Latest California Healthline Stories
Lawmaker to Introduce Five Bills to Address Emergency Room Overcrowding
Assembly member Dean Florez (D-Shafter) plans to introduce five bills today to address overcrowding in state emergency rooms, the Fresno Bee reports.
Federal Agencies Launch Web Site to Provide Information on Quality Reporting Programs
Several federal agencies last Thursday launched TalkingQuality, a Web site developed to help patient advocates, state officials and health benefit managers measure and report on health care quality.
Supreme Court Strikes Down Law Barring Pharmacies From Advertising Compounded Drugs
The Supreme Court yesterday struck down part of a 1997 federal law that prohibited pharmacies that mix prescription medicines from advertising such products without federal approval, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Two Lawsuits Allege Surgical Errors at Stanford University Medical Center
Two patients this month filed suit against Stanford University Medical Center alleging that physicians had left foreign objects inside their bodies after surgery, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
Press-Enterprise Examines Programs to Address State’s Pediatric Dentist Shortage
The Riverside Press-Enterprise yesterday examined the state’s shortage of pediatric dentists, which has reduced access to dental care for low-income and minority children.
President Bush Offers General Endorsement of Mental Health Parity Legislation
President Bush called on Congress yesterday to approve a mental health parity bill this year but did not offer specifics on what type of measure he would support, the Los Angeles Times reports.
New York Times Continues Series on New York’s Homes for Adults with Mental Illnesses
In the final article of a three-part series on New York state’s privately-run homes for adults with mental illnesses, the New York Times examines some of the tactics often used by homes’ operators and affiliated health care providers to “exploit” mentally ill residents.
Many Americans, Including Immigrants, Seek Cheaper Medical Care in Mexico
Thousands of patients in the United States are traveling to Mexico for medical care to avoid the costs and cultural barriers associated with the U.S. health care system, the Dallas Morning News reports.
Eight percent of homeless and “marginally housed” people surveyed recently in San Francisco said they had sought treatment from an emergency room at least four times in the previous year, according to a study published in the May issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson (D-Culver City) last week proposed a bill (AB 2559) that would reduce the number of beds at two veterans’ homes in Lancaster and Saticoy and establish a home in West Los Angeles, which has prompted criticism from some lawmakers, the Los Angeles Times reports.