CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
October 13, 2010 | By Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times
Food trucks in Los Angeles County will soon be required to post letter grades from public health officials evaluating their food-handling practices, supervisors said Tuesday. All five county supervisors voted for the new ordinance, which received preliminary approval Tuesday but must be ratified in another vote next week. The ordinance would go into effect 30 days after the final vote in unincorporated areas of the county; local city councils must ratify the new grading plan for it to be effective within city limits.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
March 12, 2010 | By Molly Hennessy-Fiske
State inspectors making a surprise follow-up visit to UC Irvine Medical Center last week found two deficiencies in "medication management" and issued an "immediate jeopardy" warning, alleging that patient care was at risk, hospital officials acknowledged Thursday. The warning, which was lifted Wednesday, is one of the most serious that can be issued to a hospital. UC Irvine Medical Center's chief executive, Terry A. Belmont, disclosed the findings by state inspectors working on behalf of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in e-mails sent to the staff this week and last week.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
January 22, 2010 | By Molly Hennessy-Fiske
Federal investigators found scores of problems at UC Irvine Medical Center during a fall inspection that again put the troubled hospital's Medicare funding at risk, according to report released Thursday. In an 85-page report on their surprise October inspection, regulators said they observed poor oversight and mistakes by UCI doctors, nurses and pharmacists, leading to inadequate care that in some cases harmed patients. Among the findings: An 82-year-old man was mistakenly given a narcotic patch by a medical resident, without approval of doctors or pharmacists.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
June 18, 2009 | Kimi Yoshino
Tired of waiting for a response from the San Fernando Valley-based health clinic where an adult film actress recently tested positive for HIV, state health and safety investigators Wednesday performed a surprise inspection of the medical offices and this week will issue subpoenas demanding access to patient records.
NATIONAL
February 2, 2009 | Associated Press
A Georgia health inspector who toured the peanut butter plant now at the center of a national salmonella outbreak noted two violations in October, both minor. Less than three months later, federal inspectors found roaches, mold, a leaking roof and other sanitation problems. Food safety experts say the lapse is a major concern and shows that state inspectors are spread thin and might need more training on how to spot unsanitary conditions.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
May 9, 2008 | David Haldane, Times Staff Writer
Orange County should give itself an F for the way it informs the public about health conditions in restaurants, according to a grand jury report released Thursday. Most residents are "in the dark" about whether a trip to a restaurant will result in a memorable meal or a stay at the hospital. The report's recommendation: Follow Los Angeles County's example by implementing a grading system that assigns each restaurant an A, B or C. "Studies . . .