Latest California Healthline Stories
San Diego Medical Center Did Not Report A Data Breach To State
Tri-City Medical Center, which says a longtime clerical clerk was dismissed for breaching patient data, did not report any such event to authorities. The dismissal came after the clerk backed a ballot initiative to reveal hospital executive pay. In other California hospital news, deaths are up following coronary artery bypass grafts.
New Database Strives To Take Guesswork Out Of Cancer Operation Choices
The website allows patients to search which hospitals in their area have performed their cancer procedure most frequently. “We have heard hospital leaders say, ‘We have really good outcomes here, even though the volumes are low,'” independent health consultant Maryann O’Sullivan said. “But that is like gambling.”
McKesson Acquires Cancer-Care Company, Oncology Pharmacy-Services Firm
The San Francisco company’s CEO said the move will allow the company to offer more services to its manufacturer partners, expand its drug distribution and provide care management for payers.
Stanford To Dip Toe In Insurance Market
The Bay Area academic medical center already covers its own employees, but it is looking to branch out by offering its plan to two high-tech employers. In other news, Health Net reports high earnings for the fourth quarter of 2015.
The area is proving to be a victim of its own success.
More Proof Required To Sign Up During Special Enrollment Periods
The Obama administration is tightening the rules about customers entering the federal exchanges after the open enrollment period following an outcry from insurers. In other national news, the Senate confirms Robert Califf as Food And Drug Administration commissioner.
Employers Worry About Workers Traveling to Zika-Affected Areas
And in other outbreak news, doctors at Houston Methodist Hospital say they have developed a test to identify if a patient is positive for the Zika virus in as quickly as one day, without sending samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for diagnosis.
Take Your Chance With The Flu? Experts Weigh In On Calculation Of Skipping Vaccine
KQED looks at how effective the flu vaccine is and whether getting the actual flu might protect someone from future illness. In other public health news, In-N-Out’s antibiotics policy is under fire and Organic Pastures Dairy recalls raw milk that tested positive for E. coli.
Doctors Blame Fear, Lack Of Education For Rising Mastectomy Rates
Health care providers say the trend is “alarming,” and that there are often other effective alternatives to removing the entire breast. In other news, a diagnostic cancer test is causing a company to rethink the way it promotes its usage.
Staff Layoffs, Reduced Hours Expected To Hit Modesto Hospital
The Memorial Medical Center cuts will impact support services staff the hardest. In other California hospital news: DEA says Scripps Health did not report the name of a surgical technician accused of stealing fentanyl; Kaiser Permanente will open a new Mission Bay medical office; and a Tri-City Hospital clerk says she was fired due to a political position.