In Brief: IEHP Launches Medical Home Initiative; CHOC Receives $27M Gift
IEHP Launches Medical Home Initiative
Inland Empire Health Plan has launched medical homes for 12,500 patients at 10 community clinics in Riverside County.
Clinic staff will manage patient care in conjunction with a private company, Health Team Works. They will focus on controlling chronic conditions and reducing unnecessary visits to hospital emergency rooms.
Patients will be able to call a special hotline to make same-day appointments at any of the 10 clinics, which are located in communities such as Palm Springs, Corona, Rubidoux, Perris and Lake Elsinore.
IEHP worked with the Riverside County Health System to develop the medical home program.
“Health homes will help us better integrate systems of care for our members,” said William Henning, M.D., IEHP's chief medical officer. “Using a team-based approach to care and providing clinics more data from the member's medical history will help us to deliver even better care.”
IEHP is the Medi-Cal managed care plan for Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. It is implementing the home health initiative through a $500,000 grant from two foundations, Tides and the California Endowment.
CHOC Receives $27 Million Gift
A retired pool and spa builder has pledged $27 million to Children's Hospital of Orange County.
The unrestricted gift from 84-year-old Bill Holmes is the largest pledge the pediatric hospital in Orange has ever received from a living donor.
“This is my legacy gift to CHOC Children's and to the children and families in the community,” said Holmes, who migrated to California from the Midwest just after World War Two.
The money has been used in part to help build CHOC's new 425,000-square-foot patient tower, which will open later this year. It will bear Holmes's name. The pledge is part of CHOC's $125 million capital campaign.
“We are extremely grateful for the support from Mr. Holmes,” said CHOC Chief Executive Officer Kimberly Cripe. “His generous donation will help us usher in a new era at CHOC; one that truly transforms pediatric medicine, making children's futures brighter than ever.”
Hospital Nurse Arrested For Alleged Corpse Abuse
A male nurse at Sherman Oaks Hospital has been arrested for allegedly having sex with a corpse on hospital premises.
Los Angeles Police officers took 61-year-old Alejandro Razo in custody on the evening of Jan. 20. Razo was allegedly caught in the act of violating the female corpse, who was presumed to have been a hospital patient before she died. He was charged with necrophilia, a felony. Razo, a resident of Reseda, posted $20,000 bail not long after being taken into custody. His first court hearing is on Feb. 11.
Sherman Oaks Hospital is owned by Ontario-based hospital chain Prime Healthcare Services.
