FROM THE FOUNDATION

Mapping Chronic Disease in California

The California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) provides data that identifies those areas of California bearing the heaviest burden in terms of chronic disease. The latest survey added new conditions and a map feature.

Paper to Electronic Charts Made Easy

Community clinics with experience making the transition from paper to electronic records share the strategies, techniques, and insights they learned along the way.

Among Hospitals, A Special Critical List

People in rural and remote areas throughout California depend on critical access hospitals. This paper tracks the changing landscape and financial health of these small but important institutions.

Patient Safety

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03/18/2010

Report: State's Enforcement of Patient Safety Laws Remains Lax

A new Consumers Union report suggests that the California Department of Public Health is not taking strong enough action to enforce new laws aimed at reducing medical errors and hospital-acquired infections. The report praised the state for effectively collecting adverse event information but said officials could do more to make the data readily accessible. San Francisco Chronicle.

03/16/2010

Hospitals, California Agencies Step Up Error Prevention

The California Department of Public Health plans to use part of the money hospitals have paid as fines for preventable medical errors on research and prevention efforts for foreign objects left in patients during surgeries, a state official said.  The state has been fining hospitals under a 2007 state law, but hospitals have challenged some citations, asserting that other factors were at play. Los Angeles Times.

03/12/2010

Inspectors Find Quality Lapse at UC-Irvine Medical Center

In a surprise inspection last week, state investigators working on behalf of CMS issued an "immediate jeopardy" warning to UC-Irvine Medical Center for two deficiencies in medication management. Medical center officials said they already have submitted plans to address the problem. Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register.

03/11/2010

Senate Labor Committee Investigates Cal-OSHA Appeals Board Practices

State lawmakers questioned whether the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health's appeals board has ignored regulations requiring it to impose fines on employers that fail to report workplace injuries. Federal officials also are investigating Cal-OSHA. Los Angeles Times.

03/05/2010

Report: CMS Missing Many Hospital 'Never Events'

HHS' Office of the Inspector General has released a report indicating that CMS' system to identify adverse events is missing many incidents, resulting in Medicare overpayments to hospitals. Federal law bars Medicare from reimbursing hospitals for treatment of 10 conditions arising from adverse events. HealthLeaders Media.

03/01/2010

Santa Clara County Files Suit Over Avandia Marketing

On Friday, Santa Clara County officials filed a lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline, alleging that the drugmaker falsely advertised the benefits and concealed the risks of its diabetes medication Avandia. A county official says the lawsuit is the first to be filed by a government body over Avandia. GSK officials could not be reached to comment on the suit. San Jose Mercury News.

02/24/2010

Research Estimates Toll of Hospital-Acquired Infections

A new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that hospital-acquired sepsis and pneumonia caused 48,000 deaths and cost $8.1 billion in 2006, demonstrating the burden hospital-acquired infections place on the health care system and highlighting the need for stronger infection-control policies. Reuters.

02/23/2010

FDA Reports Underscore Concern Over Diabetes Drug

Internal FDA reports show that GlaxoSmithKline's diabetes medication Avandia was linked to 304 deaths in the third quarter of 2009, making it the leading prescribed drug linked to serious, disabling or fatal problems in that quarter. The release of the reports and a two-year Senate inquiry into the medication have renewed concerns about its safety, GSK's actions regarding the medication and FDA's response to safety concerns.  New York Times.

02/23/2010

Chiropractic Board Approves New Patient Safety Rules

The California Board of Chiropractic Examiners has adopted new regulations aimed at boosting patient safety while chiropractors perform a procedure called manipulation under anesthesia. The regulations will take effect March 18. Sacramento Business Journal.

02/12/2010

Ambulance Service Reaches Deal in Calaveras County

The president of the American Legion Ambulance service has agreed to let fire departments in parts of Calaveras County covered by an exclusive agreement with the firm transport sick or injured patients if ambulances will not be able to respond quickly.  The firm's contract will come up for renewal in July. Stockton Record.

02/11/2010

FDA Advocates Call for Higher Federal Budget Allocations

Although FDA's budget is slated to grow to $4 billion under President Obama's fiscal year 2011 budget proposals, some groups say the agency needs a higher allocation. Advocates say FDA should receive more funding because it plays a critical role in ensuring the safety of drugs, food and other products. Los Angeles Times.

02/10/2010

Quality Lapses Widespread at Long-Term Care Hospitals

In 2007 and 2008, some long-term care hospitals were cited for violating Medicare rules at nearly twice the rate of regular hospitals. In addition, long-term care facilities -- which are not designed to treat specific conditions or patients but allow patients to remain in their facilities for longer than regular hospitals -- had a higher rate of bedsores and infections than regular hospitals in 2006. New York Times.

02/10/2010

FDA To Require New Safety Measures for Radiation Scans

On Tuesday, FDA announced plans to increase regulation of three of the most potent forms of medical radiation partly in response to radiation overdoses reported at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles last year. The agency plans to require manufacturers of CT scanners and other imaging devices to include new safety controls in their products to prevent patients from receiving unsafe doses of radiation. New York Times, AP/Los Angeles Times.

02/04/2010

Central-Line Infection Rates at Calif. Hospitals Vary Widely, Data Show

A new Consumers Union report finds that 47 of 70 California hospitals surveyed reported no central-line infections or infection rates below national averages. The group produced the report using 2008 data from the Leapfrog Group. Payers & Providers, San Francisco Business Times.

02/02/2010

Proposed Calif. Program Would Target Surgical Items Left in Patients

The California Department of Public Health wants to create a collaborative project to help prevent foreign objects from being left in patients during surgery. Such errors account for nearly 20% of the adverse events at the roughly 450 California hospitals that perform invasive procedures. HealthLeaders Media.

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