Latest California Healthline Stories
In a letter sent to state legislative leaders yesterday, Gov. Gray Davis (D) “renewed” his push for legislation to ensure continuity of care for patients when their doctors and managed care organizations have contract disputes, the Los Angeles Times reports.
San Diego City Council Approves Needle-Exchange Pilot Program
San Diego will implement a one-year needle-exchange program after the City Council voted 5-4 yesterday to declare a public health emergency and authorize the pilot project aimed at curbing the spread of diseases, including HIV and hepatitis C, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Study Finds Children’s Health Measures Have Improved, But Many Still Lack Insurance
While teen births in California are down and more women are receiving prenatal care, the state still has the seventh-highest rate of uninsured children in the nation, according to a new study of children’s quality of life by the advocacy group Children Now.
Virginia Physician Web Site Errors Under Investigation
About 10 physicians have “misrepresented or omitted crucial facts” about their credentials and disciplinary histories on Virginia’s health provider Web site, and according to state investigators, the state Board of Medicine may take five months or longer to rule on the issue, the Washington Post reports.
Tobacco Industry Appeals Record $145B Jury Award
The tobacco industry yesterday appealed a record $145 billion punitive damage award it was ordered to pay by a Florida jury last year, calling the two-year, class-action trial a “judicial sham,” the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.
Hepatitis C Testing, Treatment Lacking in State Prisons
Epidemiologists have said that California’s prisons serve as “incubators for communicable diseases,” such as hepatitis C, but according to state Department of Corrections records, only about one out of every 14 inmates diagnosed with the virus receives treatment, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Bush Denounces News of Human Cloning; Congress Responds
President Bush yesterday expressed displeasure with the news that a U.S. biotechnology firm had cloned human embryos, calling the research “wrong” and urging the Senate to pass a ban on all forms of human cloning, the New York Times reports.
Public Safety Agencies Push Quarter-Cent Sales Tax Referendum to Fund Bioterrorism Prevention
A coalition of hospital, law enforcement and fire agencies is sponsoring an amendment to the state constitution to increase the state sales tax by a quarter-cent to raise up to $1 billion annually for bioterrorism prevention, Copley News/San Diego Union Tribune reports.
CDC Unveils Updated Smallpox Response Plan
The CDC has issued new guidelines to states on how to address potential outbreaks of smallpox, the New York Times reports.
Symposium to Address eHealth, New Technology in Health Care
The University of California’s Center for Health Research, with a grant from the California HealthCare Foundation, will present a symposium on “eHealth and New Technology Strategies to Improve Healthcare Delivery in California” on Dec. 11 and Dec. 12 in Berkeley.