What’s Behind The Sharp Uptick In Homeless Deaths? Experts Point To Drug Epidemic
But the homeless deaths that are harder to account for are the people who get sick because they lack access to health care.
KPBS:
Medical Examiner: Homeless Deaths On The Rise In San Diego County
Volunteers were out early Friday canvassing the streets, canyons and riverbanks as part of San Diego County’s annual homeless count. But one stat is already known: The number of homeless people dying in the county increased significantly in 2017, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office. (Castañeda, 1/26)
In other news from across the state —
LA Daily News:
You Should Stay Away From These Wild ‘Death Cap’ Mushrooms, California Officials Warn
Health officials are particularly concerned about two kinds of mushrooms that can cause extensive liver damage: The Amanita phalloides also known as the “death cap” features an umbrella like cap while the Amanita ocreata or “destroying angel,” includes a flatter beanie atop a longer, white stalk. Health officials said a bloom of death caps last winter “resulted in 14 mushroom poisonings in (Northern) California that required hospitalization.” (Abram, 1/25)
Capital Public Radio:
Vegan Fraternities? At UC Davis, Frats Compete For Meat-Free Street Cred
Theta Xi and Theta Chi are competing to see which house can accrue the most vegan points by consuming meat-free meals, going to film screenings and other campus activities sponsered by the activists. The idea for the Vegan Frat Challenge came from a Davis student group called P.E.A.C.E., or People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty through Education. (Mitric, 1/25)
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Santa Rosa Med Student Pauses Education To Start Medical Supply Nonprofit
The newly formed Supply The Change is still in its infancy but has a board of directors and is well into its initial project. Partnering with Northern California-based Sutter Health, as well as UCSF, the group has amassed unused and surplus health care supplies such as sterile surgery implements, catheters and blood collection devices, and is preparing the first shipment for arrival to Eritrea in May. A 2009 graduate of Santa Rosa’s Piner High School before attending UC Davis as an undergrad, [Tomas] Tesfasilassie credits UCSF’s program for including a social consciousness component in his medical training. During his first year, he helped organize a “white coat die-in” on campus where more than 150 members of the program peacefully laid on the sidewalk to highlight racial inequality in the nation’s health care system. (Fixler, 1/25)