State Lawmaker Says San Diego’s Staffing Levels Of Public Health Nurses Fall Short Of Guidelines
State Sen. Ben Hueso’s office released a statement claiming that 18 nurses serving California Children’s Services average 760 cases each, a number that is nearly double the 400 cases per nurse recommended in guidelines published by the California Department of Health Care Services.
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Hueso Demands Audit Of Public Nursing Resources
Already tense relations between county government and union members frayed a bit more Friday as state Sen. Ben Hueso demanded a state audit of San Diego County public health resources, alleging that current staffing levels for public health nurses do not meet state guidelines. Hueso stood with members of Service Employees International Union Local 221 in San Diego and announced that he recently sent a letter to the state legislature’s Joint Committee on Legislative Audit requesting that the panel “determine whether adequate levels of county public health nurses are available to appropriately serve the residents of San Diego County.” (Sisson, 8/18)
In other news —
The Bakersfield Californian:
'It's Like A Family' East Bakersfield Doctor Bridges Gap Between Community Health And Medicine
[Dr. Kimberly] Dixon was recently awarded a $100,000 grant from the Stephen M. Thompson Loan Repayment Program to cover her medical school bills in exchange for committing to work in Kern County, which is considered a medically underserved area by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. Programs like that, Dixon said, encourage talented physicians to practice in areas like Kern County, which has historically contended with a revolving crop of young doctors who build their resumes in Bakersfield, then leave. ...And Dixon is acutely aware of the health impacts of the impoverished area she’s serving. A majority of her patients are on Medi-Cal, the state insurance for the poor. Others face barriers to accessing medical care or have difficulty navigating the system, struggle with financial issues, and endure violence, all of which impact the health of kids. (Pierce, 8/20)