Orange County (CA) Board of Supervisors Chairman John Moorlach sought to withhold nearly $54,000 in funding from the Orange County Medical Assn. because it recently filed a request seeking records from CalOptima, the county's version of the statewide MediCal program. Fellow supervisors balked at his request, saying it was antagonistic and amounted to retaliation. The funding measure ultimately passed with the doctors' funding intact. The money was part of the Medical Services Initiative, a $70-million program administered by Orange County that contracts with private medical service providers to care for the poor.
Joliet (IL) City Council members have 35 days to decide whether they will appeal a state decision allowing Silver Cross Hospital to move to New Lenox, a city official said. The deadline to appeal the ruling by the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board was August 19, but the board issued a revised order the day before. When Silver Cross announced its relocation plan, the council was quick to oppose it. Officials accused the hospital of uprooting from a community it has anchored.
The UAE Ministry of Health is now taking steps to attract medical tourists by developing the necessary infrastructure. Officials say such a network will prove crucial as the Middle East region carves its niche as a medical tourism destination.
Some are beginning to break away from traditional family practices to escape the pressures of modern American medicine. They're instead opening their own facilities, some modeled after successful physician practices abroad.
Philadelphia residents unhappy with the proposed expansion of Fox Chase Cancer Center won a legal skirmish as a judge awarded them legal standing in the case. The center and the city had wanted to limit them to "friend of the court" status, the difference between being able to state your case in court and having the power to appeal, lawyers said. After years of squabbling, the Philadelphia City Council voted for the project in March, but the court must approve the deal. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for later this month, but Fox Chase has said it needs to expand soon and has begun exploring an alternative site in Delaware.
As recently as last year, retailers were touting in-store health clinics as the wave of the future, offering basic healthcare at low cost and with fewer hassles than a visit to the doctor's office or the emergency room. But widespread acceptance of the clinics appears to be slow, with many consumers reporting skepticism about the clinics. Many of the clinics have also been hit with operational and financial snags, forcing them to retool or even abandon their strategy.