Latest California Healthline Stories
Moving Homeless Patient Discharge From the Streets
Los Angeles’ law prohibiting hospitals from discharging homeless patients back to the street was a catalyst for creating recuperative and transitional care programs that help the city and county deal with the nation’s largest homeless population.
Alternative Providers Could Help Bridge Gap in Primary Care
Physician assistants and nurse practitioners could help California deal with the dramatic rise in primary care patients expected when federal health care reform kicks in. A new bill in the state Senate outlines greater PA responsibilities and reflects increasing reliance on “alternative” providers.
New Program Brings Health Care Stakeholders Together To Curb Hospital-Acquired Infections
Gene Grigsby of the National Health Foundation, Leslie Margolin of Anthem Blue Cross, Jon Rosenberg of DPH and the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California’s Mary Lopez and Scott Seamons shared their thoughts on the new initiative.
California Nursing Board Faces Long Road Ahead for Streamlining Investigation Process
Stacie Berumen of the nursing panel, the University of San Diego’s Julie D’Angelo Fellmeth, Kathy Sackman of UNAC/UHCP and Daryl Walker of the Department of Consumer Affairs discussed the board with California Healthline.
New Law in California Raises the Bar for Interpretation Services in Medical Settings
Lisa Diamond of Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute; Alicia Fernandez of UC-San Francisco; Gloria Garcia-Orme of S.F. General; Anmol Mahal, a past president of CMA; Lynne Randolph of the state DMHC; and Ben Singer of Anthem BlueCross discussed the law with California Healthline.
New Laws in California Set Sights on Preventing Hospital-Acquired Infections
State Sen. Elaine Alquist and Kathleen Billingsley, deputy director of the state Department of Public Health’s Center for Health Care Quality, talked with California Healthline about two new laws aimed at curbing hospital-acquired infections.
Lack of Insurance Hazardous to Health, Hospital Report Shows
Uninsured Californians and Medi-Cal beneficiaries are more likely to die in California hospitals than patients with private insurance, according to a new state report. The California Hospital Association traces the disparity to limited access to primary care services.
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.
Effort To Standardize U.S. Hospitals’ Use of Color-Coded Wristbands on Patients Underway
Jan Emerson of the California Hospital Association, Beth Feldpush of the American Hospital Association and Niraj Sehgal of UC-San Francisco spoke with California Healthline about the pros and cons of the project.
Growth of Private Imaging Centers Brings Warnings About Radiation From CT Scans
William Dillon of UCSF, David Schauer of the National College of Radiation Protection and Measurements and Arl Van Moore of the American College of Radiology spoke with California Healthline about private centers that offer CT scans.