Latest California Healthline Stories
New York Supreme Court Orders Woman to Stop Smoking Near Son as Condition of Visitation
In an “unprecedented ruling,” New York State Supreme Court Justice Robert Julian has ordered a woman whose 13-year-old son complained about her smoking not to smoke at home or in her car, AP/Newsday reports.
Newspaper editorials continue to weigh in on the recent Institute of Medicine report finding vast disparities among minorities and whites on several health measures even when they have similar incomes, insurance and health conditions.
State Health Officials Find Number of New Reported TB Cases Increased Slightly in 2001
The number of new reported tuberculosis cases in the state rose slightly in 2001, although the overall TB prevalence rate remained the same at 9.5 cases per 100,000 residents, the AP/Los Angeles Times reports.
In the first of a two-part series on emergency rooms, the San Francisco Chronicle yesterday profiled the emergency department at San Francisco General Hospital, the only high-level trauma center in the immediate San Francisco area.
Kennedy Criticizes Bush Administration’s Proposed Changes to Federal Medical Privacy Regulations
Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) on Friday criticized the Bush administration’s proposed changes to federal medical privacy regulations, calling the decision to eliminate a requirement that patients give written consent before their medical records are disclosed an “infringement” on privacy rights and a “surrender to major corporate interests,” the Washington Post reports.
Contra Costa County officials have asked state lawmakers not to reduce funding for a program that provides preventive care for uninsured children, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Philip Morris Loses Second Lawsuit in Oregon, Ordered to Pay $150M in Damages
An Oregon jury on Friday ordered Philip Morris Co. to pay about $150 million in damages in the case of a woman who died of lung cancer after smoking low-tar cigarettes, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The Illinois Department of Public Aid has set aside $400,000 in Medicaid funds to connect parents of premature infants to an Internet service that allows them to access information about their children’s condition and care techniques, even though 75% of parents eligible for such a service do not own a computer, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Los Angeles Times Examines Problems at Parkview Hospital
The Los Angeles Times on Saturday profiled the “critical condition” of Parkview Community Hospital in Riverside.
A Delaware judge is scheduled to hear arguments this week in a lawsuit surrounding the “long-simmering” controversy over the American Legacy Foundation’s “Truth” anti-smoking advertising campaign, NPR’s “Morning Edition” reports.