WellPoint Names Health Care Executive Joseph Swedish As New CEO

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By RTT News, February 12, 2013, 09:43:00 PM EDT

(RTTNews.com) - Health insurer WellPoint, Inc. ( WLP ) on Tuesday named Joseph Swedish as its new chief executive officer, effective March 25. Swedish will succeed John Cannon, who was named interim president and CEO after Angela Braly resigned from the positions in late August.

"He brings to WellPoint an extensive track record leading large, complex health care organizations through diverse challenges in difficult market and regulatory environments, and his experience will be invaluable to WellPoint as we continue to find innovative ways to collaborate with providers in an effort to improve quality outcomes and reduce the cost of care," Chair Jackie Ward said in a statement.

Former CEO Bray, who served at the position since 2007, resigned abruptly following pressure from investors who were disgruntled on the company's financial performance. The company missed analysts' estimates in four consecutive quarters.

Just before Bray left, the company in July cut its full-year 2012 earnings forecast, citing lower enrollment and slightly higher medical cost trends.

However, the company turned around under the interim leadership of Cannon and reported in late January fourth-quarter results that breezed past analysts' expectations, reflecting improved operating performance, solid expense management and improving execution in our core operations.

Meanwhile, Cannon is the executive vice president, general counsel, corporate secretary and chief public affairs officer of the company. He will remain at these positions, and also help in the leadership transition.

Swedish, with 40 years experience in health care, most recently served as president and CEO for Trinity Health Corp. since December 2004. Swedish has held a variety of senior executive positions in both non-profit and for-profit health care systems.

"In 24 years as a CEO, he has had tremendous success growing and advancing health care systems by improving core operations, initiating financial restructurings, and expertly integrating strategic mergers and acquisitions. He is an agile leader at a time when major transformations are requiring health benefit companies to examine new ways to better serve our stakeholders," Ward added.

Prior to joining Trinity Health, Swedish was president and CEO of Centura Health, the largest health care provider in Colorado. He also served as President of the East Florida and Central Florida Divisions for the Hospital Corp. of America from 1994 through 1998.

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WellPoint Names Health Care Executive Joseph Swedish As New CEO

Seven Denver Area Hospitals Join Colorado Health Information Exchange To Support Advancements In Health Care Quality …

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DENVER, Feb. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- CORHIO, the Colorado Regional Health Information Organization, announced today that HealthONE has signed an agreement to participate in its secure health information exchange (HIE) network. The seven HealthONE hospitals join 28 other hospitals around the state already connected to CORHIO, including Centura Health which operates 13 hospitals connected to the HIE network, of which seven are located in Metro Denver. HealthONE is a subsidiary of the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), which is the nation's largest private hospital system.

The CORHIO HIE is a highly protected electronic network that links the medical records systems of doctors and other health care providers throughout Colorado. The HIE allows providers to exchange patient information, including lab test and pathology results, x-ray, MRI and other imaging reports, and physician transcription reports, when needed for patient care. To view a video that describes HIE, please visit http://youtu.be/9iO8NaVt6Sw.

Hospitals and health care providers that participate in HIE help to improve the overall quality of care that patients receive, including reducing delays in treatment and the need for redundant testing, which can be costlyand sometimes painfulfor patients.

For patients who go to a hospital for care, studies have shown that coordinated after-hospital care is critically important to avoid serious complications. Too often, patients can end up back in the hospital within 30 days, something referred to as a "hospital readmission." By joining the CORHIO HIE, HealthONE and Centura Health have demonstrated a strong commitment to the health and wellbeing of Denver area patients because HIE will improve their communication with community-based physicians, home health nurses, skilled nursing facilities and other providers who can help patients regain their health and avoid unnecessary trips back to the hospital.

The HealthONE system includes seven metro Denver hospitals, all of which are joining the CORHIO HIE:

The HealthONE system also includes 15 stand-alone ambulatory surgery centers, eight occupational medicine and rehabilitation clinics, Airlife Denver and dozens of specialty clinics.

