State Highlights: Calif. Right-To-Die Bill Moves Forward; W.Va. End-Of-Life Registry; Minn. ACO Leads State In Affordable Care

The San Jose Mercury News: California Right-To-Die Bill Clears Finance Committee, Heads To Assembly Floor
Legislation that would allow terminally ill Californians to end their lives with help from a doctor cleared an Assembly committee Friday after a low-key hearing on one of the year's most controversial proposals. Earlier this summer, it appeared the issue was dead for the year after a right-to-die bill stalled in the Assembly Health Committee over growing personal and religious concerns from a group of mostly Southern California Democrats. (Calefati, 9/4)

The West Virginia Gazette: First Responders Now Can Find Patients' End-Of-Life Wishes
EMTs and other first responders in the Mountain State can now know their patients’ end-of-life wishes, because the West Virginia Center for End-of-Life Care gave them access to its online registry. Dr. Alvin Moss, director for the WVCELC and of the Center for Health Ethics and Law at West Virginia University, said the addition of EMS providers to the system will improve West Virginia’s already strong response to the registry — more than 100 hospitals, hospices, doctor’s offices and other health care providers across the state have opted for access to the registry. (Nuzum, 9/5)

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Independent Physicians Group Leads State In Effective And Affordable Care
For the second consecutive year, an organization of independent physicians in the Milwaukee area led the state in providing care to people covered by Medicare at the lowest cost while meeting targets for quality. The physicians — part of an accountable care organization, or ACO, set up by Independent Physicians Network — are participating in a Medicare program designed to reward physicians and hospitals when they provide quality care at a lower cost. (Boulton, 9/4)

The Associated Press: Review Cites Problems At Texas Hospital During Ebola Crisis
The Texas hospital that treated the first person diagnosed in the U.S. with Ebola was not adequately prepared for a patient with the deadly virus and stumbled because of communication failures, an independent review released Friday found. (Schmall, 9/4)

The Washington Post: Failures Of Dallas Hospital During Ebola Crisis Detailed In New Report
Lack of communication among emergency room staff, poor configuration of information on the patient's electronic health record and diminished focus on patient safety were three of the main deficiencies of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas where a man infected with the Ebola virus was misdiagnosed last year and died, according to an independent report released by the hospital Friday. (Nutt, 9/4)

The Baltimore Sun: Baltimore Jury Awards $28M In Damages Over Alleged Misdiagnosed Ulcer
A Baltimore jury has awarded $28 million in damages to a patient who accused doctors of misdiagnosing an ulcer. Gary B. Stern, a former restaurant owner from Glen Burnie, filed a lawsuit in March 2014 in Baltimore Circuit Court alleging that abdominal pain from an intestinal ulcer was misdiagnosed in 2011. A perforated ulcer led to more than a dozen surgeries and nearly three years of hospitalizations, leaving Stern with short-bowel syndrome and unable to work or care for himself, the lawsuit said. (Mirabella, 9/4)

The Denver Post: State, Federal Lawsuits Accuse Found Of Denver-Area Clinic Of Fraud
The founder of a Denver-area addiction clinic claims she and her staff have cured up to 90 percent of her 6,000 drug-addicted clients by repairing damaged brain synapses with a patented genetic formula she invented. "Give us 3 days and we'll get you clean ... give us 10 days and we'll repair the damaged neurotransmitters & receptors in your brain ... give us 30 days and we'll give you your joy back ... give us 60 days and we'll give you a new lease on life," Aminokit Labs advertises online. But some question whether the treatments — which typically cost thousands of dollars — are effective, and a series of Colorado and federal lawsuits have accused Aminokit's founder, Tamea Rae Sisco, of fraud, racketeering and practicing medicine without a license. (Mitchell, 9/6)

The Washington Post: Alexandria Paramedics Fighting Chief’s Plan To Cross-Train Them As Firefighters
A year-old plan to cross-train Alexandria [Va.] firefighters and paramedics and add a fourth person to every firetruck is encountering resistance from city paramedics, who say it is unworkable unless the city hires more staff. Alexandria Fire Chief Robert Dubé said that his plan will ensure that at least one person in every fire crew will be certified in advanced life support. Since firetrucks are usually the first to arrive at a scene, he said the change will provide better service to residents who need emergency medical care. But paramedics, who specialize in advanced life support, say the proposal will actually dilute the care they provide, while also preventing promotions for those who don’t cross-train. (Sullivan, 9/7)

The Chicago Tribune: Lurie Children's To Acquire First Physician Practice
Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago said Friday that it plans to acquire its first physician practice, a late arrival to consolidation sweeping the health care industry. Lurie Children's has agreed to purchase Town & Country Pediatrics, a 20-doctor group with two offices in Chicago and a third in Glenview. Financial terms of the deal, which is expected to close by the end of the year, were not disclosed. (Sachdev, 9/6)

The Kansas Health Institute News Service: Independence, Coffeyville Hospital Merger Discussions Dissolve
A major blow was dealt to the Independence community — and to the future of medical coverage in Montgomery County — on Wednesday when officials with Mercy Hospital Independence and Coffeyville Regional Medical Center ended discussions toward a possible affiliation. The lack of resolution toward an affiliation between the two hospitals means Independence will likely be devoid of hospital and emergency room coverage in the near future. Coffeyville Regional Medical Center will continue to serve its patients and provide medical coverage to its customer base in southeast Kansas. (Taylor, 9/7)

The Pioneer Press: Family Members Of Woman Who Died Sue Park Ridge Hospital
Family members of a Mount Prospect woman who died in 2013 are the latest to sue Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge and a medical device manufacturer related to a piece of equipment the lawsuit says "had not been properly maintained, cleaned and/or sterilized." The wrongful death suit, filed Aug. 31 in Cook County Circuit Court, alleges that Renate Winkler, 82, died after contracting an antibiotic-resistant bacteria from a hospital procedure. (Johnson, 9/5)

The Denver Post: Senior Cohousing Residents Build Community, Deal With Issues Of Aging
A case of shingles that morphed into pneumonia and left him in a wheelchair for months gave Alan O'Hashi, 60, a telling preview of what his life could be like after age 80. After a harrowing year that started with six weeks in the hospital, O'Hashi, a documentary filmmaker, is eager to talk about the changes that Boulder's Silver Sage Village senior cohousing community will need to make to accommodate its aging residents. But not all of his neighbors are quite ready to listen. (Martin, 9/5)