12/22/2008
The California Endowment has selected Del Norte County and 13 other sites statewide to participate in its "Building Healthy Communities" program. Over the next decade, the 14 sites will receive up $1 billion in grants from the endowment for health-related initiatives. Daily Triplicate.
12/17/2008
A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that Medi-Cal beneficiaries who experienced lapses in health care coverage were substantially more likely to be hospitalized for chronic conditions than beneficiaries whose coverage was not interrupted. The lead author of the study said that it raised questions about the cost-efficacy of increased eligibility checks. New York Times, CQ HealthBeat.
12/12/2008
On Thursday, the Blue Shield of California Foundation announced that it is awarding $5.8 million in Q4 grants to 25 not-for-profit groups statewide. The grants are designed to increase access to health care and coverage, boost health care quality and help curb domestic violence in the state, according to officials. San Francisco Business Times.
12/11/2008
A new CDC report estimates that the number of adults age 40 and older with diabetic retinopathy will increase from 5.5 million in 2005 to 15 million in 2050, while the number of diabetics with glaucoma will quadruple to 1.4 million and the number of diabetics with cataracts will more than triple to 10 million. Elderly Hispanics and blacks will be disproportionally affected because of higher rates of type 2 diabetes. New York Times.
12/09/2008
Kaiser Permanente and St. Joseph Health System have offered $50,000 each to fund Health Action, a Sonoma County health advisory council. The group's efforts include ensuring residents have access to primary care, encouraging access to healthy foods and curbing obesity. Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
12/05/2008
The Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program will use a $400,000 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant to train more obesity-prevention advocates in the San Joaquin Valley. The area has one of the highest childhood obesity rates in the country. Fresno Bee, Stockton Record.
12/02/2008
KQED's "The California Report Magazine" looked at diabetes among teenagers on the Round Valley Indian Reservation in Mendocino County. KQED's "The California Report Magazine."
11/25/2008
Internet users who use search engines to diagnose ailments often conclude the worst, according to a Microsoft study of health-related Internet searches on popular search engines and a survey of the company's employees' medical search habits. New York Times.
11/21/2008
New research shows that more seniors in California are reporting being diagnosed with high blood pressure, diabetes and other chronic conditions. The study found that the San Joaquin Valley is being hit especially hard by the rise in seniors with health problems. Los Angeles Times, Fresno Bee.
11/19/2008
A growing number of parents are moving in with their adult children because of health or financial problems. According to recent U.S. Census Bureau statistics, the number of parents living with their adult children has increased about 70% since 2000. San Antonio Express-News.
11/17/2008
A California judge ruled that the California Department of Education's 2007 advisory that allowed trained school staff to administer insulin shots to students with diabetes violates a state law that says only nurses can administer injections. Sacramento Bee, San Francisco Chronicle.
11/13/2008
High levels of air pollution in the Los Angeles Basin and San Joaquin Valley cost the California economy about $28 billion each year. Economists say that the costs are distributed statewide among hospitals, HMOs, employers and state residents. Los Angeles Times et al.
11/13/2008
New research from the Commonwealth Fund indicates that U.S. residents with at least one chronic condition are more likely to go without medical care and experience medical errors than people in other industrialized nations. A researcher said the study highlights the inefficiency of U.S. health care. Reuters/Boston Globe.
11/11/2008
The rate of adults diagnosed with new cases of diabetes has increased more than 90% in the last decade, according to CDC. In California, the rate of new diabetes cases increased from nearly seven in every 1,000 patients between 1995 and 1997 to nine in every 1,000 patients between 2005 and 2007, according to CDC. Riverside Press-Enterprise, KQED's "Forum."
11/11/2008
San Francisco-area physicians say that a simple, low-cost blood test could help determine individuals' risk of heart disease and stroke. A new study released this week at a scientific meeting of the American Heart Association found that the test is effective even among individuals who appear to be in good health. San Francisco Chronicle, KPCC's "Air Talk."