"HealthONE is proud to partner with CORHIO's HIE to help improve clinical operations for our physicians, nurses and ultimately the patients we serve," says Chris Wobensmith, chief information officer, HCA-HealthONE. "We are committed to providing the highest quality patient experience--from great service at the bedside to enhanced clinical processes like CORIHO."

"We applaud the commitment to patients that HealthONE is demonstrating by participating in our community HIE," said Larry Wolk, MD, chief executive officer of CORHIO. "With the addition of HealthONE to CORHIO's network, we will have one of the nation's most robust HIEs. This is a testament to the collaboration of health care leaders across the state and means that Colorado citizens can expect to get some of the highest quality, most coordinated care of any place in the nation."

About CORHIO

CORHIO is dedicated to improving health care quality for all Coloradans through health information exchange (HIE). As the state-designated entity for HIE, CORHIO collaborates with health care stakeholders including physicians, hospitals, clinics, public health, long-term care, laboratories, health plans and patients to improve care collaboration through secure systems and processes for sharing clinical information. CORHIO is a not-for-profit supported in large part by grants, including awards from the Colorado Health Foundation and from federal ARRA HITECH funds. CORHIO's technical infrastructure is built on industry-leading HIE technology developed and maintained by Medicity. For more information about CORHIO, please visit http://www.corhio.org.

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Seven Denver Area Hospitals Join Colorado Health Information Exchange To Support Advancements In Health Care Quality ...

Gene therapy cures diabetes in dogs

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London, Feb. 13 (ANI): Five beagles, who were suffering from diabetes, were no longer in need of insulin injections after they were given two extra genes.

Fatima Bosch, who treated the dogs at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain, said that a number of attempts had earlier been made to treat the disease with gene therapy but this study is the first to show a long-term cure in a large animal, New Scientist reported.

To sense and regulate how much glucose is being circulated in the blood, the two genes have to work together in tandem.

People, who suffer from type 1 diabetes, lose this ability as their immune system kills the pancreatic cells that produce insulin.

The two genes, which were delivered into dogs' legs muscles by a harmless virus, appeared to compensate for the loss of these insulin producing pancreatic cells.

One gene created insulin while the other produced an enzyme that dictated how much glucose should be absorbed into muscles.

Dogs that received only one of the two genes remained diabetic, suggesting that both the genes are needed for the treatment to work. (ANI)

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Gene therapy cures diabetes in dogs

Gene therapy cures diabetic dogs

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Five diabetic beagles no longer needed insulin injections after being given two extra genes, with two of them still alive more than four years later.

Several attempts have been made to treat diabetes with gene therapy but this study is "the first to show a long-term cure for diabetes in a large animal", says Ftima Bosch, who treated the dogs at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain.

The two genes work together to sense and regulate how much glucose is circulating in the blood. People with type 1 diabetes lose this ability because the pancreatic cells that make insulin, the body's usual sugar-controller, are killed by their immune system.

Delivered into muscles in the dogs' legs by a harmless virus, the genes appear to compensate for the loss of these cells. One gene makes insulin and the other an enzyme that dictates how much glucose should be absorbed into muscles.

Dogs which received just one of the two genes remained diabetic, suggesting that both are needed for the treatment to work.

Bosch says the findings build on an earlier demonstration of the therapy in mice. She hopes to try it out in humans, pending further tests in dogs.

Other diabetes researchers welcomed the results but cautioned that the diabetes in the dogs that underwent the treatment doesn't exactly replicate what happens in human type 1 diabetes. That's because the dogs' pancreatic cells were artificially destroyed by a chemical, not by their own immune systems.

"This work is an interesting new avenue which may give us a completely new type of treatment," says Matthew Hobbs, head of research at the charity Diabetes UK. "The researchers' plan to test the treatment in a larger number of dogs with naturally occurring [type 1] diabetes is a sensible way to gather stronger evidence that will be needed before this experimental treatment is ready to be tested in humans."

