Assembly Bill 106, by Berg, D-Eureka, would require that every elderly patient be offered the chance to receive immunization before they are discharged from a hospital.
“A flu vaccine saves lives,” said Assemblywoman Berg, D-Eureka. “It’s the same with a pneumonia vaccine. These simple shots can make a world of difference.”
Berg’s bill would fix a quirk in current law that says nursing facilities have to offer vaccines, but hospitals don’t.
“The older you get, the more you need immunization,” said Berg. “We need to make sure that everyone who can offer these shots does offer these shots.”
The bill incorporates recommendations by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
Senior citizens are at a greater risk for complications from pneumonia, which is a leading cause of illness and death among the elderly. The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases reports, that flu together with pneumonia, is the fifth leading cause of death among the elderly.
AB 106 now goes to the Governor for his consideration.
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Assembly Bill 315 would remove the sunset date that allows counties to streamline and consolidate services for county health and human services programs. Humboldt, Mendocino and Alameda counties have been relying on the law to make their local programs more efficient.
“My bill helps counties use their limited resources to provide better services for county residents,” said Berg, D-Eureka. “In an era of budget cuts, the key to cost savings and better services is to consolidate and streamline programs.”
Assembly Bill 315 helps counties save money and it encourages innovation and reform.
“It’s about doing more without spending more,” said Berg.
For example, Humboldt County has been able to consolidate health and human services and deliver them through one county department instead of several. By placing all the various departments into the Department of Health and Human Services, the county has been able to better coordinate services, create community resource centers, offer more services to the working poor and access more federal funds.
With a vote of the county Board of Supervisors, the county can decide what health and human services programs to consolidate and streamline.
The bill now goes to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for his consideration.
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