Latest California Healthline Stories
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.
Financial Times May Get Harder for California Providers
California’s hospitals, nursing homes and clinics are reeling from a powerful one-two punch of the nation’s economic recession and the state’s difficulties in passing a budget.
Licensing Boards in California Step Up Criminal Background Checks for Health Care Workers
Deborah Burger of the California Nurses Association, Dean Chalios of the California Dental Association, Luis Farias of the Department of Consumer Affairs and Julianne D’Angelo Fellmeth of the Center for Public Interest Law at the University of San Diego discussed the effort.
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.
Physician Organizations Have Mixed Reactions To Decision Upholding Ban on Balance Billing
Don Crane of the California Association of Physician Groups, Elena Lopez-Gusman of the American College of Emergency Physicians and Lynne Randolph from the state Department of Managed Health Care discussed the ruling.
Health Care Providers From Other Countries Face Hurdles Getting Licensed in United States
Jeanne Batalova of the Migration Policy Institute; John Cordova and Jose Pena from the immigrant aid organization Welcome Back; and Kevin Schunke of the California Medical Board discuss the issue with California Healthline.
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.
Medicare Payment Delays Push California Physicians To Stop Accepting New Patients
Mike Barlow of Palmetto, Dev GnanaDev of the California Medical Association, and Sandra Newman and Julian Delgado of the California Academy of Family Physicians discussed the situation with California Healthline.
Financial Meltdown Taking California Budget From Bad to Worse
California’s health care system, already reeling from Medi-Cal cutbacks, faces new risks if the receding economy pushes health insurance out of reach for more people, as many predict it will.