On Medicare's 49th birthday, Wednesday, July 30, the Campaign for a Healthy California plans actions in 14 cities throughout California to celebrate Medicare's successful provision of guaranteed health care to millions of elderly senior and disabled Americans for nearly half a century.

SAN PABLO—Registered nurses from throughout Contra Costa County will be joined by a broad and expanding number of organizations and individuals in a march and rally Wednesday calling for Chevron and the County to step in to keep Doctors Medical Center open.

Nurses at Verdugo Hills Hospital will rally tomorrow in protest the University of Southern California’s failure to sufficiently improve patient care and labor standards since acquiring the hospital one year ago.

With contract talks affecting more than 18,000 Kaiser Permanente registered nurses who work in 86 Kaiser hospitals and clinics throughout Northern and Central California set to open next week, RNs today renewed their call to press the HMO/hospital giant to put the breaks on the growing erosion of care standards nurses say put patients at risk.

Registered nurses at the Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC) in San Diego, joined and supported by veteran service members, will hold a public speak out Wed. to outline immediate steps the medical center should take to improve patient care at the VA hospital.