Touro University’s third-year medical students spend year on North Coast; is residency next? | Eureka Reporter 7.03.08

No one’s calling it mission accomplished, but with 16 medical students scheduled for third-year rotations through Humboldt and Del Norte counties, the plan to “grow-your-own” is taking shape.

Pfizer Ends Direct Funding of Courses | Wall Street Journal 7.03.08

Pfizer Inc., hoping to temper criticism that it is improperly influencing doctors, is eliminating direct financial support for medical-education courses that are offered by third-party companies.

'I Want Help Now' | Santa Rosa Press Democrat 7.02.08

With her son lying nearly motionless in a hospital bed in Napa, Teri Peterson looked at the stack of get well cards piling up -- the ones that say, "Call if there is anything I can do" -- and did what most people don't. She called.

Electronic-Prescription Plan Is Set | Wall Street Journal 7.01.08

The country's two largest electronic-prescription networks Tuesday announced a merger, creating a single, secure network for the exchange of digital health information.

Editorial: Budget deal will do real damage to health care | Sacramento Bee 7.01.08

Late last year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was close to closing a deal that would expand medical care to millions of Californians who lack health insurance. That deal imploded, and now both he and state lawmakers are about to violate a basic tenet of t

Dr. Daphne Miller's jungle diet | SF Chronicle 6.29.08

When new patients first visit Dr. Daphne Miller's family practice, they are asked to bring in every vitamin and prescription medication they typically ingest, which has led to some comic moments.

Hospital to mark 80th anniversary, residents' graduation | Ventura County Star 6.28.08

A woman in her 50s had suffered a stroke and was hemorrhaging in the back of her brain. Another patient, a jail inmate who often drinks 10 beers a day, had shown symptoms that could lead to the often fatal delirium tremens, also known as the DTs.

More Americans Delay Health Care | Wall Street Journal 6.26.08

An increasing array of Americans, many with health insurance, are delaying or forgoing medical care because of concern about cost, according to a report from the Center for Studying Health System Change.

Decrease costs to increase care | Napa Valley Register 6.27.08

During the recent U.S. presidential primary campaign, the candidates talked frequently about proposals to reduce the number of people in this country, now 47 million, who lack health insurance by measures such as expanding eligibility for Medicaid and req

Spend on healthcare, not paperwork | Los Angeles Times 6.27.08

New Medi-Cal proposals put budgets and bureaucracy ahead of children's health.

Guidelines issued for protecting online health records | SJ Mercury News 6.26.08

Hoping to persuade more people to store their medical records online, Google, Microsoft and a hodgepodge of health care providers and insurers have agreed on ground rules for protecting the privacy of the sensitive information.

Healthcare groups turn against Schwarzenegger budget plan for California | Los Angeles Times 6.26.08

A coalition of medical advocates who had backed the governor on universal coverage say his proposed cuts would add 1 million to the ranks of the uninsured.

House Approves Measure To Postpone Cuts in Medicare Pay to Doctors | California Healthline 6.25.08

On Tuesday, the House voted 355-59 to approve legislation (HR 6331) that would delay for 18 months a 10.6% reduction to Medicare physician fees scheduled to go into effect on July 1, among other provisions, the Washington Post reports (Kane, Washington Po

What's at Stake in the Medicare Showdown | Wall Street Journal 6.24.08

A friend recently asked me for advice on how to protect her father. He wants to stay in his own apartment as he recuperates from hip surgery. But the Medicare program that covers him requires that he head off to a costly nursing home.

Reforming health care remains governor's goal | San Diego Union Tribune 6.24.08

Speaking before a friendly audience in downtown San Diego yesterday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vowed to continue his push for health care reform during the final 2½ years of his tenure.

The Changing Face of Pharma Sales / As the healthcare industry evolves, pharmaceutical reps keep pace with a new set of skills

The ever-evolving healthcare industry has very few constants, and the pharmaceutical sales industry is yet another piece of the puzzle that is in the middle of a major transformation.

Medical care's state of denial | San Francisco Chronicle 6.23.08

Doctors are supposed to prescribe tests and treatments that are medically necessary for their patients. Health insurers are expected to cover that care, while keeping inappropriate expenses in check.

