Barbara Feder Ostrov, The Desert Sun

Barbara Feder Ostrov

The Desert Sun

California, United States

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Past articles by Barbara:

When will nursing homes reopen to visitors? State officials won’t say

Long-term care facilities say they are waiting for state guidance before reopening to family visits. → Read More

In Face Of Coronavirus, Many Hospitals Cancel On-Site Training For Nursing And Med Students

Hospitals and nursing homes say they are acting to protect students and patients, but nursing educators worry the pipeline of new nurses could be slowed at a time when they may be needed most. Some… → Read More

5 Things To Know As California Starts Screening Children For Toxic Stress

California now will pay pediatricians to screen Medi-Cal patients for traumatic events known as adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs. The program is based on research showing that children who endure chronic stress have an increased risk of developing serious health problems. Here are five things to know about the new program. → Read More

5 Things To Know As California Starts Screening Children For Toxic Stress

California now will pay pediatricians to screen Medi-Cal patients for traumatic events known as adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs. The program is based on research showing that children who en… → Read More

Valley fever cases climb in Calif.’s Central Valley and beyond

Valley fever cases are on the rise in California and across the arid Southwest, and scientists point to climate change and population shifts as possible reasons. California public health → Read More

Valley Fever Cases Climb In California’s Central Valley — And Beyond

California and nearby Southwestern states are seeing a sustained rise in cases of valley fever, a potentially serious lung illness caused by a fungus found in desert-type soil. As a result of globa… → Read More

Nursing Home Safety Violations Put Residents At Risk, Report Finds

A federal audit of 19 California nursing homes released today found hundreds of violations of safety and emergency standards, putting vulnerable nursing home residents at increased risk of injury or death during a wildfire or other disaster. → Read More

Pharma Sells States On ‘Netflix Model’ To Wipe Out Hep C. But At What Price?

Manufacturers of lucrative drugs say they’re offering discounts off the high sticker prices ― but taxpayers footing the big bills might never know what the state is paying or if it’s getting a good… → Read More

States make secret deals with drugmakers to fight hepatitis C – and taxpayers pick up the tab

Makers of lucrative drugs say they’re offering discounts off high sticker prices ― but taxpayers might never know what the state is paying. → Read More

California’s New Transparency Law Reveals Steep Rise In Wholesale Drug Prices

Pharmaceutical companies raised the wholesale cost of their drugs by a median of nearly 26% from 2017 to early 2019, according to California’s first-ever report stemming from a new drug price trans… → Read More

California’s New Transparency Law Reveals Steep Rise In Wholesale Drug Prices

Pharmaceutical companies raised the wholesale cost of their drugs by a median of nearly 26% from 2017 to early 2019, according to California’s first-ever report stemming from a new drug price trans… → Read More

California hospitals and nursing homes brace for wildfire blackouts

In the event of a shutoff, nursing homes have to weigh the risks of staying put versus evacuating their residents, some of whom may be cognitively impaired. → Read More

California Hospitals And Nursing Homes Brace For Wildfire Blackouts

Facing billions of dollars in legal claims for the role its equipment has played in a spate of deadly wildfires, California utility giant Pacific Gas & Electric plans to step up efforts to cut power to broad regions of the state during high-risk weather conditions. The potential for prolonged blackouts has prompted disaster preparations by hospitals, nursing homes and home care providers. → Read More

With ACA’s Future In Peril, California Reins In Rising Health Insurance Premiums

Premiums will grow by an average of 0.8% next year on the state health insurance exchange. Officials cite two new policies for the relatively low rate hike: a new state tax penalty on Californians who don’t have health insurance coupled with state-based tax credits to help enrollees afford their premiums, including middle-income people who make too much money to qualify for federal financial aid. → Read More

State Broadens Investigation Of Doctors For Issuing Questionable Vaccination Exemptions

The Medical Board of California is investigating at least four doctors for issuing questionable vaccine exemptions for numerous children. The investigations come amid the nation’s worst measles outbreak in more than a quarter-century. → Read More

Exemptions Surge As Parents And Doctors Do ‘Hail Mary’ Around Vaccine Laws

In California, medical exemptions to skip childhood vaccinations are on the rise. The trend underlines how hard it is to get parents to comply with vaccination laws meant to protect public safety w… → Read More

Students With Disabilities Call College Admissions Cheating ‘Big Slap In The Face’

Parents of students with legitimate learning disabilities worry that a backlash against providing special accommodations in college admissions testing could make it harder for them to succeed. → Read More

Students With Disabilities Call College Admissions Cheating ‘Big Slap In The Face’

Parents of students with legitimate learning disabilities worry that a backlash against providing special accommodations in college admissions testing could make it harder for them to succeed. → Read More

More States Say Doctors Must Offer Overdose Reversal Drug Along With Opioids

In an emerging new tactic against the rising toll of opioid deaths, California, Ohio, Virginia and Arizona are among the states requiring physicians to offer patients naloxone when they give them prescriptions for the powerful painkillers. The Food and Drug Administration is weighing a national recommendation to do so. → Read More

Patients Suffer When Health Care Behemoths Quarrel Over Contracts

The latest example is Sutter Health and Anthem Blue Cross, whose failure to seal a deal is causing Anthem members to worry they may not have access to one of the dominant hospital chains in Northern California. Across the U.S., the stakes in such contract fights have risen, as health systems and insurers battle to increase their market share. → Read More