The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) today announced a series of important changes to timelines relative to the Medi-Cal program and services. These include: Managed Care Plan (MCP) Procurement – DHCS is modifying the release date of the Medi-Cal MCP Request for Proposal (RFP) to February 2, 2022. DHCS had initially planned on…
Read More »The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) this week announced awarding approximately $2.21 billion in Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funding to local governments, states, and community-based organizations in fiscal year 2021. The funding, issued by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), supports a comprehensive system of HIV primary medical care, medication, and…
Read More »This week, the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) announced its official rebranding as the Department of Health Care Access and Information (DHCAI). The change comes as part of the enacted 2021 Budget Act, which recast OSHPD’s responsibilities and authorized additional departmental activities related to health workforce training and data. Additional information, including…
Read More »On Monday, Governor Gavin Newsom issued two executive orders to support the state’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as assist schools impacted by recent wildfires. Executive Order N-17-21 extends flexibilities allowing the state to increase health care capacity to support ongoing testing and vaccination efforts against COVID-19. The same order rescinds provisions…
Read More »This week, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the appointment of two officials to aging-related posts within the state government. Kimberly McCoy Wade has been appointed the Senior Advisor on Aging, Disability, and Alzheimer’s within the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom. McCoy Wade served as the Director of the California Department of Aging since 2019 and was…
Read More »Governor Newsom this week proclaimed a state of emergency in Orange County to support the emergency response to the oil spill off the coast of Huntington Beach that originated in federal waters. Latest reports estimate the spill released up to 140,000 gallons of oil into the Pacific Ocean, which has begun to arrive onshore over…
Read More »The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Office of Strategic Development and External Relations (Fusion Center) will host a webinar next Tuesday, October 12 from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm to explore 2020 increases in deaths in California. The webinar will feature state-level analysis of excess mortality in the state in 2020, including assessment of…
Read More »This week, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued a statewide public health order requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for workers in adult and senior care facilities, as well as those employed in in-home direct care settings, to protect vulnerable residents from the virus. The order, issued by CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr….
Read More »The 2021 CHEAC Annual Meeting will be held next week from Wednesday, October 6 through Friday, October 8. The theme of this year’s conference is “Revitalizing Public Health: Leveraging Lessons Learned from COVID-19” and will be held in an entirely virtual format. After a one-year hiatus due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we look forward…
Read More »PEN America announced they will honor Santa Cruz County Health Services Director Mimi Khin Hall and Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel with their 2021 Pen/Benenson Courage Award. The award is given to those individuals who exhibit exceptional acts of courage in the exercise of freedom of expression. Ms. Hall and Dr. Newel’s leadership gained national…
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