Latest California Healthline Stories
Los Angeles County hospitals should consider limiting nonemergency care for undocumented immigrants, according to a recent state audit of the county hospital system, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Many Clinics Do Not Use Industry Prescription Drug Assistance Programs
Many health clinics that serve low-income patients do not participate in prescription drug assistance programs sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry because they are “cumbersome,” according to a study published in the April 1 issue of the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, the Newark Star-Ledger reports.
Federal Court Refers Tobacco Case to State Supreme Court for Clarification of Law
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in considering two remaining tobacco lawsuits, on Tuesday asked the California Supreme Court to clarify whether it would hear the case of someone diagnosed with a tobacco-related illness many years after becoming addicted to cigarettes, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
David Schwartz, a physician nominated to become the new director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Science at NIH, has “postponed his arrival indefinitely” because of concerns about revised agency conflict-of-interest guidelines, the Washington Post reports.
Projected Savings From CalPERS Move To Drop Hospitals Might Have Been Overstated, State Audit Says
CalPERS might have overstated projected savings by more than $10 million when it moved last year to drop some hospitals from its health care provider networks, according to a state audit released Tuesday, the Sacramento Bee reports.
United States Had Record Number of Organ Transplants in 2004, HHS Says
Almost 27,000 U.S. residents received a transplanted organ in 2004, a new national record that HHS officials attribute to a campaign launched in 2001 to increase organ donation rates, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports.
Children Have Engaged in Less Risky Behavior Over Last 12 Years, Study Finds
Children have been engaging in less risky behavior over the past 12 years, although more young people are obese or living in poverty or single-parent homes, according to a report published in the January issue of Social Indicators Research, the AP/Boston Globe reports.
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution to implement a program to allow pharmacists to distribute syringes without a prescription, the Oakland Tribune reports.
Fresno County Agency Receives Grant To Help Fund Training Programs for Health Care Professionals
The Fresno County Workforce Investment Board has received an $800,000 grant from the state to help fund efforts to train residents for health care-related occupations, the Fresno Bee reports.
Senators Meet To Discuss Rival Prescription Drug Reimportation Bills
Sens. David Vitter (R-La.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) recently have been meeting with Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) to discuss competing bills that would allow U.S. residents to import lower-cost prescription drugs from other countries, the Hill reports.