(Sacramento) - Assemblywoman Blanca E. Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) and other Members of the Budget Sub Committee on Health and Human Services are asking the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to fix an error they created while improperly procuring a contract bid. The Department has refused to provide a timely fix.
“It is egregious to me that we as a state have allowed innocent newborns to be lost to follow-up. These children depend on us for vital hearing services and the Department of Health Care Services cannot continue to fail them,” said Assemblywoman Rubio.
After extensive research into the current status of newborn hearing screening in California, Rubio learned that DHCS, the agency responsible for ensuring that newborn children are tested for hearing loss, was failing in its responsibility to new mothers and newborns. The state agency inexplicably reverted from an effective automated system to an antiquated pen and paper faxing method of tracking newborns with hearing loss.
In response to DHCS’ refusal to rectify the situation, the Assemblywoman has introduced Assembly Bill 612, which requires the state always utilize current technology through an automated electronic system when monitoring newborn hearing.
Newborn children at risk for long term adverse effects of hearing loss due to the state’s inability to efficiently identify, track, and provide intervention services will be affected after 3-6 months, permanently.
Sitio Web de la asambleísta Blanca E. Rubio: http://www.asmdc.org/rubio
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