Safe Patient Project: California

A Shot In The Dark: Not Enough California Healthcare Workers are Getting Flu Shots

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:31:51 -0600

It�s the start of flu season and you might be worried about the spread of germs. We�re worried too. Consumers Union�s Safe Patient Project released a report today that found nearly half of all hospital workers in California didn�t get flu shots during the 2008-2009 flu season.

Nearly half of healthcare workers in California hospitals did not receive flu shots

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:58:12 -0600

LA Times coverage of Consumers Union report on low healthcare worker flu vaccination rates.

Report Finds That Only Half of California Hospital Workers Got Flu Vaccine

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:57:55 -0600

Spreading Germs: Low Rates of Flu Vaccination Among California Healthcare Workers Put Patients at Risk (PDF)

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:55:16 -0600

Consumers Union Report shows California Department of Public Health is falling behind on collecting and publishing dangerously low vaccination rates to the public.

The Empowered Patient Training: October 9, 2010, San Diego

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:22:23 -0600

Join The Empowered Patient Coalition and Consumers Union for a patient advocacy training program on Saturday, October 9, 2010 in San Diego (location TBA). This morning training is free and open to the public. Patient advocates Helen Haskell and Julia Hallisy will lead the training to discuss patient rights and things people should know when they go into the hospital.

Doctors Behaving Badly: Medical boards should drop the stone tools, join the digital age

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:01:56 -0600

Many state medical board websites are not consumer-friendly, and it can be confusing or impossible to find information about a doctor's disciplinary, criminal or malpractice history. In response, journalist William Heisel has created a Google map of "doctors behaving badly" with links to bad doctor new articles.

Victory for patients! Public reporting of certain infections will go nationwide

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 18:37:06 -0600

Soon it will be easier for you to find out how well your hospital prevents certain infections. As part of the new health care reform law, the Department of Health and Human Services will require hospitals to publicly disclose several types of dangerous hospital infections.

The M.D.: Silence on bad doctors

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 11:54:52 -0600

Not all physicians are well-qualified to practice medicine. And doctors who keep mum about their colleagues' incompetence have their own issues.

Why Not The Best? Comparative Reports on Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:48:34 -0600

Users of WhyNotTheBest.org can now search for and compare data from more than 900 hospitals on the incidence of central line�associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs)�one of the most lethal hospital-acquired complications. The data show wide variation in CLABSI incidence, in spite of strong evidence on how to prevent them. This data is made possible through a partnership among The Commonwealth Fund, The Leapfrog Group, and Consumers Union.

California Eyes Discipline for 2,000 Nurses Sanctioned by Other States

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:46:16 -0600

"California's registered nursing board has discovered that some 3,500 of its nurses have been punished for misconduct by other states � hundreds even had their licenses revoked � while maintaining clean licenses in the state. As many as 2,000 of these nurses now will face discipline in California, officials estimate. That's more registered nurses than the state has sanctioned in the last four years combined."

Let's talk about labels

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:34:02 -0600

A bill in California (SB 1390) would create a minimum of 12-point font for the most crucial information on medication labels and would require translation of medication label information into commonly used non-English languages.

Audit alleges mismanagement at Calif. Health Dept.

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 17:19:54 -0600

"The California Department of Public Health didn't fine hospitals and nursing homes as much as they could have for health code violations and overstated an account of collected fines by nearly $10 million, an audit has found."

Public Reporting of Hospital Infection Rates Will Save Lives & Dollars

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:10:21 -0600

Patient Safety Groups Support Efforts Under Health Care Reform to Disclose Infection Rates and Tie Payments to Performance

Overtreatment

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:03:26 -0600

Surgeries, procedures or medications you thought were unnecessary?

Hospitals Fined More than $1M For Failure to Report Adverse Events

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:24:31 -0600

"One-fourth of California's 450 acute care hospitals have been fined a total of more than $1 million so far�one hospital received five fines totaling more than $130,000�for failing to promptly report adverse events."