In Brief: Cal-OSHA/CDPH Issues Workplace Guidelines on Ebola; Kaiser, Target Team On Retail Clinica
Cal-OSHA/CDPH Issues Workplace Guidelines On Ebola
Cal-OSHA and the state Department of Public Health have issued new workplace guidelines for hospitals that might wid up treating Ebola patients in the future.
According to the guidelines, workers at risk of exposure to Ebola should be provided personal protective equipment that covers all parts of the body and protects against the passage of fluids. Each piece of the equipment must be compatible with the rest of the ensemble during use, removal and decontamination. The state goes beyond federal guidelines in requiring battery-powered air-purifying respirators during any medical procedure that could create airborne exposure to the virus.
"We have focused these guidelines to provide additional direction for inpatient settings, where infectious disease transmission risk is highest,” said Juliann Sum, the acting chief of Cal-OSHA. These updated guidelines clarify the requirements hospitals must meet to maintain workplace safety and to prevent exposure to Ebola."
Nevertheless, there have been only a handful of Ebola cases that have developed in the U.S., and state officials say it's unlikely there will be a widespread outbreak of the virus.
Kaiser, Target Team On Retail Clinics
Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente has teamed up with retail giant Target to place retail clinics in its stores in Southern California.
The first of three retail clinics opened at Target locations in San Bernardino and San Diego Counties. A fourth will open in Orange County next month.
The walk-in clinics will be staffed by nurse practitioners and licensed vocational nurses. Physicians will be available for telemedicne consultations.
“We’re collaborating with Target because its clinics have a legacy of combining quality and convenience in a way that we think will resonate with both our members and the overall Target guest population,” said Paul Minardi, M.D., a medical director of business management in Kaiser's Southern California division. “This is the evolution of expanding Kaiser Permanente’s high-quality and holistic care delivery into a setting that will provide patients with wellness support.”
Advocacy Groups File Lawsuit On Medi-Cal Disenrollments
The Western Center on Law and Poverty, Asian Americans Advancing Justice and several other advocacy groups filed a lawsuit this week against the California Department of Health Care Services, claiming it was indiscriminately dropping Medi-Cal enrollees from the program when they failed to renew.
According to the suit, filed in Alameda County Superior Court, Medi-Cal enrollees are being confronted with complex new forms to renew their coverage in the program. When they don't respond they're being dropped from the program even if they may still be eligible for coverage.
The suit is seeking a restraining order against DHCS from disenrolling individuals if they haven't properly responded to the renewal forms.
