Latest California Healthline Stories
St. John’s Hospitals Turns to Mediator to Avert Strike
With contract negotiations between nurses and hospital management at Ventura County’s St. John’s Regional Medical Center and St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital at an impasse, a federal mediator will be brought in Wednesday to “hammer out a first-ever labor contract,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
New Hampshire Leads in Public Health, U.S. Improves Overall
New Hampshire, which has the best prenatal care, support for public health care, infant mortality rate and violent crime rate, is the “healthiest state in the nation,” according to an annual survey by Minneapolis-based UnitedHealth Group released today.
AMA Criticized for Online Physician Database Venture
The American Medical Association is receiving criticism for a “business deal” that enables drug companies to access an online physician database and “target specific doctors” for advertising pitches, the AP/Washington Post reports.
Hospitals Struggle to Retain Nurses
Compared with other states, California is facing a “particularly acute” nursing shortage, the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reports.
Cutbacks Could Lead to ‘Major Meltdown’ at S.F. General
Physicians and nurses at San Francisco General Hospital contend that recent cutbacks at the facility could cause a “major meltdown” during the upcoming winter flu season, the San Francisco Chronicle report
Endowment CEO Discusses Challenges for Minority Health
In a Los Angeles Times interview, California Endowment President and CEO Robert Ross shared his views on the challenges of and possible plans to adapt health care to suit the needs of minority communities.
Health Affairs Issue Examines eHealth
In conjunction with the California HealthCare Foundation, the November/December issue of Health Affairs focuses on the Internet’s potential impact on health care providers, purchasers, suppliers and patients.
WHO Calls for ‘.health’ for Medical Sites
To guide Internet surfers through the “labyrinth of information” online, the World Health Organization intends to create a “.health” domain name for health and medical sites, the Washington Times reports.
Be It Bush or Gore, Wall Street Can Still Win
Though presidential recount is still ongoing in Florida, the final outcome of the race between Texas Gov. George W. Bush (R) and Vice President Al Gore will likely “make a significant difference” in investors’ financial strategies, investing columnist Andrew Leckey reports in a Richmond Times-Dispatch column.
Medical Community Supports Drug Addiction Treatment
Marking a shift in public opinion about how to treat substance abuse, 61% of California voters last week approved Proposition 36, the ballot initiative that calls for treatment of many nonviolent drug offenders instead of jail time.