Latest California Healthline Stories
Experts Say California Vaccine Bill Could Prevent Future Outbreaks
Some experts and stakeholders say that evidence suggests a California bill that would end personal belief exemptions to the state’s childhood vaccination requirements could prevent future outbreaks. The measure passed through the state Senate yesterday and is headed to Gov. Brown for consideration. AP/U-T San Diego.
CalPERS Launches Redesigned Website With Improved Device Compatibility
On Monday, CalPERS launched an updated website designed to improve usability on various electronic devices, including smartphones and tablets. The overhaul, which took more than one year and cost $586,000, included a new design, programming, software and server hardware, among other things. Sacramento Bee‘s “Capital Alert.”
Health Officials Target Lead Exposure in Los Angeles’ ‘Promise Zone’
Los Angeles health officials are increasing efforts to reduce lead exposure among residents in the city’s lowest-income areas, as part of the Obama administration’s ‘Promise Zone’ initiative. Health officials suspect rates of lead poisoning in Los Angeles’ Promise Zone — which includes parts of East Hollywood, Hollywood, Koreatown, Pico Union and Westlake — are higher than data show. KPCC’s “KPCC News.”
Calif. Nurses Association Opposes Plan To Build a Sports Arena Across From Hospital
On Monday, the California Nurses Association, which represents 900 UC-San Francisco nurses, released a statement opposing plans to build an 18,500-seat sports arena across the street from UCSF’s Medical Center in Mission Bay. The nurses union expressed concerns about the potential “impacts on access to care, patient health and the ability of patients, family members and health professionals to access Mission Bay’s hospitals and clinics in gridlock traffic.” San Francisco Chronicle.
EHRs, Analytics Can Flag Patient Fall Risks in Calif. Nursing Homes
A study of California nursing homes finds that combining electronic health record data with a predictive analytics algorithm could increase the ability to predict falls among patients by more than 10%. Health IT Analytics, Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.
OSHA To Crack Down on Nursing Home, Hospital Issues
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Thursday in a memo announced it will crack down on certain workplace hazards in hospitals and nursing homes. OSHA’s inspections will focus on musculoskeletal disorders related to patient or resident handling; bloodborne pathogens; workplace violence; tuberculosis; and slips, trips and falls. Such hazards are not protected under formal rules but instead likely would be cited under the OSHA act’s general duty clause. Modern Healthcare.
Majority of U.S. Residents Want Access to Health Data on Doctors’ Websites, Survey Finds
More than half of U.S. residents want to access health information via their doctors’ websites, but few currently do so, according to a survey published Wednesday in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. The researchers found that about 57% of survey respondents said they wanted to be able to use their physicians’ sites to access medical information, but only 7% reported currently doing so. Tech Times.
Supreme Court’s Same-Sex Ruling Could Affect Access to Coverage
Experts say a recent Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriage throughout the U.S. likely will increase coverage among same-sex couples by allowing previously unmarried individuals to now access employer coverage through a spouse. However, some say same-sex couples could face new issues accessing insurance. National Journal et al.
Burwell: More Work To Do To Implement ACA, Expand Coverage
HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell says she will continue to work on implementing the Affordable Care Act, urging states to expand their Medicaid programs and growing health coverage enrollment. Burwell’s comments come after the Supreme Court ruled to uphold subsidies to help U.S. residents purchase coverage through the federal exchange. Reuters et al.
Report Ranks California 17th for Women’s Health, Well-Being
A report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research ranks California 17th in the country for women’s health and well-being. California was one of just 10 states and Washington, D.C., to improve its overall score since last year. Washington Business Journal et al.