Latest California Healthline Stories
UC Medical Centers Prepared To Receive Ebola Patients
On Friday, University of California officials announced that its five medical centers in the state are prepared to handle Ebola patients if there are any confirmed cases in California. The UC centers in Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco will coordinate with the state and local health departments on Ebola preparedness. KQED’s “State of Health” et al.
DeSalvo To Leave ONC, Join HHS Ebola Response Team
On Thursday, National Coordinator for Health IT Karen DeSalvo announced that she will leave her post, effective immediately, to serve as acting HHS assistant secretary, where she will lead HHS’ Ebola response team. DeSalvo was named to the post just 10 months ago in December 2013 after serving as New Orleans’ health commissioner. Modern Healthcare.
AAFP Launches Campaign To Promote Primary Care
The American Academy of Family Physicians on Thursday launched a campaign to promote the importance of primary care as a way to better coordinate care, keep patients healthy and cut spending. AAFP’s five-year, $20 million campaign — called Health is Primary — will aim to help PCPs adapt to changes in the country’s health care system. Washington Post‘s “Wonkblog.”
ACA Effects Have ‘Yet To Fully Materialize,’ Analysis Finds
The effects of the Affordable Care Act’s coverage expansion provisions have “yet to fully materialize,” according to an analysis published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine. he analysis looks at a Commonwealth Fund study published in June that found that the U.S. ranks last in access to care, as well as care availability, compared with other industrialized nations. HealthDay/Philadelphia Inquirer.
HHS Announces $840M Initiative To Improve Care, Reduce Costs
HHS has unveiled a new $840 million initiative that seeks to help providers improve care quality and efficiency and boost the sharing of best practices among providers. CMS began accepting applications for the Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative on Thursday, and applications are due by Jan. 6, 2015. The Hill et al.
Burwell Calls on Family Physicians To Help With ACA Enrollment
In prepared remarks to the American Academy of Family Physicians, HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell urged family physicians to encourage U.S. residents to enroll in coverage through the Affordable Care Act and to advocate for preventive care. Burwell’s request comes with less than one month left before the start of the ACA’s second open enrollment period. The Hill.
Calif. Hospitals Awaiting Regional, Statewide Ebola Directives
Some California hospitals are waiting for guidance from state or regional authorities on disposing of medical waste related to Ebola and educating the public about the disease. However, state Department of Public Health officials say hospitals must make their own Ebola response plans to meet their unique needs. KQED’s “State of Health” et al.
$66M Raised So Far in Fight Over Medical Malpractice Ballot Initiative
Opponents have raised $57 million to defeat a November ballot measure to raise the state’s pain-and-suffering awards in malpractice lawsuits and impose random drug-testing on doctors. Meanwhile, supporters of Proposition 46 have raised about $9.1 million. AP/U-T San Diego, Los Angeles Times‘ “PolitiCal.”
FDA’s Network Vulnerable to Cybersecurity Threats
FDA’s network contains cybersecurity vulnerabilities that could put its data at risk, according to an audit by HHS’ Office of Inspector General. An external penetration test did not result in unauthorized access to FDA’s systems, but the audit found several vulnerabilities that could have led to FDA’s mission-critical systems being made unavailable or unauthorized disclosure or modification of data. Health Data Management.
UCSF Researchers Record 2.5M Hours of Patient Monitoring Alarms Over One Month
UC-San Francisco researchers recorded more than 2.5 million hours of patient-monitoring alarms for 461 patients in five intensive care units at UC-San Francisco Medical Center over a 31 day period, according to a study published in PLOS One. The researchers noted that many of the alarms were caused by inappropriate user settings and issues with computer algorithms. FierceHealthIT.