Morning Breakouts

Latest California Healthline Stories

Sen. Kennedy, GAO Express Concern About Bush Plan for Homeland Security

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chair Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and the General Accounting Office have raised concerns about President Bush’s proposal to move bioterrorism-related functions from the CDC and NIH to a new Homeland Security Department, CongressDaily reports.

Bush Economic Adviser McClellan Tops List To Fill FDA Commissioner Vacancy

Dr. Mark McClellan, a member of President Bush’s Council of Economic Advisers, has “emerged as the leading candidate” to take over as commissioner of the vacant since Bush took office, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Sacramento Bee Examines Problems with Proposed Psychiatric Unit for Elderly Patients

The Sacramento Bee on Monday examined the problems that Sacramento County health officials have faced in their efforts to open a “special psychiatric unit” in an area hospital for elderly patients with both physical and mental conditions.

Los Angeles County Health Official Dismiss Legionnaires’ Disease Incident as ‘Isolated’

The failure to make public a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak earlier this year at a Los Angeles County hospital was an “isolated incident,” according to health officials who testified Tuesday before the county Board of Supervisors.

Republican Objection Delays Floor Action on Generic Drug Bill, Stalls Medicare Rx Benefit Debate

Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle’s (D-S.D.) effort to begin a floor debate on competing Medicare prescription drug benefit proposals stalled yesterday when Republicans delayed action on a bill designed to ease restrictions on generic medications, the AP/Augusta Chronicle reports.

New ‘Most Wired’ Survey Finds Growing Technology Gap Between Hospitals

Although a number of hospitals have implemented or expanded information technology systems in the past year, the industry faces a “growing gap” between facilities that “invest in new technologies and those that don’t,” according to a new survey, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Decision on Health Plan of the Redwoods’ Request To Exit Medicare+Choice Expected Wednesday

U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Alan Jaroslovsky yesterday said that he would issue a decision as early as Wednesday on whether to allow Health Plan of the Redwoods to exit the Medicare+Choice program, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports.