Chris Connelly

Technology has done great things for medicine: Machines can help keep hearts beating and lungs breathing. Electronic medical records help doctors keep track of their patients’ treatment and prevent mistakes. But all that technology needs a lot of monitoring – and that can be frustrating for nurses who want to be tending people, not machines.

To combat this problem, healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente is implementing a new program to help nurses relax a bit, and shift their focus back to what’s really important.  KALW’S Christopher Connelly has more on what they’re doing.

California is one of many states that bans talking or texting on a handheld device while driving. It's a national problem. In 2009, more than 5,000 people were killed on U.S. roads and about 450,000 were injured due because of so-called "distracted" driving.