Journal reference: Diabetes, doi.org/kf3

If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

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Gene therapy cures diabetic dogs

Rick Warren Tackles Religious Freedom, Birth Control Mandate at Georgetown Univ.

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(Photo: Georgetown University/Sarah Gormley)

Pastor Rick Warren (R), interviewed by Timothy Shaw, Associate Director of the Religious Freedom Project at the Berkley Center For Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., Feb. 12, 2013.

(Photo: Georgetown University/Sarah Gormley)

Pastor Rick Warren speaking at an event hosted by the Religious Freedom Project at the Berkley Center For Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., Feb. 12, 2013.

(Photo: Georgetown University/Sarah Gormley)

Pastor Rick Warren (R), interviewed by Timothy Shaw, Associate Director of the Religious Freedom Project at the Berkley Center For Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., Feb. 12, 2013.

February 13, 2013|9:18 am

Religious freedom is not just the freedom to worship, Warren explained, it is also the freedom to practice one's faith. One-third of Jesus' ministry was health care (through healing), Warren noted. Plus, the Church has been involved in health care for 2,000 years and even invented the hospital.

The birth control mandate, though, requires all employers to cover contraception, sterilization and abortifacient drugs in their employees' health insurance plans. There is a religious exemption, but it is so narrow that most religious organizations, including Catholic hospitals, are not exempt. They will be required to pay for services in opposition to the teachings of their faith. Catholic leaders have complained that the Obama administration is requiring them to choose between violating their faith and carrying out the duties of their faith to care for the poor and sick.

Warren's concerns about religious freedom grew partly out of his work in developing countries. In most of the world, Warren said, social services, such as health care and job training programs, are commonly provided by churches. If the Catholic Church were taken out of Africa, 27 percent of the continent's health care would also be removed, he explained to the audience at Georgetown, a Catholic university.

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Rick Warren Tackles Religious Freedom, Birth Control Mandate at Georgetown Univ.

YouTube ban in Egypt is a setback for freedom of expression

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A temporary ban on YouTube imposed in Egypt over a video deemed offensive to Islam is a setback for freedom of expression , Amnesty International has said.

A court in Cairo this weekend ordered a 30-day block on the video-sharing website in the wake of the controversial 'Innocence of Muslims' video, which sparked protests across Muslim countries in September.

Saturday's court ruling said that "freedom of opinion [should] not attack the beliefs of others".

"This ruling is a clear assault of freedom of expression and has far-reaching consequences in the country where activists have relied heavily on YouTube to expose human rights abuses in the country," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.

"Criticism of religions and beliefs are a vital part of freedom of expression regardless of how offensive or intolerant the opinion might be."

Cairo's Administrative Court said there must be a balance between freedom of expression and the interests and goals of society, and the protection of its values and traditions".

It added that freedom of opinion should not "provoke the feelings and resentment of believers of other religions, particularly heavenly religions and that the media should refrain from "defamation" of religious figures.

The court's reasons for banning YouTube are in direct contradiction with international human rights law, which protects freedom of expression, including the expression of ideas that are offensive.

"Criticism of religions and other beliefs and ideas is a vital component of the right to freedom of expression," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

"Such criticism, insult or mockery does not interfere with the individual believers freedom of religion, however offensive they may find it."

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YouTube ban in Egypt is a setback for freedom of expression

Turkey moves to boost freedom of expression

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ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey has drafted changes to the penal code, narrowing the definition of terrorist propaganda in a step to boost freedom of expression in line with EU demands and potentially encourage a fledgling peace process with a jailed Kurdish militant leader.

The bill, presented to Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday and likely to be sent to parliament this month, may lead to the release of defendants accused of links to Kurdish rebels, a justice ministry official told Reuters on Wednesday.

Turkey has used anti-terror legislation widely to prosecute thousands of politicians, activists and journalists, frequently for things they have said or written.

Turkey regularly tops the list of countries violating the European Convention of Human Rights and the European Commission has called on Ankara to amend its laws to distinguish between incitement to violence and expression of non-violent ideas.

"Regulations have been prepared which rescue this country from such trouble ... opening the way for freedom of expression and thought in Turkey," Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin said.

The reform was in line with European Court of Human Rights criteria, under which only a direct incitement to violence constitutes a crime, he told reporters.

"When a person shares an idea and writes it down, if it does not contain, inspire, incite or try to legitimize violence, how can somebody be convicted?" the minister said.

If approved, the legislation is likely to be welcomed by Europe, which frequently criticizes Ankara's human rights record and imprisonment of political activists and journalists.

Under the current anti-terrorism law and criminal code, writing an article or making a speech can lead to long prison sentences for membership of a terrorist group.

Thousands of Kurdish politicians and activists have been prosecuted since 2009 over alleged links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) - deemed a terrorist group by the EU and Washington, as well as Turkey.

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Freedom Meditech Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance for ClearPath DS-120™

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SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Freedom Meditech, Inc., developer of non-invasive ophthalmic products for the detection of disease and management of patient health, today announced it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market and sell its first product, the ClearPath DS-120 Lens Fluorescence Biomicroscope.

The ClearPath is cleared by FDA as a tool for the measurement of autofluorescence by scanning the crystalline lens of the eye with a blue light. In independent scientific studies published in peer-reviewed journals, elevated autofluorescence measurements have been linked to high levels of advanced glycosylated end products which accumulate as a result of the aging process and the presence of systemic disease.

The ClearPath scan is pain free, takes just six seconds and produces an immediate, quantitative result available to the patent and healthcare provider. Unlike some eye exams, the scan does not require dilation or other special preparation by the patient. The ClearPath is also different from diagnostic tests in that it is completely non-invasive and does not require a blood draw to produce a result.

Receiving FDA clearance for the ClearPath is the most significant milestone to date for the company and removes the last significant risk in product development prior to marketing, said Craig Misrach, Chairman and CEO of Freedom Meditech. We are in the process of conducting additional validation studies which we anticipate will support enhanced claims in the labeling for the ClearPath including its ability to further improve patient outcomes and maximize overall public health.

The company plans to launch the ClearPath in the U.S. by the end of the second quarter 2013. Also, the company is in the process of acquiring the CE Mark for the product. The CE Mark is required to sell in the 27 countries that comprise the European Union and is a gateway to other non-regulated markets.

In clinical trial results submitted to the FDA the ClearPath proved to be more precise than standard of care ophthalmic devices marketed and widely utilized by health care providers in the U.S. today. The ClearPath demonstrated a Repeatability Coefficient of Variation (variability among measurements taken on the same eye using the same operator and device) and Reproducibility Coefficient of Variation (variability among measurements taken on the same eye using different operators and devices) of 5.8 % and 6.4% respectively.

The ClearPath is the first product from Freedom Meditech. Also in development is the I-SugarX non-invasive monitor that measures glucose levels in the aqueous of the eye. The I-SugarX is designed to be operated by holding the small handheld device, similar to a miniature telescope, in front of the eye to provide people with diabetes a convenient and pain-free alternative to the finger stick method of glucose monitoring.

About Freedom Meditech Freedom Meditech, Inc. is a medical device company focused on the commercialization of novel ophthalmic technologies for the detection of disease and management of patient health. The company maintains corporate and engineering operations in San Diego, CA with supporting research and development activities throughout the state of Ohio. For more information, visit http://www.freedom-meditech.com.

The I-SugarX is an investigational device and is limited by federal law to investigational use.

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UFC 157 Media Call: Ronda Rousey Has Hash Words for Cyborg, Respect for Liz Carmouche – Video

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UFC 157 Media Call: Ronda Rousey Has Hash Words for Cyborg, Respect for Liz Carmouche
http://www.MMAWeekly.com -- Ronda Rousey had some harsh word for Cris Cyborg during the UFC 157 conference call with the media, but showed nothing but respect for Liz Carmouche, her UFC 157 main event opposition. Carmouche reciprocated, while both women had a lot to say about the UFC #39;s commitment to bringing them, and women #39;s MMA in general into the Octagon. Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida were also on the call to discuss their co-main event bout. Rousey and Henderson, both former Olympians, also addressed the IOC #39;s decision to remove wrestling from the Olympic Games.

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UFC 157 Media Call: Ronda Rousey Has Hash Words for Cyborg, Respect for Liz Carmouche - Video

1.8.7. Deathstep – Cyborg [FREE DOWNLOAD] – Video

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1.8.7. Deathstep - Cyborg [FREE DOWNLOAD]
#9679;FREE DOWNLOAD: soundcloud.com .::Follow 1.8.7. Deathstep::. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com Twitter: twitter.com Soundcloud: soundcloud.com YouTube: http://www.youtube.com .::Follow FilthyDubstepMusic::. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com Twitter: twitter.com Soundcloud: soundcloud.com ***COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER*** "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." Please send me a personal message and your content will be removed within 48 hours.

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Ronda Rousey Says Cris Cyborg Is Quickly 'Fading into Being Irrelevant'

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Ronda Rousey has a lot on her mind these daysUFC 157, Liz Carmouche, being the first women's champion in UFC historybut one thing she's not worried about is a potential fight with former Strikeforce champion, Cris "Cyborg" Santos.

The two fighters have been intertwined together for a big part of the last year as Rousey made her meteoric rise up the women's ranks and eventually became champion. They also began sparring in a verbal chess match through social media and interviews about a potential fight with each other.

Unfortunately, as of now, it appears that fight won't be happening any time soonif ever.

Cris "Cyborg" Santos, who sat out all of 2012 after testing positive for banned substances in her last fight with Strikeforce, has stated adamantly that she cannot make the cut from 145 pounds to 135 pounds, thus eliminating her from joining the UFC's lone division for women's MMA.

As of last week, Cyborg's manager, former UFC champion Tito Ortiz, stated that he's hopeful his client will exit the UFC and pursue other options away from the Octagon.

For her part, Ronda Rousey isn't worried about whether Santos ever fights in the UFC or not. She believes all of the talk about weight classes, signing with the UFC or not signing with the UFC and the splashy statements by her manager are all an attempt to keep her in the spotlight, despite the fact that she hasn't won a fight since June 2010 (her last fight in Strikeforce was ruled a no-contest after Cyborg tested positive for banned substances).

"No, not really at all," Rousey answered, when asked if she was disappointed that a fight with Cyborg was all but off the table, when speaking to media on a UFC conference cell held Tuesday.

"I think that she's just kind of making a lot of noise, and trying to get attention because she's kind of fading into being irrelevant. She hasn't a recorded win in what about two years? She needs to have people going on TV and making a big fuss so people will even remember her name."

Rousey believes that she has plenty of fighters to face in the UFC, and none of them have to be named Cris Cyborg. On the flip side, however, Rousey knows that the former 145-pound Strikeforce champion only has one real choice in her career, making the move down to bantamweight and facing her in the Octagon.

"To be honest, I have a lot of options ahead of me. I have a lot of girls I could fight, and she doesn't really have any other options besides me. So they can run around and make a bunch of noise and be a big 'Cry-borg' as much as she wants, but at some point she's going to have to come around and take the only fight that's really available for her," said Rousey.

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Ronda Rousey Says Cris “Cyborg” Santos is Just Trying to Stay Relevant

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Any time Ronda Rousey speaks with the media, the topic of Cris Cyborg Santos is brought up. Santos has recently requested to be let out of her UFC contract and a press conference is scheduled for Friday with her manager Tito Ortiz to make an announcement about her fighting future.

Rousey feels Santos is simply seeking attention in an attempt to not fade into obscurity.

I think shes just kind of making a lot of noise and trying to get attention because shes kind of fading into being irrelevant, Rousey said during a UFC 157 media conference call on Tuesday.