Noting history with dose of health | Ventura County Star 6.22.08

A health fair Saturday at the 18th annual Ventura County Juneteenth celebration in Oxnard offered free screenings and information on a variety of health issues, from Alzheimer's disease to HIV/AIDS.

New Survey Finds Costs Hinder Doctors Adoption of Electronic Records | California Healthline 6.19.08

The cost of switching from a paper-based health records system to an electronic version for patients is a key obstacle for many primary care physicians in the U.S., according to a study published on Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, USA To

University project gets medical books to Afghan doctors | San Diego Union Tribune 6.19.08

Books without Borders operates throughout Afghanistan and Iraq, but UCSD has been specifically paired with Kabul Medical University, Afghanistan's largest medical school.

AMA calls physician reimbursements flawed | Los Angeles Times 6.17.08

Failings by insurers and Medicare add more than $200 billion a year to the nation's healthcare tab, report says.

West Couny Health Centers Switch to Electronic Medical Records | Press Democrat 6.20.08

Only 18 days old, Jose Alexander Ortega is among a new generation of Americans whose entire health history may one day be stored on memory chips, with key information periodically updated wirelessly through the Internet.

Frustrated doctors | Long Beach Press-Telegram 6.17.08

On July 1, Medicare payments to doctors will be cut by 10.6 percent. Hold that fact for a moment while we explore all the reasons so many doctors are forgoing family practice, refusing to accept Medicare patients, not bothering to see patients in hospital

Single-payer health concept one thing, math another | Sacramento Bee 6.15.08

One big reason Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's drive to pass health care reform failed earlier this year was that many Democrats in the Legislature favored a Canadian-style plan instead. Under that kind of system, the government would decide which benefits p

LA County Officials Negotiating Deal With UC To ReOpen Hospital | CA Healthline 6.16.08

Los Angeles County officials are in talks with the UC system to help re-open Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital in South Los Angeles, KPCC's "Patt Morrison" reports.

Patients rarely use online ratings to pick physicians | AM News 6.16.08

For all the concern and mistrust over physician rating sites, recent research shows that, for now, few patients are using them to decide where to get their care.

Bill To Raise Doctors Medicare Payments Stalls in US Senate | CA Healthline 6.13.08

Senate Democrats on Thursday failed to obtain the 60 votes required to invoke cloture and begin debate on a bill (S 3101) that would delay for 18 months a 10.6% reduction in Medicare physician fees scheduled to take effect on July 1 and increase payments

Sonoma County Health Care Providers Brace for Proposed MediCal Cuts | CA Healthline 6.13.08

A coalition of 11 health care facilities in Sonoma County will lose about $6 million as a result of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's (R) proposed Medi-Cal cuts to help fight the $15.2 billion budget deficit, according to Pedro Toledo, a spokesperson for the R

Editorial: Electronic medical records will save lives

Heart disease, cancer and stroke are still the leading causes of death in the United States. But did you know that medical error is one of the Top 10? It's higher than automobile accidents, AIDS, Alzheimer's and pneumonia.

Health scare now a teaching tool

Anyone can have a heart attack, although many believe it never will happen to them. One prime example was Rancho Cucamonga Mayor Don Kurth - make that Doctor Mayor Don Kurth. Last year, he had a heart attack - and didn't even know it.

Assembly Democrats Seek To Avoid MediCal Cuts in Budget

On Thursday, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) detailed the Democrats' budget proposal, which would raise $6.4 billion in tax revenue and avoid funding cuts for health, education and social service programs, the San Jose Mercury News reports.

Local doctors get world view

The Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital-UC Irvine Family Medicine Residency's newest program offers doctors a chance to learn and experience things they don't get in medical school. The Tropical Medicine Program, which began last year, is a way to broade

Peninsula doctors feel the squeeze

Here's the scenario: You're overdue for your annual checkup. You call your family doctor. He says he can fit you in. In four months. Or, worse yet, he tells you he's closing his practice—joining the exodus of primary care doctors from Monterey County.

Editorial: Reform health care, don't just shift costs

When the next round of cuts in state MediCal spending starts next month, some folks who hate paying taxes for the benefit of others will applaud. They'll be pleased to know that government is making it harder on those at the bottom of the pecking order.

