Latest California Healthline Stories
Winter Flu Season Unusually Slow In Ventura County, But Doctors Warn Cases Could Ramp Up
Officials are crediting the type of dominant strain, a better vaccine match and new rules regulating health care workers for the low numbers. In other local news, Sharp Healthcare and UCSD team up on liver transplants; Coachella Valley students talk violence and mental health; and theaters are offering a sensory-friendly environment for those with autism.
Loan, Advance Will Help Prop Up New Sonoma County Hospital’s Operating Budget
A $500,000 loan and $1 million tax advance will help cover expenses for Sonoma West Medical Center until the facility starts to receive Medicare reimbursements.
Number Of California Inmates Affected By Legionnaires’ Outbreak Cut
Dirty cooling towers are blamed for the outbreak that temporarily caused the state’s oldest prison to cancel visits, hot meals and showers.
Police Departments’ Pilot Programs To Change Pattern Of Drug Overdose Calls Are Paying Off
A new law allows police offers to carry naloxone, which is called an overdose antidote by some. In the past, one officer said, he would do whatever he could. “Then you wait for fire to get there, and unfortunately, sometimes things don’t work out.” Now the naloxone spray “will provide us with a means of changing that pattern.”
UCSF House Calls Program Visits Homebound Patients
When a visit to the office or hospital would set medical care back, home visits help deliver needed care. Meanwhile, other news outlets report on a state push to inform patients when a doctor faces disciplinary action. And a resolution program at Stanford Hospital delivers patients an apology, explanation and, sometimes, monetary compensation when things go wrong.
Avalanche Biotechnologies Acquires Gene Firm In $105.6 Million Deal
“We are seeking to expand our pipeline further through additional licenses and acquisitions that complement our expertise in vector development and optimization platforms, process development and manufacturing,” says the CEO of Avalanche Biotechnologies.
Bill Removing Deadline On Cities’ Medical Marijuana Decisions Goes To Governor’s Desk
The new measure would give local governments until Jan. 1, 2018, to regulate cultivation. In other news, the California Medical Association comes out in support of a ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana.
Health Care Attacks Escalate As Candidates Make Final Push Before Caucuses
Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton says opponent Bernie Sanders’ health care plan will “never, ever come to pass,” and targets Republican Ted Cruz over his lack of a plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, Sanders defends his proposals from critics who call them unrealistic. And STAT looks at how Americans’ health care has become the defining battle between the two candidates.
Ceremonies Honoring Nurses Spurred By Calif. Couple After Their Son’s Death
The Glen Ellen couple want to honor nurses for their skillful and compassionate care. In other local news, a clinic open in Kern County and the residents of Simi Valley protest a planned drug detoxification house.
Clintons’ Political And Philanthropic Worlds Collide Over Opioid Treatment
While Hillary Clinton brings attention to the cause on the campaign trail, her husband takes aim at the crisis with the Clinton Foundation Health Matters Initiative.