California Senate’s New Health Chair to Prioritize Mental Health and Homelessness Article by Rachel Bluth of California Healthline California state Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman, a Stockton Democrat who was instrumental in passing Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature mental health care legislation last year, has been appointed to lead the Senate’s influential health committee, a change that promises a more urgent focus on expanding mental health services and moving homeless people into housing and treatment. Eggman, a licensed social worker, co-authored the novel law that allows families, clinicians, first responders, and others to petition a judge to mandate government-funded treatment and services for people ... January 9, 2023 General, legislation, Medi-Cal, Mental Health, Patient Care, Public Health Health Care Reform, Homelessness 0 0 Comment Read More »
New California Health Laws for 2023 While the legislature passed various new laws impacting health care in California, significant focus was placed on legislation intended to protect physicians and patients in response to the United States Supreme Court decision in Dobbs. The California Medical Association (CMA) published a summary of new laws of interest to physicians that cover reproductive rights, emergency services, healthcare facilities, and more. You can view the PDF HERE. December 12, 2022 Advocacy, CMA, Drug Prescribing/Dispensing, General, Healthcare, Insurance, Medi-Cal, Medicare, Mental Health, Patient Care, Physician Workforce 0 0 Comment Read More »
Physician Burnout Rate Spikes to New Height New physician burnout research builds on landmark studies conducted at regular intervals between 2011 and 2021 by researchers from the American Medica Association (AMA, Mayo Clinic and Stanford Medicine. Together, these studies found the overall prevalence of burnout among U.S. physicians was 62.8% in 2021compared with 38.2% in 2020, 43.9% in 2017, 54.4% in 2014, and 45.5% in 2011. CHICAGO - The burnout rate among physicians in the United States spiked dramatically during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a newly published study in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Researchers found that ... September 15, 2022 AMA, Mental Health, Physician Wellness Physician Burnout, Physician Well-being 0 0 Comment Read More »
988: The New Three Digit Dialing Code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline The Lifeline and 988 988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. While some areas may be currently able to connect to the Lifeline by dialing 988, this dialing code will be available to everyone across the United States starting on July 16, 2022. When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are ... July 18, 2022 Mental Health, Public Health Lifeline, Suicide Prevention 0 0 Comment Read More »
Patients Seek Mental Health Care From Their Doctor But Find Health Plans Standing in the Way by Anrti Pattani of California Healthline When a longtime patient visited Dr. William Sawyer’s office after recovering from covid, the conversation quickly turned from the coronavirus to anxiety and ADHD. Sawyer — who has run a family medicine practice in the Cincinnati area for more than three decades — said he spent 30 minutes asking questions about the patient’s exercise and sleep habits, counseling him on breathing exercises, and writing a prescription for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder medication. At the end of the visit, Sawyer submitted a claim to the patient’s insurance using one code for ... June 9, 2022 Mental Health, Patient Care 0 0 Comment Read More »
