Search Results for: "Infectious Diseases"

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CHA Issues Alert Reminder: Urge Senators to Oppose Bill That Would Create a Workers’ Comp Presumption

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On March 10, CHA issued a reminder for an Alert urging hospitals to write to state Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), chair of the Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee, and call their senator to voice opposition to  Senate Bill (SB) 213. The bill would create a rebuttable presumption in the workers’ compensation system that an infectious disease, musculoskeletal injury, or respiratory disease arose out of work for any hospital direct patient care worker.

State Budget Takes a Wide Variety of Health Care-Related Actions 

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In June 2022, the Legislature and governor approved a $308 billion budget for the state fiscal year spanning from July 2022 through June 2023. In late August, the Legislature passed and the governor is expected to approve revisions to the 2022-23 Budget Act, which generally redirect, build upon, or provide statutory parameters around actions previously...

Hospital Emergency Planning Topics

Hospitals must have strategies in place to ensure the continuity of their operations, minimize disruptions, and manage increased patient loads in crisis situations. Hospital preparedness strengthens resilience and improves outcomes for both patients and the health care system. To support hospitals in their planning and response to disaster events, this collection of resources is organized […]

CDPH Releases COVID-19 Hospital, SNF Outbreak Thresholds

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The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has issued All Facilities Letter (AFL) 20-75, which sets thresholds for COVID-19 outbreaks in hospitals. Hospitals are required to report outbreaks and unusual infectious disease occurrences to their local health department and CDPH Licensing and Certification District Office.

Biden Announces COVID-19 Task Force

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President-elect Joe Biden has announced a COVID-19 advisory board, underscoring that his administration’s priority will be controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. The task force, which includes three Californians, will advise the incoming Biden administration as it prepares to orchestrate a federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic.   

Reminder: Urge Senators to Reject Increased Health Care Costs by Opposing Bill That Would Create a Workers’ Compensation Presumption

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Action needed:

Write state Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), chair of the Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee, and call your state senator to voice your opposition to his legislation, Senate Bill (SB) 213. 

CHA has developed a template letter and key messages for members’ use. Please send a copy of your letter to Dawn Vicari at dvicari@calhospital.org.

 

Find senators’ contact information on the state Legislature’s site.

Timing: 

Write Sen. Cortese by March 15 and call your senator by March 19.

Background:

Similar to many unsuccessful efforts over the past decade, SB 213 would create a rebuttable presumption in the workers’ compensation system that an infectious disease, musculoskeletal injury, or respiratory disease arose out of work for any hospital direct patient care worker. The bill would also extend indefinitely a presumption for COVID-19. Aside from recent COVID-19-specific and time-limited workers’ compensation presumptions that cover all industries, presumptions have been limited to the public sector.  

Because it is virtually impossible to overcome a workers’ compensation presumption, hospitals would be required to accept more claims with little to no evidence that they are work-related. Such claims can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars in temporary and permanent disability payments and medical costs for a single case.

Please personalize the primary messages below with your hospital’s unique experiences when you call and write the senators: 

Hospitals highly value their employees and prioritize their well-being. Without healthy employees, hospitals could not fulfill their mission of care. According to the California Workers’ Compensation Institute, health care employers have one of the lowest denial rates of any industry — including public safety. In 2019, denial rates for health care ranged from 7.7% to 9.3%, while public safety/government ranged from 13.8% to 18.3%, and the average denial rate for all industries ranged from 10.4% to 12.6%.   These increases in workers’ compensation costs will directly and immediately impact hospitals’ financial ability to protect access to high-quality care, especially considering that 39% of hospitals already operate in the red.

CDPH Director Steps Down, Acting Director and Acting Health Officer Announced

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On Aug. 9, the California Health and Human Services Agency confirmed that California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Director and State Public Health Officer Sonia Angell has resigned her post. Sandra Shewry will serve as acting director of CDPH; she was vice president at the California Health Care Foundation and previously director of the Department of Health Care Services. Dr. Erica Pan will serve as acting public health officer. On June 29, she was appointed deputy director, Center for Infectious Diseases and state epidemiologist at CDPH, and was previously the Alameda County interim public health officer. 

CEO Message: Hard Work on COVID-19 Vaccine Just Beginning

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Across the world, researchers are racing to develop a safe vaccine for COVID-19 and, depending on their progress, approval of one or more vaccines could come as soon as the next couple of months or, more likely, into the second quarter of 2021. And then, mass production of vaccine would just begin.