Morning Breakouts

Latest California Healthline Stories

Stem Cell Committee Approves Conflict-of-Interest, Openness Rules

The Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee on Tuesday voted in favor of requiring the stem cell agency’s review panels, also known as working groups, to open some meetings to the public, the Sacramento Bee reports.

Hospitals, Organizations Pledge $1.2M To Expand College of the Sequoias Nursing Program

Tulare District Hospital, the California Foundation for Medical Care, and other hospitals and organizations have pledged about $1.2 million toward a goal of $2.5 million to help expand the nursing program at College of the Sequoias, the Fresno Bee reports.

Senate Subcommittee Approves $145.7B Labor-HHS-Education Fiscal Year 2006 Appropriations Bill

Members of the Senate Appropriations Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Tuesday by voice vote approved a $145.7 billion Labor-HHS-Education fiscal year 2006 appropriations bill after they added $3.3 billion for health-related programs through the delay of mandatory federal payments for disabled individuals until the next fiscal year, CongressDaily reports.

Senate Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Alternative Embryonic Stem Cell Research Legislation

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies on Tuesday held a hearing on legislation (HR 3144) proposed by congressional Republican leaders that would promote new, “unproven” techniques that might allow scientists to retrieve embryonic stem cells without creating or destroying embryos, the New York Times reports.

Drug Makers Donate $43M to Special Election Campaign on Drug Measures

Pharmaceutical companies in the past month have contributed more than $43 million for a campaign on two prescription drug measures on the Nov. 8 special election ballot, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Hospital-Acquired Infections Accounted for Almost 1,800 Deaths in Pennsylvania in 2004, Study Finds

Hospital-acquired infections last year accounted for 1,793 deaths and $2 billion in charges in Pennsylvania, according to a study released on Tuesday by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Actuarial Firm Wins Contract To Examine Effect of Workers’ Compensation Legislation

Bickmore Risk Services on Monday announced that it has won a $767,000 state contract to study whether changes to the state workers’ compensation insurance system have lowered rates and increased competition, the Sacramento Bee reports.

Schwarzenegger Signs Budget, Vetoes Funds for Prostate Cancer Program

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Monday signed the state budget after using the line-item veto to eliminate about $190 million in spending from the $117.4 billion spending plan, including funding for a program that provides treatment for low-income men with prostate cancer, the Sacramento Bee reports.

State Newborn-Screening Programs Vary, March of Dimes Study Finds

Health care providers in 15 states and Washington, D.C., must screen newborns for fewer than 10 of the 29 medical conditions for which the American College of Medical Genetics recommends tests, according to a study of state newborn-screening programs released on Tuesday by the March of Dimes, the Wall Street Journal reports.