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2006 TCWF Annual Report Available Online

The cover story of the 2006 TCWF Annual Report illustrates how conferences that bring together grantees and others committed to addressing specific health issues can build skills, increase participants’ knowledge and enable them to discover unexpected allies. As always, the Annual Report also provides an update on the Foundation’s activities for the year, an overview of the grants program, a list of the year’s grants and financial statements.
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Using Technology to Increase Medicaid and SCHIP Enrollment and Retention

Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) provide more than 30 million children with access to regular, ongoing preventative care. Yet there are 9 million uninsured children, most of whom are also eligible for these services. Many insured children lose their coverage, often simply because of incomplete or late paperwork. A report from The Children’s Partnership, a TCWF grantee, and The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured examines the ways information technology can make Medicaid and CHIP more efficient, increasing enrollment and retention, and freeing up resources to fund coverage for more children.
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Report Finds Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals Leaking into San Francisco Bay

A new report by the Environmental Working Group, a TCWF grantee, reveals that chemicals commonly found in household products are bypassing sewage system filters and flowing untreated into San Francisco Bay. “Down the Drain” finds that phthalates, bisphenol A and triclosan—synthetic chemicals used to manufacture consumer products and suspected of interfering with human and wildlife hormone systems—are not captured by municipal sewage plants. The report includes test results, chemical information and suggestions of products to avoid.
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Nothing Stops a Bullet Like a Job

A new documentary film, “Father G and the Homeboys,” follows four gang members as they struggle to overcome drug addiction, reunite with their children and hold onto jobs. Father G (the Rev. Greg Boyle, S.J.) keeps the homeboys on track. Boyle is founder of Homeboy Industries, a TCWF grantee based in Boyle Heights—a community east of downtown Los Angeles—that provides employment opportunities and counseling for at-risk youth. Conceived and directed by John Bohm, a Los Angeles schoolteacher, and narrated by Martin Sheen, the film won the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary from the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival.
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Mini-Farmers Market Opens in Low-Income Neighborhood of Sacramento

Filling a void left after the closure of grocery stores within walking distance of the Sacramento neighborhood of Alkali Flat, a new weekly mini-farmer’s market is selling vegetables and fruit from local farms. Opened and operated by Sacramento Mutual Housing Association, and made possible by a grant from TCWF, the 15-stand market will be an important resource for low-income residents who would otherwise have to drive miles to the nearest supermarket to find fresh produce.
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Policy Brief Offers Strategies for Increasing Latino Nursing Workforce

The Tomás Rivera Policy Institute (TRPI) has published a policy brief summarizing the findings of a TCWF-funded report on increasing Latino participation in the nursing workforce. TRPI found that the chief barriers are lack of family support, reluctance to access financial aid, inadequate high school preparation, educators’ low expectations, lack of role models and underfunded community colleges. In response, nursing programs are taking steps to increase Latino attendance and completion rates. Best practices include developing ties with local high schools, tailoring programs to the needs of working students and providing comprehensive student services. Funding for the
policy brief was provided by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. (PDF)
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Report Analyzes Financial Health of California’s Hospitals

According to a new report, more than one-third of California’s 355 general acute care hospitals have strong operating margins and good bond ratings. Yet nearly half are financially troubled, which inhibits their ability to modernize and potentially affects the quality of care provided. Based on data from 2001 to 2005, the report tracks hospitals by ownership types, patient volume, utilization by different patient groups and other yardsticks. An interactive tool enables users to gauge the financial health of a specific hospital as well as its performance in multiple categories. The PricewaterhouseCoopers report was funded by the California Healthcare Foundation.
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Evaluating Health Care Reform Proposals’ Coverage of Uninsured Women

Insure the Uninsured Project (ITUP) has published a new report that assesses the impact of health care reform proposals on uninsured women. Funded by grants from TCWF and the Blue Shield of California Foundation, ITUP reviewed six proposals for increasing health care coverage of California’s uninsured. The report describes how the proposals would affect coverage for uninsured women and work with existing state and county programs. Benchmarks include eligibility, benefits, affordability, maternity coverage, family planning and linguistically accessible care. (PDF)
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Kaiser Family Foundation Launches Health Policy Issues Website

A new website from the Kaiser Family Foundation— health08.org— will serve as a central hub for resources and information about health policy issues addressed by the 2008 presidential candidates. The site provides policy analysis, public opinion surveys, daily news updates, videos of speeches and debates from the campaign trail, original interviews and resources for journalists covering the election.
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Study Shows Decline of Job-Based Health Insurance in California

Job-based health insurance coverage in California—the backbone of the state’s health insurance system—continues to decline, according to a new report from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Funded by grants from TCWF and The California Endowment, the study shows that employment-based coverage of non-elderly residents fell from 56.4 percent in 2001 to 54.3 percent in 2005. Although the percentage decline in job-based insurance may seem small — 2.1 percent — it meant that 678,000 fewer working Californians had health insurance, the report said.
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CaliforniaSpeaks to link Eight Sites Together for Non-Partisan Conversation on Health Care Reform Issues

On August 11, thousands of Californians from across the state will participate in CaliforniaSpeaks, a live, statewide videoconference, designed to give residents a direct voice into the health reform debate. The forum will link participants gathered at eight sites across California and will also involve state leaders Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, Senate President pro Tem Don Perata and Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines, among others. To ensure that attendees span all different ages, ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds and political beliefs, participants will be randomly selected. CaliforniaSpeaks, a project of AmericaSpeaks, is funded by grants from TCWF, The California Endowment and The Blue Shield of California Foundation.
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