Morning Breakouts

Latest California Healthline Stories

RWJF Grants Aims To End Language Barriers for Latinos

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation yesterday announced a $10 million grant program that will provide funds to investigate how to eliminate language barriers that adversely affect Latinos’ access to health care.

Sacramento County Board of Supervisors Approves Hiring Freeze

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved a hiring freeze and “other cost-cutting measures” to “soften the impact” of expected budget cuts next year, the Sacramento Bee reports.

Packard Foundation Provides $1.9M Grant to Santa Clara County’s Healthy Kids Program

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation yesterday announced a $1.9 million grant to the Santa Clara Family Health Foundation to help “buoy” the county’s Healthy Kids program.

Department of Health Services Will Miss Deadline for Issuing Nurse Staffing Ratios

The California Department of Health Services will miss the Jan. 1 deadline to set minimum staffing ratios for hospital nurses because the agency cannot decide what the ratio should be, the Stockton Record reports.

Brown Orders 10% Cut in All San Francisco Department Budgets, Public Health Could Cut Services

To stem potential budget deficits of about $60 million this year and $175 million next year, San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown (D) has directed all city department heads to cut 10% from next year’s budgets, a move that could force public health officials to cut some services, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Commonwealth Study Finds 25% Without Coverage in Past Year

Nearly one in four Americans went without health insurance at some point in the last year, affecting their ability to pay bills or making them more likely to skip needed care, a Commonwealth Fund study released yesterday indicates, the AP/Baltimore Sun reports.

Lawmakers Resume Negotiations on Stimulus Bill

House and Senate negotiators met for two-and-a-half hours last night to discuss an economic stimulus bill, which would likely expand unemployment benefits and help unemployed workers purchase health insurance, while White House officials and congressional leaders “made one last push” to reach an agreement, the New York Times reports.

New Coalition Announces Online Medical Records Pilot Project

To eliminate medical errors, a coalition of technology firms and consumer and doctors groups announced yesterday that it will fund a pilot program to electronically link medical records, the AP/Worcester Telegram & Gazette report.

Facing Possible Loss of State Funds, Los Angeles Supervisors Approve $9.4M for County Trauma Network

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors yesterday approved $9.4 million in aid to keep trauma centers in the region’s “fragile” network open at least through March, the Los Angeles Times reports.