Latest California Healthline Stories
Multiple Birth Rate Declining, CDC Study Shows
The National Center for Health Statistics yesterday released a study, titled, “Births: Final Data for 1999,” showing that for the first time in a decade, the rate of multiple births, defined as births of three or more children, has decreased, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Workers Strike at Nine Sutter-Owned Hospitals in Bay Area
Workers at nine Sutter Health-owned Bay area hospitals went on strike Monday, protesting the not-for-profit hospital chain’s “failure to include employees in hospital decision-making,” the Contra Costa Times reports.
Medical Privacy Protections ‘Long Overdue,’ Chronicle Says
President Bush’s decision to adopt “most of the medical privacy rules issued in the last days of the Clinton administration” is a “major victory for patients’ rights,” according to a San Francisco Chronicle editorial.
San Francisco Officials Ask Lockyer to Block St. Luke’s/Sutter Merger
A group of San Francisco officials yesterday urged state Attorney General Bill Lockyer (D) to block the proposed merger between Sutter Health and St. Luke’s Hospital, saying it could reduce the “level of charity care” currently provided at St. Luke’s, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Support for GOP Tax Credit Plan Grows
President Bush has proposed a 10-year, $71 billion plan to offer refundable tax credits to uninsured Americans in his $1.96 trillion FY 2002 budget, a proposal that members of both political parties say has a “good chance of approval,” the Sacramento Bee reports.
Parents Must Weigh Costs, Benefits of Pediatric Testing
The Los Angeles Times yesterday examined the growing number of clinical trials involving children and the accompanying dilemma that many parents and doctors face: “Test drugs in children or allow untested medications to be given to them.”
MDLinx Offers Doctors Free Access to Medical Articles, Charges ‘Premium’ Advertising Rates
The Washington Post yesterday reported on MDLinx.com, a company that collects articles from medical journals and organizes them by specialty online.
Supreme Court to Hear 2 Cases on Scope of ADA Protection
The Supreme Court yesterday agreed to hear appeals of two cases to determine whether the Americans with Disabilities Act covers individuals with repetitive stress injuries and whether the rights of workers with disabilities to be accommodated by employers should trump a “valid seniority system.”
Los Angeles County Officials Worry About Ability to Implement Proposition 36
As the July 1 deadline to implement Proposition 36 approaches, Los Angeles County officials say they “need more time … and money,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
Attorney General Investigation Finds Numerous Violations at Northern California Nursing Homes
A recent investigation of Northern California nursing homes has revealed that all of the facilities “fell short of providing quality care,” the San Francisco Chronicle reports.