Humboldt named to health care initiative

Humboldt County is rubbing shoulders with some mighty big players as one of 14 areas chosen nationwide to participate in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's “Aligning Forces for Quality.”

Local Doctor Provides Care Near Myanmar

One month after a cyclone that killed 78,000 people in Myanmar. The government there is still blocking most of the help being offered by the U.S. and the rest of the world.

Medi-Cal cut could hurt patient care, East Bay doctors say | Contra Costa Times 5.17.08

Nearly two-thirds of East Bay doctors who treat Medi-Cal patients say they will scale back or stop seeing such patients entirely when a 10 percent cut in reimbursement rates takes effect July 1.

TAGS: medi-cal cuts, payment, access

After a 231-page checkup, group issues its diagnosis on the health of S.J. | Stockton Record 5.20.08

With 25 active agencies and nine financial sponsors from the public and private sectors, the San Joaquin County Community Health Assessment Collaborative spent the past three years compiling and analyzing the latest demographic data for its second health...

TAGS: access, workforce, prevention

Editorial: California can do better than governor's plan | San Jose Mercury News 5.18.08

All Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger talked about when running for office was restoring the California Dream. But the future the governor outlined for the state Wednesday represents the California Tragedy: less health care and fewer services for those who need...

TAGS: budget cuts, payment, health care reform

Google offers online medical records service | San Francisco Chronicle 5.20.08

Google Inc. made available to the public a free service that allows customers to manage their medical records online and get health information, the Mountain View Internet company said Monday.

TAGS: HIT, personal medical records

Passport to health | San Diego Union Tribune 5.20.08

Smart travelers lessen potential medical difficulties, confusion before leaving the country.

TAGS: FP mention

Medi-Cal Cuts Threaten Patient Care
You know it. We know it. The proposed 10 percent cuts to Medi-Cal taking place July 1 are going to severely affect patient care. An article in the Contra Costa Times shows the effect the cuts will have in part of the Bay Area. How will they affect your patients? Let us know.

Central Valley residents poorer and sicker than state average, report says | Sacramento Bee 5.9.08

Central Valley residents lack doctors and other medical specialists, are more likely to die of diabetes and heart attacks, and face diminished well-being because of poverty, according to a sweeping report released Thursday.

TAGS: access, medi-cal, workforce

If Medi-Cal reimbursements go down, so must hospital services | San Diego Union Tribune 5.10.08

On April 17 editorial writers Beth Barber and Don Sevrens sat down with Mike Murphy, CEO of Sharp Healthcare; Dan Gross, executive vice president of Sharp Healthcare; and Steve Escoboza, president and CEO of Hospital Association of San Diego and Imperial...

TAGS: medi-cal cuts, payment

Suit filed to block Medi-Cal rate cuts | San Francisco Chronicle 5.6.08

An influential coalition of health care organizations sued the state Monday to block a 10 percent cut in Medi-Cal rates set to take effect this summer.

Rising Health Care Costs Challenge Massachusetts Health Insurance Law | (UK) Medical News Today 4.30.08

Two years after the Massachusetts health insurance law was signed, the state's "biggest challenge is rising costs," the AP/Boston Globe reports. Since the law took effect, the number of insured state residents increased by nearly 350,000 people.

Health care workers sue state over pay-cut plan | San Jose Mercury News 5.6.08

A coalition of health care groups sued the state Monday to prevent pay cuts to doctors, dentists, pharmacists and others who treat the poor, elderly and disabled.

California Sued Over Health-Care Cuts | Wall Street Journal 5.6.08

A coalition of California hospitals, doctors, dentists and other health-care providers has sued the state to block a 10% cutback in payments to them for treating the poor who are covered by Medi-Cal, a joint federal and state program.

Doctor Visit Becoming A Group Event | Capitol Public Radio (NPR) 4.28.08

More insurers are testing the concept of group visits, in which about 15 patients with the same condition discuss their disease with a doctor in a classroom-like setting. Kaiser Permanente says the format saves money and reduces hospitalizations, but some...

