Latest California Healthline Stories
Davis Plan to Eliminate Child Health Program Would Leave 900,000 State Children Without Services
More than 900,000 California children would lose access to free health care services on July 1 under a provision in Gov. Gray Davis’ (D) fiscal year 2003 budget proposal that would eliminate a $70 million health care program, the Oakland Tribune reports.
HHS Advisory Panel ‘Strongly’ Recommends Mammograms
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of experts that advises HHS on preventive medicine, yesterday issued new guidelines that “strongly recommend” that women between the ages of 40 and 69 undergo a mammogram every one to two years, the New York Times reports.
University of Pacific Breaks Ground on $21 Million Health Clinic
University of the Pacific in Stockton began construction last week on a $21 million health clinic that will treat underserved community residents and serve as a training center for dental and pharmacy students as well as other future health care professionals, the Stockton Record reports.
Ashcroft Seeks Dismissal of Oregon Assisted Suicide Suit
Attorney General John Ashcroft asked a federal district court yesterday to throw out a lawsuit seeking to prevent him from overuling Oregon’s assisted-suicide law, the Washington Post reports.
Columbia University Nursing Students To Use Handhelds for Evidence-Based Medicine
Columbia University School of Nursing yesterday announced that it is incorporating the use of handheld computers into some students’ training to encourage adoption of evidence-based medicine at the point of care.
Women with Diabetes More Likely to be Poor, Undereducated
Women with diabetes are two times as likely to be “poor and undereducated” compared to women without the disease, according to a CDC study published in the current Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Vaccine Shortage Shows Need for Better Regulation
Prompted by the CDC’s announcement last week that there is a “dangerous shortage” of eight of 11 “crucial” childhood vaccines, a Washington Post editorial says that the federal government should “stave off future shortages by offering subsidies to vaccine makers or by aggressively overseeing the supply.”
Koplan to Resign as CDC Director Next Month
In a surprise announcement, Dr. Jeffrey Koplan said yesterday that he will resign as director of the CDC effective March 31, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Improper Medicare Payments Drop to $12.1B in 2001
HHS reported yesterday that Medicare paid out a projected $12.1 billion in improper payments last year, about half the estimated amount of such payments in 1996, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Union Training Nurses How to ‘Police’ Hospitals for Violations of New Minimum Staffing Ratios
Following last month’s announcement of proposed minimum nurse-to-patient ratios for hospitals, the California Nurses Association has begun conducting training sessions for nurses on how to report hospitals that violate the new standards, the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal reports.