Latest California Healthline Stories
State Officials Decide Not To Forward Los Angeles County’s Request for $1.4M Federal Bailout
The administration of Gov. Gray Davis (D) last week said that the state will not forward a request from Los Angeles County supervisors for a federal bailout of the county Department of Health Services unless supervisors reconsider their plans to close several public health clinics and end inpatient services at a local hospital, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Medical Improvements in Trauma Care Lead to Reduction in Homicide Rate
Advances in emergency care over the last several decades have helped lower the fatality rate in assault cases by 70%, thus lowering the nationwide homicide rate, according to a new study.
Alameda County Committee To Consider New Tax To Cover Health Care Costs
A committee of health care advocates, union representatives and clinic and hospital administrators will meet early next month to discuss a proposed tax to cover health care costs in Alameda County, the Oakland Tribune reports.
Bush Administration Issues Final Rules on Medical Privacy Restricting Use of Patient Records
As expected, the Bush administration on Friday issued final medical privacy rules that first were offered by the Clinton administration, the Washington Post reports.
Hospitals Forming Own Blood Collection Centers to Combat Rising Prices, Shortages
In an effort to combat the rising price of blood and gain more control over local blood supplies, hospitals nationwide are banding together to form their own centers for collecting and processing blood, the Los Angeles Times reports.
State Dental Board ‘Plagued’ by Poor Record-Keeping, Lax Oversight, Report Finds
The Dental Board of California, which is in charge of disciplining dentists in the state, has been “plagued” by poor record-keeping, delays in handling cases and “lax management supervision,” according to an independent review, the Sacramento Bee reports.
New York Times Examines Use of Celebrities in Pharmaceutical Campaigns
The New York Times on Sunday examined the use of celebrities by pharmaceutical companies for disease awareness campaigns, in which they often “mention brand-name drugs without disclosing their financial ties to the maker.”
Kaiser Permanente Will Not Enroll Former Health Plan of the Redwoods Members
Kaiser Permanente said yesterday that it will not enroll any former Health Plan of the Redwoods members this year, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports.
Pharmaceutical Companies Sponsoring Fewer Promotional Events for Doctors Following New Rules
The number of entertainment events to which drug companies have invited doctors dropped 37% in July in the wake of the drug industry’s adoption of new voluntary rules that bar use of such promotions “to influence a doctor’s prescribing habits,” the Newark Star-Ledger reports.
HHS May Issue Revisions to ‘Controversial’ Medical Privacy Rule Revisions Today
The Bush administration today may issue a final version of “controversial” revisions to the medical privacy rule offered by the Clinton administration early last year, USA Today reports.