For all the recent discussion about the pending financial implications of last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the consequences are becoming very real as changes to CalFresh eligibility take effect, placing basic nutrition and health at risk for thousands in San Diego and Imperial counties.
Last week, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) submitted its Hospital Fee Program tax model for calendar year 2026 (Program 10) to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The submission is expected to generate about $5.76 billion annually in net benefits for hospitals, though hospital-specific impacts are not yet available because...
The Imperial County Child Abuse Prevention Council and the Imperial County Office of Education are co-sponsoring the 45th Annual Children’s Fair on April 18 at Bucklin Park in El Centro. The event, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will feature a day of fun, family activities, and community celebration dedicated to...
The East Region Crisis Stabilization Unit is a new behavioral health facility serving adults (18+) at 200 S. Magnolia Ave. in El Cajon. The community is invited to RSVP to celebrate this new East County resource with a ribbon-cutting event on April 20 from 10 a.m. to noon. Guests will learn about available behavioral health...
SOn March 20, HASD&IC President & CEO Dimitrios Alexiou, along with staff from the California Hospital Association, participated in a health care roundtable hosted by state Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D-Carlsbad) and Scripps Health. The event, held at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas, brought together California lawmakers and health care leaders from the San Diego region to...
San Diego County Public Health Services has acknowledged the significant challenges patients and those who work or live in the Tijuana River Valley (TJRV) area face with continued elevations in hydrogen sulfide levels, which can be tracked via the Air Pollution Control District (APCD)’s website. Due to ongoing sewage infrastructure construction on the other side...
Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Annual Congress in Houston.
On March 30 at 11 a.m. (PT), the Department of Health Care Services will host a webinar on recently announced real-time behavioral health data sharing requirements for managed care plans, county mental health plans, Drug Medi-Cal organized delivery systems, and Drug Medi-Cal counties.
Last week, the California Hospital Association issued a dual alert asking members to sign on to coalition letters for its two sponsored bills: Assembly Bill (AB) 2353 (Pacheco, D-Downey), which would require an independent cost evaluation of mandates on hospitals, and AB 1923 (Soria, D-Merced), which would revive the Distressed Hospital Loan Program.
The Imperial County Board of Supervisors approved the release of a request for proposals for licensed vocational nurse (LVN) mentorship services, funded through Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act dollars at no cost to the county’s general fund.