Latest California Healthline Stories
Data Take Center Stage at Health 2.0 Conference
As efforts to get consumers actively involved in health information technology mature, the focus at the Fifth Annual Health 2.0 Conference in San Francisco showed an evolutionary shift away from getting the conversation started and toward deciding what to talk about.
Pitfalls and Promise of Converting California’s Dual Eligibles
The state would like to move “dual eligibles” — Californians who receive both Medicare and Medi-Cal benefits — into managed care plans. State officials say the move would save money and improve care, but it’s a big and complicated task.
California Lands HHS Rate Review Grants, but No Bonuses
Because California lacks the authority to reject health insurance premiums considered unreasonable, two federal grants the state received this week were smaller than they might have been. HHS handed out $109 million in grants to help states strengthen oversight of health insurance premiums.
Groups Tap Funding for Mobile Health Efforts Targeting Seniors With Chronic Conditions
David Lindeman of the Center for Technology and Aging, Nancy Pratt of Sharp HealthCare, René Seidel of the SCAN Foundation and Steven Wallace of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research spoke with California Healthline about how mobile health technology could benefit seniors.
UC-San Diego Health System ‘Most Wired,’ Lands Top HIMSS Status
UC-San Diego Health System once again has been named one of the nation’s “Most Wired” hospitals by the American Hospital Association’s Hospitals and Health Networks. The hospital system also received a Stage 7 HIMSS Analytics score for achieving the highest level of electronic health record adoption.
L.A. Care Health Plan’s Elaine Batchlor Talks About Efforts To Improve Safety-Net Care
Elaine Batchlor, chief medical officer at L.A. Care Health Plan, spoke with California Healthline about the challenges facing safety-net health programs and the opportunities to address such challenges through innovation.
Health Care’s ‘Tricky’ Role as Economic Leader in California
A new report showing hospitals’ considerable economic impact in San Francisco reinforces the widely held contention that consistent job growth makes the health care industry a bright spot in an otherwise bleak economic landscape.
UCSF Medical Center Catches Up With EHR Deployment
UC-San Francisco Medical Center, which got a relatively late start in Bay Area hospitals’ march toward comprehensive electronic health record systems, took a major step recently by adopting a new integrated system.
Molly Coye of UCLA Discusses Innovative Ways To Improve the Value of Health Care Services
Molly Coye, chief innovation officer of UCLA, spoke with California Healthline about how UCLA and other health care systems are taking steps to increase the value of the health care services they deliver.
Hard Times for Nursing Homes May Get Harder
California’s nursing homes are in a precarious state. After dealing with deep payment cuts and the likelihood that additional reductions are imminent, they face more financial problems after six leading companies were downgraded by Standard & Poor’s.