Latest California Healthline Stories
Stanford Received Nearly $929M in FY 2015 for Medical Research, Other Programs
On Thursday, Stanford University announced it received $928.5 million in donations from more than 82,000 donors, excluding government funding and pledges, in the fiscal year that ended on Aug. 31. Of the donations, $264.9 million will go to Stanford Medicine and $299.5 million will go to research programs. San Francisco Business Times‘ “Bay Area BizTalk.”
California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of October 10, 2014
Richmond City Council is considering allocating $20 million of a $90 million investment package to help Doctors Medical Center remain open. Kaiser Permanente has begun demolishing its closed Lakeview Avenue Hospital in Anaheim.
UCSF Unveils New Global Health Program Complex
UC-San Francisco has opened a new $99.5 million, 264,000-square-foot complex to house its Global Health Services program. The new building also will house UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood. San Francisco Business Times‘ “Bay Area BizTalk.”
Opinion Piece Outlines Health Care Access Limitations in Rural Areas of California
In an opinion piece for the Sacramento Bee, CHCF Center for Health Reporting Editor-in-Chief Richard Kipling writes that a shortage of doctors in Covered California plans sold in Humboldt County reflects the lack of health care access for many rural areas in the state. Kipling writes that the “retirement of older physicians and recruiting new ones have for decades been a problem for rural California,” adding, “The question is, can the Affordable Care Act change that trend? … Maybe the question should be: Is there any system that can?” CHCF Center for Health Reporting/Sacramento Bee.
NIH Awards UC-Irvine $8M To Form Brain Activity Database
NIH has awarded UC-Irvine an $8 million grant to establish a database on brain cell activities in motor neuron disorders, such as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The database is one of six such NIH-funded projects across the U.S. and aims to help develop treatments for brain diseases. Los Angeles Times‘ “L.A. Now.”
White House Updates HealthCare.gov, Improves User Capacity
The Obama administration has revealed an upgraded federal health insurance exchange website for the next open enrollment period. Officials say the site features a streamlined application process, has been optimized for use on mobile devices and will withstand heavy user volumes. AP/Washington Times et al.
CMS Releases Performance Results for Pioneer ACOs
CMS for the first time has released the quality and financial performance results for Medicare’s individual Pioneer accountable care organizations. The data show that some Pioneer ACOs during the first year slowed spending relative to their benchmarks by about 7%, while others saw spending increase by as much as 5%. Modern Healthcare et al.
Study: Drug Formularies Could Cut Workers’ Comp Costs by $420M
A recent California Workers’ Compensation Institute study finds that applying a closed drug formulary system — similar to those in Texas and Washington — could cut workers’ compensation pharmaceutical costs in the state by between $142 million and $420 million annually. Insurance Journal et al.
Calif. Supreme Court Expected To Hear Rx Database Privacy Case
A case over whether the Medical Board of California should be able to access records in a prescription drug monitoring database without a warrant or demonstration of good cause is likely to be reviewed by the state Supreme Court next year. InformationWeek.
California Will Not Delay Home Care Workers’ Overtime Pay
California officials say the state will begin paying home care workers overtime promptly on Jan. 1, 2015 — despite a recent federal decision to delay enforcing minimum wage and overtime pay protections to such workers. The state expects to spend $172.2 million on overtime pay for home care workers in the first six months of next year. Sacramento Business Journal.