in 2007 since unemployment has increased. Stockton Record.