Latest California Healthline Stories
Judge Bars Cuts in Patient Services at Martin Luther King Jr.-Drew Medical Center
Superior Court Judge David Yaffe yesterday issued a temporary restraining order barring Los Angeles County from cutting patient services at Martin Luther King Jr.-Drew Medical Center but allowing the county to eliminate about 400 jobs at the hospital by July 1, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Bush Meets With House Members To Discuss Medicare Reform Legislation
President Bush yesterday held two meetings with House members to gather support for the House Medicare legislation, the New York Times reports.
Mental Health, Substance Abuse Services Face Cuts Under San Francisco Budget Proposal
San Francisco mental health programs, AIDS services and substance abuse programs will have to scale back or close under the city’s $4.9 billion proposed fiscal year 2003-2004 budget plan now being debated by the city Board of Supervisors Budget Committee, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Senate Panel Reaches Deal on Asbestos Compensation Bill
Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday reached a compromise that would make it easier for people who have asbestos-related illnesses to qualify for compensation from a proposed trust fund, the New York Times reports.
Orange County Supervisors Approve Budget With Reductions for Health Care Services
The Orange County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a $4.8 billion fiscal year 2003-2004 overall county budget that will likely lead to reductions in mental health services, the closure of eight part-time health clinics and reductions in tests for sexually transmitted diseases if additional funds from the state are not approved, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler Named Dean of UCSF School of Medicine
Dr. David Kessler, former FDA commissioner and dean of the Yale School of Medicine, on Monday was named the new dean of the University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine effective Sept. 1, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Smallpox Vaccine Side Effects Should Include Heart Inflammation
The list of “serious but uncommon” side effects linked to the smallpox vaccine should include myopericarditis, according to a U.S. military study published in today’s Journal of the American Medical Association.
About 25% of Hospitals Rank Above Average in Patient Satisfaction Survey
About one-fourth of California hospitals received an above-average ranking in overall patient satisfaction; 57% received an average ranking; and 18% received a below-average ranking, according to a survey released yesterday by the California HealthCare Foundation, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
State Warns Some Health Care Providers That It May Miss Medi-Cal Payments
State officials last week sent letters to nursing homes and clinics statewide warning that the state might not make Medi-Cal payments to certain providers if the Legislature does not approve a budget before July 1, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Senate Rejects Several Democratic Amendments to Medicare Reform Legislation
The Senate yesterday rejected several Democratic amendments to its Medicare reform bill (S 1) and reached a “tentative agreement” on how to divide an unallocated $12 billion in the 10-year, $400 billion plan, the Washington Post reports.