Latest California Healthline Stories
Primary Care Drives Jump in Patients for Planned Parenthood Clinics
Like most community clinics in California, Planned Parenthood clinics are seeing more patients during these economic hard times. And the handful of Planned Parenthood clinics offering primary care services are seeing more new patients seeking care for more than reproductive health issues.
Shortage of Allied Health Workers Strains California Clinics
A survey released this month shows more than 80% of California’s community clinics reported difficulties in keeping allied health positions filled with qualified, trained personnel. The problem is expected to grow in the short- and long-term.
Health Care Jobs Rank High With Young Californians
Young Californians, who don’t have a particularly rosy image of the employment situation in California, rank health care as the best place to look for a career, according to a survey commissioned by the California Wellness Foundation.
State Auditor Report Raps Medi-Cal Enrollment System
A report this month by the Bureau of State Audits criticizes the California Department of Health Care Services for failing to streamline the process for enrolling and tracking Medi-Cal providers.
Farm Worker Health Record Effort Grows in San Joaquin Valley
Billed as the first of its kind in the country, a pilot project is creating personal health records for farm workers in the San Joaquin Valley. The project is part of $6 million in new state grants for projects aimed at improving health care delivery systems for underserved populations.
California Lacks Health Professionals Other Than Doctors, Nurses
A new survey shows that a shortage of allied health professionals barely registers on the public radar. The California State University system is gearing up to address those shortages and fill new training needs.
End-of-Life Care a Pressing Issue as Baby Boomers Age
As society’s approach to end-of-life issues changes, California health care officials and lawmakers are responding with new ways to help society confront mortality. California is one of the first states pursuing a new effort to offer curative and hospice care simultaneously to terminally ill children.
California Health Care Quality Dips Slightly in HHS Report Card
According to a national report card issued last week, the quality of California’s health care dropped slightly last year compared to the year before. Hospital officials and physicians welcome quality comparisons but urge patients and purchasers to keep report cards in context.
State’s New Catastrophe Response Plan Leaves Nurses Skeptical
Presented as the first of its kind in the nation, California’s comprehensive plan for delivering health care in the event of a major disaster leaves front-line providers — nurses — less than impressed.
Telemedicine Efforts Target Uninsured, Rural Hispanics
Use of telemedicine is becoming a more common way to treat chronic diseases among specific underserved populations, such as Hispanics. Two programs in the state have had early success using the technology to stave off development of more serious and costly conditions among people with diabetes.