Latest California Healthline Stories
Attorney General Calls for Rx Drug Monitoring System To Prevent Abuse
Attorney General Jerry Brown said a new monitoring system will help the state stop patients from seeking multiple prescriptions from different doctors. A Bay Area resident has offered to raise funds for a new electronic prescription monitoring system. Los Angeles Times.
UC Will Discuss Possibility of Operating King-Harbor
On Friday, University of California Provost Wyatt “Rory” Hume said that the university would seriously discuss serving as the sole operator of the new Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital. However, Hume said the university would prefer a model in which it served only in academic and clinical roles and in which a third party acted as administrator. Los Angeles Times.
Santa Cruz County Initiative Targets Childhood Obesity
A Santa Cruz County collaborative has launched a new campaign, called 52-10, to target childhood obesity. The program, based on research and developed in Maine, encourages parents and children to eat better and exercise more. About 31% of children in Santa Cruz County are overweight, compared with 17% nationwide. Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Lawmakers Want Records on Detained Immigrants’ Care
House Judiciary Committee leaders on Thursday in a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff requested thousands of documents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement related to health care provided to immigrants in detention centers. The lawmakers said they made the request in response to a four-day Washington Post series on the treatment of detained immigrants. CongressDaily.
Senate Approves Bill To Ban Chemical Found in Plastics
On Thursday, the California Senate approved a bill (S 1713) to prohibit the sale of consumer products containing detectable levels of an estrogen-like chemical found in plastics that is suspected of disrupting normal human growth. If the measure becomes law, California would become the first state to ban the use of the plastics ingredient bisphenol A in consumer products. San Francisco Chronicle.
VA Reprimands Doctor Who Discouraged Stress Diagnoses for War Vets
The Department of Veterans Affairs physician overseeing a post-traumatic stress disorder program in Texas has been counseled and is apologetic about an e-mail she sent to other physicians advising them to avoid diagnosing war veterans “straight out” with the condition. Her e-mail suggested a rise in veterans seeking financial compensation for the condition. New York Daily News et al.
Kaiser, Health Net To Reinstate Coverage for 1,200 Members
Under a deal reached with the state Department of Managed Health Care, Kaiser Permanente and Health Net will reinstate policies for nearly 1,200 patients whose coverage was rescinded between 2004 and 2006. DMHC hopes to reach similar deals with Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield and PacifiCare. Los Angeles Times et al.
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of May 16, 2008
The Marin Healthcare District and Sutter Health are in talks about revisiting lease terms for Marin General Hospital. Kaiser Permanente opened a new hospital in Irvine, and San Diego Naval Medical Center was rechristened Bob Wilson Naval Hospital.