Latest California Healthline Stories
Travel Nurses Increasing Amid Staffing Shortage, New Rule
The Fresno Bee on Sunday examined some nurses’ decisions to enlist with travel registries that place them in temporary hospital assignments, as hospitals attempt to fill staff vacancies caused by nurse shortages and a new state nurse staffing rule.
Subcommittee Names Four Finalist Cities for CIRM Headquarters
San Francisco’s bid to host the headquarters of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine topped a preliminary list of finalists made by CIRM and the Department of General Services, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Prescription Drug Price Rise in Line With Medical Inflation Rate, PhRMA Says
Consumer Price Index data show that prescription drug prices are increasing about 4% annually, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America said Tuesday in a report that contradicts a similar study by AARP, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Riverside County Official Seeks To Expand Health Insurance Program for County Workers
Riverside County Auditor-Controller Robert Byrd has requested a report from PricewaterhouseCoopers and data manager ADP to analyze potential savings achieved by expanding Exclusive Care, a health insurance program administered by the county that reimburses physicians and medical facilities for services provided to some county employees, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports.
Black Women Less Likely To Receive Genetic Testing To Screen for Breast Cancer Risk, Study Finds
White women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer are five times as likely to receive genetic counseling for BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations as black women with similar family histories, according to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of American Medical Association, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Assembly Health Committee Approves Bills Related To Rx Drug Costs, Availability, Safety
The Assembly Health Committee on Tuesday approved several bills that seek to make prescription drugs less expensive, more available and safer for state residents, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports.
Senate Defeats Amendment To Provide $1.98 Billion for VA Hospitals
The Senate on Tuesday voted 54-46 to defeat an amendment to a military appropriations bill that would have provided an additional $1.98 billion for Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals, the AP/Los Angeles Times reports.
Hospital Keyboards Harbor Bacteria for Up to 24 Hours, Study Finds
Hospital computer keyboards can harbor harmful bacteria for up to 24 hours, highlighting an increased risk of spreading germs as health care facilities increase investment in electronic medical records, according to study released on Monday, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday ordered county Department of Health Services Director Thomas Garthwaite to move his office to Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center to address ongoing problems at the facility, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Assembly Judiciary Committee Approves Physician Assisted-Suicide Bill
The Assembly Judiciary Committee on Tuesday voted 5-4 to approve a bill (AB 654) that would allow some patients diagnosed as having no more than six months to live to end their lives with a self-administered prescription, the Los Angeles Times reports.