Morning Breakouts

Latest California Healthline Stories

Chief Counsel, Compliance Officer at Tenet Healthcare Resigns

Santa Barbara-based Tenet Healthcare’s top legal counsel on Friday resigned effective Nov. 1 amid increased criticism from the chair of the Senate panel that is investigating the company, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Insurance Commissioner Says Reform Legislation Could Lower Workers’ Compensation Premiums

At a meeting with agribusiness leaders in Fresno Wednesday, Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi (D) said that recently passed workers’ compensation reforms could rescind proposed increases in workers’ compensation insurance premiums, the Fresno Bee reports.

Stark Introduces Bill To Require Balanced Claims in Direct-to-Consumer Rx Drug Advertisements

Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) on Tuesday introduced a bill (HR 3155) that would disallow corporate tax deductions for drug companies that have direct-to-consumer advertisements that do not portray their products in a “fair and accurate” light, the Oakland Tribune reports.

Oakland City Council Considers Limiting Medical Marijuana Clubs

The Oakland City Council public safety committee on Tuesday voted against a plan to close all but one of the city’s medical marijuana clubs and voted to delay the decision another month to do more research, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Tracy Hospital Implements Bar Code System, Laptops To Improve Safety

Sutter Tracy Community Hospital in Tracy last week implemented a medication bar code system to reduce drug errors as part of a $50 million patient safety initiative that Sutter Health Network announced last month, the Stockton Record reports.

PhRMA Launches Advertising Campaign To Improve Public Image

More than 10 major drug companies have partnered with the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America to launch a preliminary advertising campaign in five U.S. markets to improve the industry’s public image, the Chicago Tribune reports.