Latest California Healthline Stories
Report Critical of Medical Board Processes, Investigations
The Medical Board of California on average completes investigations against doctors in 2.63 years and about four years if doctors appeal, according to a report published in November, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
BMJ Article Suggests Eli Lilly Concealed Data on Prozac Risks
Eli Lilly allegedly has “long concealed evidence” that its antidepressant Prozac could cause “violent and suicidal behavior,” according to an article published Jan. 1 in the British Medical Journal, the New York Times reports.
East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital Might Lose JCAHO Accreditation
Officials for the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations have threatened to revoke accreditation for East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital based on the results of an August inspection released this month that found the hospital laboratory does not meet 14 organization standards, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Bush Administration To Expand Nursing Home Quality Initiative After Report Shows Modest Improvements
Bush administration officials on Wednesday announced plans to expand a program launched in 2002 to improve nursing home quality that “has so far had mixed results,” the Boston Globe reports.
FDA Asks AstraZeneca To Pull Crestor Ad Because of Misleading Claims About Drug’s Safety
An FDA letter to AstraZeneca states that a full-page nationwide newspaper advertisement campaign asserting the safety and effectiveness of AstraZeneca’s cholesterol-lowering drug Crestor contains “false or misleading” claims and should no longer be disseminated, USA Today reports.
Bay Area Clinic Reopens After Yearlong Closure
Gilroy RotaCare, a clinic offering medical care at no cost to uninsured low-income patients, recently ended a yearlong hiatus and reopened at South Valley Middle School in central Gilroy, the Gilroy Dispatch reports.
As part of its series about Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center, the Los Angeles Times on Thursday featured excerpts of interviews with members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
Safety Concerns About Pain Medication Naproxen Might Be ‘Overblown,’ Lead Study Author Says
“Fevered reaction” to the preliminary results of a study released this week that indicated the pain medication naproxen might increase patient risk for heart attack and stroke by 50% “may be overblown,” and safety risks of the medication remain “unclear,” according to the lead author of the study and other medical experts, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Governors Ask Federal Government Not To Shift Medicaid Costs to States in Effort To Reduce Deficit
The National Governors Association on Wednesday sent a letter to congressional leaders urging the federal government not to shift additional federal Medicaid costs to states in an effort to lower the national deficit, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports.
Union and Hospitals Reach Agreement for Education Fund
The Services Employees International Union Local 250, which represents health care workers in Northern California, on Monday announced a deal with several hospitals and health systems — including Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Catholic Healthcare West, Washington Hospital in Fremont and Alameda Hospital — to create a training and education fund for workers, Inside Bay Area reports.