Latest California Healthline Stories
Psychiatric ER at Los Angeles Public Hospital Crowded, Unsafe, Report Finds
Perpetual overcrowding at the eight-bed psychiatric emergency room at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, which often holds more than twice its capacity, has created “unsafe conditions for patients, visitors and staff,” putting them at “serious risk” for injury, according to a new report from the Los Angeles County Grand Jury oversight panel.
During some “last-minute tinkering” to San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown’s (D) $5.2 billion budget, the city Board of Supervisors’ Finance Committee last Thursday reallocated $15 million for certain projects, including public health programs, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Proposition 36 Takes Effect, But Treatment, Funding Questions Remain
Proposition 36, the voter-approved initiative to direct most first- and second-time drug offenders toward treatment instead of jail, went into effect yesterday, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Passage of Patients’ Rights Bill Could Come By Tomorrow
The Senate yesterday moved closer to approving patients’ rights legislation, as senators reached a “key compromise” on an amendment to shield most employers from lawsuits, and Democrats successfully fended off several Republican challenges to the measure, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Medi-Cal Changes, Healthy Families Expansion Required to Increase Insurance Coverage in California
In an effort to “pressure” California’s congressional delegation to help the uninsured, researchers from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research presented demographic information at a Capitol Hill briefing yesterday that outlines the demographics and trends of the uninsured in each of California’s 52 congressional districts.
Surgeon General’s Sex Ed Report Released
Surgeon General David Satcher yesterday released a “long-awaited” report promoting an open discussion about sexuality with teens and calling on parents, schools and communities to provide youths with “thorough and medically accurate sex education” to prevent unintended pregnancies and STDs, the New York Times reports.
HHS Approves Medi-Cal Plans for Continuous Eligibility
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson yesterday announced the approval of continuous eligibility for children enrolled in Medi-Cal.
Supreme Court Overturns State Tobacco Ad Ban
The Supreme Court “dealt a major blow” to Massachusetts’ “aggressive” underage anti-smoking program yesterday, striking down the state’s ban on tobacco advertising within 1,000 feet of elementary and secondary schools, parks and playgrounds, the Boston Globe reports.
Satellite-based Broadband Internet Helps Rural Physician Practice
A high-speed, satellite-based Internet connection is allowing physicians at Patrick County Family Practice in rural southwest Virginia to access patient records online, e-mail prescriptions and perform research on the Internet, bringing an area “known for coon hunters and moonshine” to “the cutting edge of technology.”
Southern California in ‘Worst’ Blood Shortage Situation Since 1981
Southern California is experiencing the “worst” blood shortage the region has seen since 1981, Southern California Red Cross officials said yesterday, the Los Angeles Times reports.