Latest California Healthline Stories
Fifteen Los Angeles County Hospitals Refuse To Participate in Smallpox Vaccination Plan
As of yesterday, 15 of 83 eligible Los Angeles County hospitals said that they will not participate in the national smallpox vaccination plan, an increase from seven late last month, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Sens. Dodd and Kennedy Introduce Bills To Expand 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act
Sens. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) introduced a bill yesterday — the 10th anniversary of the enactment of the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act — that would allow states to provide as many as six weeks of paid leave for employees with a serious illness or to care for a newborn or family member with a serious illness, CongressDaily reports.
FDA To Require New Labels on Antibiotics To Warn Against Overuse
The FDA yesterday announced a final rule that will require new labels on antibiotics to warn physicians to prescribe the treatments only for bacterial infections to help prevent overuse, a practice that can lead to the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, AP/USA Today reports.
Jury Hears Closing Arguments in Sacramento Smoker’s Lawsuit Against Tobacco Companies
A decision in favor of a smoker who alleges in a lawsuit against Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds that the companies “lured” him to smoke through “deceptive advertising” would amount to an “assault on freedom of choice,” a Philip Morris attorney told a Sacramento Superior Court jury in closing arguments this week, the Sacramento Bee reports.
House Proposal Would Allow States To Keep $2.7 Billion in Unspent CHIP Funds
Two “key” House lawmakers yesterday introduced legislation that would allow states to keep approximately $2.7 billion in unspent CHIP funds that otherwise would be sent back to the federal government, Reuters/Detroit Free Press reports.
Assembly Health Committee To Examine Tenet Billing Practices
The Assembly Health Committee today will examine billing practices at Tenet Healthcare’s California hospitals and how Tenet charged more than other hospitals for complex care, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Fresno County Home Health Care Workers Ask Supervisors for Increased Wages, Health Benefits
Dozens of workers in Fresno County who provide home health care services for elderly and disabled patients on Tuesday asked the county Board of Supervisors for higher wages and health benefits, the Fresno Bee reports.
President Bush’s Smallpox Vaccination Program Slowed by Compensation, Other Concerns
The administration’s goal to vaccinate hundreds of thousands of health care workers against smallpox in preparation for a potential bioterrorist attack has hit a “significant barrier” because many people are unwilling to be inoculated in the absence of a federal fund to compensate for any damages caused by the vaccine, federal officials said yesterday, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Antelope Valley Officials Criticize Decision To Proceed with High Desert Hospital Conversion
Antelope Valley officials yesterday “condemned” a decision by Los Angeles County not to use part of a $150 million federal bailout to prevent the conversion of High Desert Hospital, a Lancaster-based public hospital, into an outpatient clinic, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Kaiser Permanente Announces Plan To Automate Patient Medical Records
As expected, Kaiser Permanente, the nation’s largest not-for-profit HMO, yesterday announced a $1.8 billion plan to work with Madison, Wis.-based Epic Systems to convert the medical records of 8.4 million members in nine states, including 6.3 million in California, to electronic form, the Los Angeles Times reports.