Water Justice’ Is Topic of Panel Discussion in San Francisco
“The Struggle for Water Justice” is the topic of a panel discussion on August 30 at the Commonwealth Club of California, co-sponsored by TCWF. Panelists—Whitney Dotson, a community activist in North Richmond; Mark Franco, headman of the Winnemem Wintu tribe; and Laurel Firestone, co-director of Community Water Center, a TCWF grantee—will discuss challenges faced by many low-income California communities in accessing affordable supplies of clean, safe water. read more
State Capitol Briefing To Focus on Health Care Reform and Communities of Color
The Latino Health Alliance and Having Our Say Coalition are
co-sponsoring a policy briefing August 21 at the California State Capitol to educate policymakers and community advocates about the potential effects of health care reform proposals on communities of color. The briefing will present multicultural health data findings, implications for the health care system and recommendations for health care reform that meet the needs of communities of color. Members of the sponsoring organizations include several TCWF grantees. read more
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. read more
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. read more
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. read more
3,500 Californians Speak Out at Health Care Reform Event
On August 11, nearly 3,500 Californians in eight cities linked by satellite discussed proposals for reforming the state health care system. Top priorities of participants in CaliforniaSpeaks — determined by an electronic vote — were making health care affordable and accessible to all, and "putting people before profits." Participating legislators included Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, Senate President pro tem Don Perata and Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines. The nonpartisan event, a project of AmericaSpeaks, was funded by grants from TCWF, The California Endowment and Blue Shield of California Foundation. read more
Hospital Accountability Project Seeking Proposals To Help Underinsured
The Hospital Accountability Project is requesting preliminary proposals to improve hospital policies governing medical debt of underinsured individuals and families. One grant will be awarded in each of 15 states. The California grant amount is $680,000. Proposals will be accepted only from legal advocacy organizations partnering with local grassroots organizations or statewide advocacy organizations, or both. The 15 states were part of a class action lawsuit against Tenet Healthcare Corporation; funding for the grants was awarded as part of the settlement. Applicants must pre-register by August 17 and submit preliminary proposals by August 31. read more
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) read more
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. read more
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) read more
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. read more
