Latest California Healthline Stories
Survey Finds More Doctors are Using the Internet, but Not for Their Practices
More doctors are using computers and the Internet on a personal basis, but not necessarily on a professional one, according to data from an American Medical Association survey.
Congress May Expand FMLA to Business’ Chagrin
While Congress and many states this year will consider expanding the federal Family and Medical Leave Act — a 1993 law that requires employers to provide employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for serious illnesses or to care for a new baby or family member suffering an illness — they will likely face opposition from business groups planning to “fight” the “flurry of proposals,” the Albany Times Union reports.
CDC Reports ‘Alarming’ Rate of HIV Among Gay Men
Researchers from the CDC yesterday at the 8th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections announced the results of a six U.S. city study that found “alarming levels” of HIV infection among young gay and bisexual men, particularly African Americans, the Los Angeles Times reports.
California Endowment Awards $24M in Mental Health Grants
The California Endowment, the state’s largest health foundation, announced last week plans to award $24 million in grants to mental health service providers under the group’s Special Opportunity in Mental Health Funding Request for Proposals.
Names Project, AIDS Memorial Quilt May Leave San Francisco
The San Francisco-based Names Project Foundation, along with the “beloved” AIDS Memorial Quilt, may move from its “pricey” San Francisco headquarters to “cheaper digs” on the East Coast, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Nursing Shortage Impacts the Number fo ICU Beds, Hospital Officials Say
As San Diego County’s “demand for hospital services” increases with its rising population, hospital administrators are “confronting” the declining number of beds available, but the San Diego Union Tribune reports that determining the “appropriate number” of beds is an “inexact science.”
Fresno Bee Rallies Support for School Nurses Bill
California has “too few credentialed school nurses for too many students,” a Fresno Bee editorial says, stating its support of a new bill pitched in Fresno last Friday that would increase funding for school nurses.
Pediatric Association Recommends Pre-Autopsy Exam for SIDS
The American Academy of Pediatrics has released new guidelines calling for all suspected cases of sudden infant death syndrome to be investigated by a child abuse expert before an autopsy is conducted, the AP/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
L.A. Care CEO on Leave Over Conflict of Interest Concerns
Anthony Rodgers, CEO of L.A. Care Health Plan, the largest public managed care program in the country, was placed on leave last week because of a “conflict of interest” concern arising from his recent marriage to a Blue Cross staff member, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Group Sends Thompson Letter to Protest New Privacy Rules
Thirty-nine members of the Healthcare Leadership Council sent HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson a letter yesterday, saying that medical privacy rules written by the Clinton administration should be postponed, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports.