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Audit: California nursing board faked docs on investigations
The California board that regulates the nursing industry falsified its records to make it appear it was properly investigating allegations made against the state’s nurses, including serious complaints such as patient harm that can lead to nurses losing their licenses.
That was revealed in a scathing new report on Tuesday from the California State Auditor, who in 2016 found the board was slow to assign and review complaints that ranged from medical misconduct to the death of a toddler. The audit directed the board to get a move on clearing its backlog of pending investigations against nurses.
Instead, three executives at the board in late 2018 hurried to distribute cases among staff on paper, pretending that no one investigator was handling more than 20 cases, according to the auditor.
The findings are the latest rebuke to the Board of Registered Nursing by the auditor, Elaine Howle, whose office has released several critical reports of the board in recent years. Next month Howle is expected to release findings from a separate investigation reviewing whether the board is properly overseeing nursing schools.
The nine-member nursing board, which approves all licenses for registered nurses in the nation's most populous state, has also been rocked by inner turmoil. Its former executive director, Joseph Morris, resigned in mid-February after several women working for the board accused him of sexual harassment.
In 2016, the auditor said the backlog of cases led to nurses who were a risk to patients keeping their jobs. Typically, complaints against licensed nurses can include unprofessional conduct, drug use and negligence, according to the board.
In one case, the board took a year and a half to assign a complaint that alleged a nurse caused the death of a toddler by giving the wrong dosage of a medication. The nurse was allowed to practice for over three years while the complaint was being processed.
https://www.kcra.com/article/audit-california-nursing-board-faked-docs-on-investigations/33017471
Minor League Baseball cancels 2020 season due to COVID-19
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Minor League Baseball announced Tuesday it canceled its 2020 season due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, impacting teams in Sacramento, Stockton and Modesto.
Major League Baseball told MiLB that it could not supply players to AAA teams because the pandemic was also impacting MLB’s lineup.
MiLB is also taking a hit for the season because it does not have the lucrative TV deals to help keep the teams afloat since games have to be played without fans due to COVID-19 concerns.
As for MiLB players, it is unclear whether the teams will continue paying them $400 a week stipends, which have been in place since March.
https://www.kcra.com/article/project-community-covid-19-highlights-generations-of-racial-health-inequities/33016918