Exodus of specialists from ERs raises concerns | Los Angeles Times 4.25.08

Today, specialists not only have dumped the doughnuts, they've abandoned emergency rooms in droves. One more sign of a deteriorating safety net, their exodus is both a cause and a result of the backlogs that plague hospital emergency rooms across Southern...

Governor determined to try big health care reform again | San Jose Mercury News 4.30.08

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday vowed to attempt another ambitious reform of health care in California and said he would refuse to reduce the scale of his plan simply to cut a deal.

MedPAC advises raising primary care pay | American Medical News 5.5.08

Primary care doctors would receive higher Medicare payment rates under a proposal that a panel of congressional advisers will send to Capitol Hill in June, but at least one lawmaker is considering such a plan before the proposal even arrives.

Polls show health care a growing concern | San Francisco Chronicle 4.29.08

A new poll shows concerns over rising health care costs have kept pace with other major economic worries - second only to skyrocketing gas prices and tied with getting a job or raise that pays enough to cover increased living expenses.

Schwarzenegger 's failure on health care sours voters | Sacramento Bee 4.28.08

Arnold Schwarzenegger did a great job of selling Californians on the notion that the state's health care system is a gigantic mess and of promising to bring affordable care to everyone. But his failure to make it happen is leaving a bitter aftertaste in...

UCSF med students team up for new program | Fresno Bee 4.24.08

Seven UCSF Fresno medical students are teaming up in a new program that blends maternal, child and family practice to care for patients in the central San Joaquin Valley. The program's aim is for students to develop an overall view of their patients over...

Holes Forming in Health Care Safety Net for California Children | California Healthline 4.29.08

Loopholes are developing in California's safety net, and physicians and children's health advocates are worried poor kids will be the first to start falling through. "Those changes, if they go through, will make it harder for probably the most vulnerable...

Sutter to roast its top doctor | Woodland Daily Democrat 4.29.08

The event will honor Dr. Elizabeth Patterson who will be on the "hot seat" for this evening of fiery wit and entertainment. Dr. Patterson is a family physician, focused on taking care "of the whole person." She was recently voted, for the second time...

Dwindling supply of primary doctors hurts | Stockton Record 4.26.08

Every March, graduating medical school seniors anxiously await the results of the match. Like the draft assigns star athletes to professional teams, the match assigns these new physicians to specialty training programs. Dermatology and plastic surgery...

Editorial: Why it makes no sense to cut Medi-Cal spending | Santa Rosa Press Democrat 4.23.08

In a couple of weeks, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will release a revised state budget plan. Californians should hope that, in one area in particular, the governor revises his slash-and-burn approach to spending cuts: Medi-Cal.

As Doctors Get a Life, Strains Show | Wall Street Journal 4.29.08

Quest for Free Time Reshapes Medicine; A Team Approach... U.S. medicine is in the middle of a cultural revolution, as young physicians intent on balancing work and family challenge the assumption that a doctor should be available to treat patients around...

Riverside County threatens to pull out of Medi-Cal mental health program | Riverside County Press Enterprise 4.1.08 

As California has struggled financially, payments to counties to fund social services have decreased, often forcing local officials to pony up money to keep the programs running. Riverside County has had enough.

State drafts rules to regulate emergency room payments | Los Angeles Times 4.1.08

Patients are often billed by doctors to make up the difference from insurer reimbursements. The so-called balance billing practice would be banned.

Many Asian Americans in Sacramento County lack health insurance | Sacramento Bee 4.2.08

Even while her stomach was killing her, Melelea Tausinga remained the heart and soul of Sacramento's Tongan community. She counseled troubled teens, was the water mom for Tongan rugby teams and danced everything from Tongan classics to her favorite, "The

State ignores law requiring annual Medi-Cal payment studies | Sacramento Bee 3.28.08

When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers agreed last month to cut 10 percent from what the state pays Medi-Cal doctors, they did so without knowing how it might further limit services to the poor. That's because for years the state has been ignoring

Massachusetts hikes premiums for state-subsidized health plans by 10% | American Medical News 4.7.08

Higher-than-expected costs and enrollment in Massachusetts' health reform program are translating into higher premiums and co-payments for enrollees and a concern physicians will face pay cuts.

Resident Match breaks records for applicants and couples | American Medical News 4.7.08