Latest California Healthline Stories
Ashcroft Says Federal Tobacco Lawsuit Will Proceed
Attorney General John Ashcroft “denied yesterday that he was planning to drop the government’s lawsuit” against the tobacco industry, but said that he would not request any additional funding beyond the $1.8 million the Bush administration has budgeted, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Energy Crisis Puts Proposed Fresno Hospital in Jeopardy
State legislators’ concern about the energy crisis has threatened funding for a proposed $30 million teaching hospital and library for Fresno-based medical residents at the University of California-San Francisco, the Fresno Bee reports.
Anti-Smoking Advocates Push for Increased Prevention Efforts in Contra Costa
Anti-smoking advocates lobbied Contra Costa County Supervisors Tuesday to use the county’s tobacco settlement funds for smoking prevention programs, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Santa Rosa Firm Helps Families Find In-Home Care for the Elderly
The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat Tuesday featured the Santa Rosa-based health care consulting firm Case Management for Seniors, a company that offers assistance to seniors and families who “don’t know” how to find “affordable” at-home care, which costs around $350 per day.
Physicians Increasingly Use Hand-Held Computers
Physicians are increasingly incorporating information technology such as hand-held computers into their practices, largely due to patient demand and realized efficiencies, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Davis Announces 87 Recipients of $36.4M in Cancer Research Grants
Gov. Gray Davis (D) on Wednesday announced that 87 California-based cancer research projects will receive a total of $36.4 million from the Department of Health Services’ Cancer Research Program.
Senate Panel Revisits Assisted Living Industry Problems
The Senate Special Committee on Aging met yesterday to take a second look at the adequacy of consumer protections in assisted living facilities and evaluate industry efforts to provide quality care to consumers.
House Passes Unborn Victims of Violence Act
The House of Representatives yesterday voted 252-172 to pass the Unborn Victims of Violence Act making it a federal crime to harm a fetus during an attack on a pregnant woman, the Washington Post reports.
WellPoint Health Networks Q1 Profit Rose 21%
WellPoint Health Networks, one of “California’s biggest health insurers,” yesterday announced that its first quarter profit rose 21%, largely due to membership gains, Bloomberg News/Los Angeles Times reports.
Open Enrollment Allows Fresno-Area Federal Employees to Leave PacifiCare
Nearly 4,900 Fresno-area federal employees and retirees will be permitted to leave PacifiCare of California during a “mini” open enrollment period approved by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Insurance Programs, the Fresno Bee reports.