Latest California Healthline Stories
Increased Communication Needed To Reduce Hospital Errors
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations sent an alert to hospitals urging them to pay closer attention to the “medication reconciliation” process when patients are transferred between units or discharged, the AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports.
Report Linking Secondhand Smoke, Breast Cancer Up for Vote
The California Air Resources Board is scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to accept findings by the state that secondhand smoke causes an average 68% increase in breast cancer risk, USA Today reports.
HSAs Centerpiece of Bush Health Care Agenda
The New York Times on Thursday examined health savings accounts, which have become a “cornerstone” of efforts by President Bush to address “runaway medical costs.”
Federal Spending Cuts Could Affect San Diego County Health Programs
Spending cuts in the federal budget could lead to reduced funding for a number of health programs in San Diego County, the Copley News/San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Some Senators Back Off Plans for Medicare Reimbursement Bill
Some senators appear to be retreating from plans to push for legislation (S 2181) that would require the federal government to reimburse states that are covering the cost of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries who have been unable to obtain medications under the new drug benefit, CongressDaily reports.
Studies Document Genetic Mutation for Parkinson’s Disease
Researchers have discovered that a genetic mutation is responsible for a large percentage of cases of Parkinson’s disease in Ashkenazi Jews and North African Arabs, according to two studies published on Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Ballot Measure To Fund Health, Transportation Programs Considered in Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County officials are considering placing a half-cent sales tax measure on the November ballot to pay for county health programs and transportation projects, after a poll found voters might not support two quarter-cent tax initiatives, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
Los Angeles County Receives ‘C’ Rating for Latino Health Care
Latinos have the lowest rates of health insurance, the highest rates of poverty and the lowest per capita incomes in Los Angeles County, according to the annual Latino Scorecard released Wednesday by the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Funds for Nursing Programs Released; Accelerated Program To Launch in May
The governor on Thursday released $2.75 million through the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development’s Song-Brown Family Physician Training Program to increase capacity at nursing schools in California.
Melanoma Incidence Increasing Among Latinos
The incidence of so-called thick tumors from melanoma has been increasing by about 15% annually among Latino males in California since 1988, according to a study released Monday by the University of Southern California, the Los Angeles Times reports.