Latest California Healthline Stories
Calif.-Based Firm Wins IBM’s Watson, Mobile App Contest
On Tuesday, GenieMD — a Pleasanton, Calif.-based company — was named a grand prize winner in the IBM Watson Mobile Developer Challenge, which sought innovative ways to use the company’s Watson technology in a mobile application. GenieMD’s app allows users to better manage their own health by using their personal health data, including symptoms, medication and detailed conversations between patients and their providers. PC Magazine.
HHS To Disburse $300M to Community Health Centers Under ACA
The Obama administration says it will distribute $300 million in grants to help community health centers nationwide expand their services, staff members and service hours. Applications for the grants are due July 1, and the funds are expected to be distributed in September. The Hill et al.
Alameda County Voters Pass Measure To Fund Health Care Clinics for Undocumented Immigrants
On Tuesday, voters in Alameda County approved a ballot measure that aims to raise $100 million annually for health clinics that would serve undocumented immigrants. The measure raises the funding by extending a 0.5% sales tax 2019 to 2034. Reuters.
UCSF Launches Program To Develop Medical Devices
UC-San Francisco is launching a new program, called the Rosenman Institute, to connect faculty members who have ideas for medical devices with a volunteer network of device makers, including clinical-trial designers, engineers, intellectual property lawyers, marketing specialists and regulatory experts. UCSF also is planning to open a dedicated laboratory for the program. San Francisco Chronicle.
Changes to Food Stamp Program Could Improve Recipients’ Health
A study by Stanford University and UC-San Francisco researchers finds that Type 2 diabetes rates would decline and nutrition would improve if the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program prohibited the use of food stamps to purchase sugar-sweetened beverages and provided subsidies for fruits and vegetables. Los Angeles Times.
Raising Minimum Wage Would Improve Health, Reduce Costs
A new analysis by Human Impact Partners finds that a bill to raise California’s minimum wage to $13 per hour by 2017 would have positive public health effects in the state, including 400 fewer early deaths annually by reducing smoking and obesity rates, among other improvements. KQED’s “State of Health,” HIP analysis.
UC-Irvine, UC-San Diego Data Sharing Project Receives $1.9M Award From RWJF
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has awarded $1.9 million to a health data sharing project developed by UC-Irvine and UC-San Diego. The Health Data Exploration project aims to convince developers of tracking devices, connected health devices and fitness applications to make the data collected by such technology available for research. MobiHealthNews.
Private Health Plan Enrollment Rose Significantly in Early 2014, Kaiser Report Finds
Between three million and 3.5 million people became newly insured in March by purchasing coverage on their own outside of the health insurance exchanges, either through an insurer or broker, according to a new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Overall, the report estimates that at least 15 million people now are insured through the private market. The Hill.
EPA’s New Climate Change Plan Would Help Improve Public Health
Yesterday, the Obama administration unveiled new regulations intended to address climate change and boost public health by reducing carbon dioxide emissions from U.S. power plants. President Obama says the plan could help prevent as many as 100,000 asthma attacks and 2,100 heart attacks within the first year of implementation. New York Times et al.
CMS Unveils Medicare Hospital Pricing Data, New Online Tools
CMS has publicly released 2012 Medicare hospital pricing data in an effort to increase transparency, lower costs and improve the quality of care. In addition, CMS has unveiled new tools and dashboards that aim to help users more efficiently manage and understand the data. The Hill et al.