Safety Net Hospitals
Local hospitals hit hard by Medicare fines
March 7, 2015
Three hospitals in Ventura County rank among California’s 25 most heavily fined hospitals in Medicare programs that tie penalties to quality of care.
Safety Net Hospitals
Safety Net Hospitals Hit Hardest by Medicare Fines
February 28, 2015
Hospitals that treat California's poorest patients, including local ones, are faring badly under the Affordable Care Act's drive to improve quality.
Deadly Neglect (Part III)
Senate panel oks raising top fine on assisted living centers to 15k
August 15, 2014
The maximum fine for health and safety violations at assisted-living centers would grow 100-fold under overhaul legislation approved by a key Senate committee on Thursday.
Quake Breakdown
Hospitals respond to earthquake readiness survey
May 6, 2014
In a marked turnaround from a prior survey, more than 90 percent of California’s hospitals have provided key information sought by state and federal officials about their preparedness for earthquakes and other disasters.
Op-Eds
Getting ready for emergency care for the elderly
March 20, 2014
There is no dispute here – the elderly are coming and in unprecedented numbers.
Their arrival promises to have a lasting impact on California’s health system.
Deadly Neglect (Part III)
Lawmakers hear assisted-living concerns
February 11, 2014
State regulators are fundamentally failing residents of assisted living homes for the elderly, leading to abuse, neglect and death, according to testimony on Tuesday at two legislative hearings.
Infection Accounting
State infection accounting faces daunting challenges
August 24, 2012
When California health officials recently announced a 10 percent annual drop in hospital central line infections, they did not mention that they had found flaws in the facilities’ reporting of an illness that can kill up to one in four infected...
At last
Impact of 'California fights infections'
April 16, 2012
Deborah Schoch's reporting had a significant impact on the California Department of Public Health and its commitment to providing consumers with helpful information.
Deadly risks
California hospitals share data with each other
January 20, 2012
When I first heard that some surgeons don’t know how often their patients have major complications or die from a procedure, it was hard to believe.
Deadly risks
How the surgery study was conducted
January 16, 2012
For this study, Stanford professor Laurence Baker analyzed five years of statewide hospital (and some outpatient) discharge data from the&