Latest California Healthline Stories
Hospitals Struggle To Comply With New Nurse-to-Patient Ratios
As many as 80% of the 300 state hospitals that self-report each week to the California Healthcare Association say that they are not in compliance with the state’s new nurse-to-patient staffing ratios, the Stockton Record reports.
Trials on ‘Partial-Birth’ Abortion Ban Begin in Three Cities
Trials to determine the constitutionality of the federal ban on so-called “partial-birth” abortion began on Monday in federal courts in San Francisco, New York City and Lincoln, Neb., the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Legislators Introduce Number of Health-Related ‘Pet’ Bills
The Oakland Tribune on Tuesday examined some recently proposed “quirky ‘pet’ bills,” some of which are related to health care.
Oakland To Offer Free Diabetes Screenings As Part of National Program
U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona on Thursday in Oakland announced that the city is one of 10 nationwide — and the only city in California — that will offer free diabetes screenings as part of a federal health program, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Negotiations on Reforms to the State Workers’ Compensation System Move Forward
Negotiators working on a package that would reform the state’s workers’ compensation system came closer to an agreement on Monday, reaching compromises on some key issues, including a method for determining disability benefits for injured workers, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Senate Approves Compensation Bill for Organ Donors
The Senate on Thursday approved by voice vote a bill (HR 3926) that seeks to increase living organ donations by reimbursing donors for travel and other nonmedical expenses, the AP/Modesto Bee reports.
New York Times Examines Conflicts at King/Drew
The New York Times on Sunday looked at Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center, which has “fallen so far … that some doctors, Los Angeles County Officials and civil rights lawyers call it a catastrophe of corruption, institutional paralysis and ineptitude.”
Aetna Settlement With Dentists Gains Preliminary Approval from Federal Judge
U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno on Friday gave preliminary approval to the settlement of a lawsuit filed by the American Dental Association against Connecticut-based insurer Aetna, the AP/Baltimore Sun reports.
Schwarzenegger, Lawmakers Miss Friday Workers’ Compensation Deadline, Focus Talks on Insurance Fund
Lawmakers failed to meet Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (R) Friday deadline for reforming the state’s workers’ compensation system, as discussions “bogged down” over a number of issues, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
AP/Kansas City Star Examines Effect of U.S. Nursing Shortage on Patient Care
The AP/Kansas City Star on Monday looked at the national nursing shortage and its impact on patient care.