She hasnt had a recorded win in I think two years or something like that, so she needs people going on TV and making a big fuss so people will even remember her name.

Santos took womens MMA by storm with her aggressive style, winning the Strikeforce 145-pound title in August of 2009 by taking out the then-face of womens MMA, Gina Carano. Santos defended her title three times before testing positive for the steroid stanozolol following a Dec. 17, 2011, bout with Hiroko Yamanaka. Santos knocked out Yamanaka is just 16 seconds, but the bout was later ruled a no-contest and Santos was suspended for a year.

While away from the sport, Rousey emerged, and a match between the two has been talked about ever since. The obstacle standing in the way of the bout coming to fruition is the fact that Santos cant make the cut to 135 pounds. While a bout with Santos is alluring, Rousey isnt waiting around for the former champion.

I have a lot of options ahead of me. I have a lot of girls that I could fight, and she doesnt have any other options besides me, so they can run around and make a bunch of noise and be a big Cryborg as much as she wants, but at some point shes going to have to come around and take the only fight thats available for her. In the meantime, Im going to take the plenty of options that are available to me, said Rousey.

Rousey makes history at UFC 157, along with Liz Carmouche. They will enter the history books as the first female fight to be held in the UFC.

So appropriately, Rouseys focus is on Carmouche.

Im not spending any of my time worrying about her because Liz Carmouche is 100-percent of my attention right now. Cyborgs not really worth my time at the moment.

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Ronda Rousey Says Cris “Cyborg” Santos is Just Trying to Stay Relevant

Follow us to the Brunswick Beaches! – Video

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Follow us to the Brunswick Beaches!
Discover the beautiful beaches of Brunswick County, North Carolina. Nestled between Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina, you will find the untouched beauty of our miles and miles of Brunswick County beaches. Here at Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage, we can help you relocate to our beautiful area and find the perfect home to suit your needs: http://www.SeaCoastRealty.com

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Coastal Commission puts beaches' parking-fee increase on hold

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A proposal to charge the public more to visit San Onofre, San Clemente, Doheny and Crystal Cove state beaches on three summer holidays is on hold because of concerns raised by the California Coastal Commission.

The plan also includes raising the $1-per-hour parking fee at Calafia Beach in San Clemente to $2 an hour during the summer. Calafia is part of San Clemente State Beach.

The fees were proposed by the Orange Coast District of the state parks system and were to have been up for a vote of the Coastal Commission on Feb. 6 at a meeting in Redondo Beach. The proposals were pulled from the agenda for further discussion between Coastal Commission and state parks staff.

"At this point, I can't give you a firm date for when the Coastal Commission will next see this on the agenda," said Jeff Rabin, a coastal program analyst for the commission. He said one concern is the plan to charge $20 on Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day without the option of hourly rates on those days. At other times, some parking lots would offer hourly rates.

The normal all-day fee is $15. At Calafia, a requirement to pay the $20 day rate on summer holidays, even for a short visit, would amount to a twentyfold increase from the current $1 hourly charge, Rabin said.

"That's an enormous increase," Rabin said. "So far as I know, there has never been a flat fee at that lot."

Julie Tobin, a planner with state parks, said new parking machines at Calafia offer the option of paying $15 for the day or $1 an hour. "People will pay a whole day to secure a spot on holidays and busy summer days," she said, "but they do enjoy the flexibility of an hourly fee."

She said the parks department is requesting the $20 flat fee for the summer holidays when visitors tend to go for the whole day. The $20 fee also would apply to special events such as surf contests.

Meanwhile, a new machine in a state parking lot at the south end of San Clemente serving Trestles Beach now offers the option of paying $2 an hour, as well as a flat $15 day fee, Tobin said. The machine was out of service over the weekend but has been restored, she said. The $2 hourly option has proved popular, attracting new users to the parking lot, Tobin said.

Contact the writer: fswegles@ocregister.com or 949-492-5127

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Coastal Commission puts beaches' parking-fee increase on hold