Latest California Healthline Stories
Inland Empire Grapples With Shortage of Hospital Beds
With 1.9 hospital beds for every 1,000 people, California ranks 49th in the nation for hospital bed availability. And the Inland Empire region — specifically southwest Riverside County — is lower yet with 1.05 licensed beds per 1,000 people. The region also faces a shortage of doctors and nurses.
High-Risk Pool Changes First Reforms on Tap in California
One of the first changes California will see under national health reform is the creation of a new insurance pool for “high-risk” patients. How the new national pool will affect California’s existing program will be closely watched.
California Moving Ahead With Efforts To Boost Adoption of Electronic Health Record Systems
Robin Affrime of the Redwood Community Health Coalition, Carmella Castellano-Garcia of the California Primary Care Association and Speranza Avram of CalHIPSO share their thoughts on CalHIPSO’s mission.
‘Defining Moment’ for Health Information Exchange in California
Last week, California officials tapped a private, not-for-profit organization to lead efforts to develop a statewide health information exchange. Although there still isn’t unanimity on how to proceed in some areas, the group’s co-chairs are looking forward.
Expert Touts Need for Quality Reporting To Produce Data for Patients, Not Just Practitioners
R. Adams Dudley, a professor of medicine and health policy at UC-San Francisco, shared his thoughts about health care quality reporting initiatives and strategies for improving these efforts.
Stimulus Programs Aim at Health IT Problems
Hoping to avoid future problems and educate the public about current challenges, the federal government is aiming stimulus funding at a couple of offshoot efforts in the national campaign to move the health care industry into the digital age.
California Falling Short in Kids’ Dental Care, Studies Say
One study gives California a “C” in dental care for low-income children and another contends tooth decay is at epidemic proportions among kids in Los Angeles County’s poorest communities. Researchers and dental advocates urge policymakers to pay more attention to oral health.
Proposed Anthem Rate Hike Stirs Reform Waters
President Obama is pointing to proposed health insurance rate hikes in California as proof the system needs an overhaul, while members of Congress and the California Legislature are calling hearings and a frustrated Californian launches a statewide ballot initiative to regulate insurance rates.
Shift in Economic Conditions Diminishes Job Prospects for Nursing School Graduates in Calif.
Kathleen Dracup of the UCSF School of Nursing, Jan Emerson of the California Hospital Association, Deloras Jones of the California Institute for Nursing & Health Care and Brandy Logue of Samuel Merritt University share their thoughts on the situation.
California Urged To Make Changes, Reform or No Reform
State and national health care leaders agree that California should seek ways to improve the state’s health care system no matter what emerges — or doesn’t emerge — from Washington.