Latest California Healthline Stories
CalPERS Strips Board Member of Titles for Failing To File Campaign Statements
On Wednesday, the CalPERS board voted to strip a prominent member of her leadership positions over failings to file mandatory campaign financial reports for 2012 and 2013 in a timely manner. The board decided to remove Priya Mathur as vice president and chair of the CalPERS Pension and Health Benefits Committee, as well as vice chair of the CalPERS Board Governance Committee and Performance, Compensation & Talent Management Committee. Sacramento Bee.
New Stanford University Research Center Aims To Use Mobile Health Data To Improve Treatment Plans
Stanford University has established a new research center to focus on leveraging measurable and meaningful data from mobile health devices to improve treatments for chronic conditions. The Stanford Center for Medical Mobile Technology is headed by Matthew Smuck and Christy Lane, co-founders of a Canadian-based company called Vivametrica that is developing an analytics platform for wearable devices. mHealthNews.
Google To Test Program Allowing Consumers To Video Chat With Physicians About Symptoms
Google has partnered with several providers and startups to test a program that allows consumers to video chat with a physician. Under the program, consumers who use Google’s search engine to look up information on certain symptoms will be able to select an option to “talk with a doctor now.” Washington Post‘s “The Switch.”
CNA Asks for Ebola Training, Protections in Contract Negotiations With Kaiser Permanente
In ongoing contract negotiations with Kaiser Permanente, the California Nurses Association now is asking for interactive training and better protective gear for nurses who could treat patients who have Ebola. CNA says Kaiser should offer nurses supplemental insurance that would give payouts in the case that a nurse contracts Ebola or another infectious disease and becomes ill or dies. KQED’s “State of Health.”
Many States Increasing Medicaid Benefits in FY 2015, Survey Finds
A new survey finds 22 states are expanding Medicaid benefits in fiscal year 2015. Meanwhile, a separate survey predicts higher Medicaid spending this year in states that did not increase program eligibility per the Affordable Care Act compared with expansion states. Kaiser Health News‘ “Capsules,” CQ HealthBeat.
Number of Calif. Kids Admitted to EDs Rose by 11% in Five Years
A research letter published in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that the number of California children admitted to an ED increased by 11% from 2.5 million in 2005 to 2.8 million in 2010. ED admissions increased by 23% among uninsured children, compared with 15% among children with private health coverage and 7% among those covered by Medicaid. HealthDay, JAMA.
UC Grants to Medical Centers Expected To Generate 5-to-1 Return
A recent University of California report finds that $7.3 million in grants awarded to UC medical centers by the university system’s Center for Health Quality and Innovation are expected to yield about $40 million in financial gains in 2016. Health Data Management, UC report.
Digital Health Drives Growth of Accelerators, Report Finds
There are more than four times as many health care accelerators worldwide than there were two years ago, with 80% focusing on digital health. Thirty-one health care accelerators are located in California — more than twice the number in any other state. FierceHealthIT et al.
690K Veterans Received Telehealth Services During FY 2014, VA Says
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced that the number of veterans using telehealth services increased from 608,000 in fiscal year 2013 to more than 690,000 in FY 2014. VA Secretary Robert McDonald touted the department’s telehealth programs as an area for continued growth. FierceHealthIT et al.
Second Health Worker Infected With Ebola; CDC To Create Ebola SWAT Team for Faster Response
On Wednesday, Texas health care officials announced that a second health care worker who treated the first patient to be diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S. has contracted the disease. CDC said yesterday that a minimum of 76 staff member at the Dallas hospital could be at risk of contracting the virus. In response, CDC Director Tom Freiden announced that CDC will develop an Ebola response team that can be deployed to any area in the U.S. where a case of Ebola is confirmed. New York Times et al.