San Francisco Chronicle: In S.F., 268 People Died From Accidental ODs In First 4 Months Of 2023
San Francisco recorded more accidental overdose deaths from January through April of this year than during the same time periods in each of the last three years, according to data released Friday from the San Francisco Medical Examiner’s office. (Parker, 5/12)

Los Angeles Times: Fentanyl Overdoses Fuel Surge In L.A. County Homeless Deaths
A devastating surge in drug overdoses drove up deaths among unhoused people in Los Angeles County in recent years, along with the rising toll of traffic collisions and homicides, according to a public health department report released Friday. The death rate increased 55% among people experiencing homelessness in L.A. County between 2019 and 2021, a markedly sharper increase than in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, public health officials found. (Alpert Reyes, 5/12)

Fox News: California Reparations Panel Warns Of 'Racially Biased' Medical AI, Calls For Legislative Action
California's reparations task force is recommending as part of its set of proposals to make amends for slavery and anti-Black racism that state lawmakers address what it calls "racially biased" artificial intelligence used in health care. The task force, created by state legislation signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2020, formally approved last weekend its final recommendations to the California Legislature, which will decide whether to enact the measures and send them to the governor's desk to be signed into law. (Kliegman, 5/13)

CalMatters: California Budget Deficit: Newsom's Solution
Under the governor’s plan, the state would also borrow $1.2 billion from special funds and increase by $2.5 billion a tax on managed care health plans to address the spending gap. Extensive savings would remain largely untouched, though Newsom did propose to make a $450 million withdrawal from one reserve account. (Koseff, 5/12)

Becker's Hospital Review: Stanford Medicine Awarded $100K For AI Tool That Identifies Heart Attack Risk
Palo Alto, Calif.-based Stanford Medicine was awarded $100,000 for its artificial intelligence tool that can identify patients who are at risk of a heart attack. Stanford's AI tool won the Hearst Health Prize, a competition that evaluates data science projects or programs that have been proven to improve health outcomes, according to a May 12 press release from Hearst Health. (Diaz, 5/12)

Marin Independent Journal: CVS To Pay Bay Area, Other California Counties, $7.5 Million Over Expired Products
Marin County will receive nearly $600,000 as part of a settlement with CVS Pharmacy Inc. over allegations it sold expired medications and baby food. The funds are part of a $7.5 million settlement secured by prosecutors in Marin and 11 other counties in the state. (Klien, 5/15)

San Diego Union-Tribune: Did Fletcher Worsen Veterans' Post-Traumatic Stress Stigma? 
Veterans and mental health advocates offered widespread support after Fletcher first announced in March that he was taking medical leave to seek treatment for post-traumatic stress and alcohol abuse, citing trauma from his childhood and his military combat experience. But the response was withering when he was sued for sexual misconduct days later, sparking discussion about the symptoms and stigma associated with PTSD and accusations that he had effectively used trauma claims to excuse abusive behavior. (Brennan, 5/14)

Military.com: Homeless Veterans Will Receive Less Help As Pandemic Aid Dries Up, Democrats And Veterans Groups Warn 
At a news conference Friday at the Washington, D.C., chapter of a nonprofit that provides housing and employment assistance to veterans, Democrats on the House Veterans Affairs Committee and advocates for homeless veterans warned that fewer veterans will be able to find help now that emergency authorities have ended and called on Republicans to move forward with a bill to renew the aid. "The rate that we receive for servicing a homeless veteran went from, last night, $164.67 to $64.52," said Clifton Lewis, executive director of U.S. Vets D.C., where the press conference was held. "How can you provide services to a veteran with just $64.52? Housing, food, case management services -- all the things that we do to service homeless veterans." (Kheel, 5/12)

Becker's Hospital Review: Kaiser Appoints Senior Vice President For Santa Rosa Market
Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente has appointed Abhishek Dosi senior vice president and area manager of its Santa Rosa service area, effective May 15.Mr. Dosi succeeds Tarek Salaway, who is now serving as senior vice president and area manager of Kaiser's Golden Gate service area. (Condon, 5/12)

Voice Of San Diego: Student Medical Records May Have Been Taken In San Diego Unified Hack 
The breadth of a cyber attack against San Diego Unified School District last year is coming into view. Student medical records may have been taken during the hack, district officials notified parents in a letter dated May 4. (Huntsberry, 5/12)

Fresno Bee: 25% Of CA Child Care Centers Report Lead Over Limit In Water 
About 1,700 licensed child care centers in California — a quarter of the nearly 7,000 tested so far — have been serving drinking water with lead levels exceeding allowable limits, according to data that the nonprofit Environmental Working Group secured from the state. (Anderson and Reese, 5/15)

The Mercury News: San Jose Blood Stem Cell Donor Meets 15-Year-Old Whose Life He Saved In Los Angeles
It was a heartfelt meeting, as San Jose resident Chuck Woo met the 15-year-old with blood cancer whose life he saved. Woo met Darrian Lu for the first time Thursday in downtown Los Angeles. Lu, an Alameda teen on the autism spectrum, had been battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia for two years. Woo was his blood stem cell donor. “As soon as I knew I was a match, I said, absolutely, there’s no question about it. As a parent, I wanted to help potentially save a life,” said Woo. (Vergara, 5/15)

ABC News: Dangerous Heat Wave Continues Along West Coast
The temperatures could raise the risk of heat-related illness, especially as the majority of households in the region are not equipped with central air conditioning. High temperatures are cranking up even more further down the coast. Fresno, California, is forecast to be approaching 100 degrees on Sunday, with high temperatures of 95 degrees to 100 degrees for at least the next five days. (Jacobo and Amarante, 5/14)

San Francisco Chronicle: How Stress Reduction For Moms Helps Their Health — And Their Kids
For generations, doctors and midwives believed when women experienced stress during pregnancy, it could harm fetal development. But it wasn’t until relatively recently that scientists uncovered evidence showing just how much stress during pregnancy — and stress from long-ago childhood trauma experienced by mothers — can harm the mental and physical health of moms and their children. (Ho, 5/14)

USA Today: Remote Work Jobs Are Taking A Toll On Some Parents Mental Health
Though the rise of remote work has been praised for providing greater work/life balance, many parents are finding that being away from the office can also have serious drawbacks, according to a new study shared exclusively with USA TODAY. Roughly 4 in 10 parents say that when they work from home, there are times they go days without leaving their house, while 33% say they "feel very isolated,'' when working remotely, according to the ninth annual Modern Family Index, conducted by The Harris Poll for Bright Horizons, a global provider of early education, child care and workforce education services. (Jones, 5/13)

The Washington Post: FDA Blocks Marketing On 6,500 Flavored E-Cigarette Products 
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday blocked 10 companies from marketing or distributing 6,500 flavored e-liquid and e-cigarette products, part of its campaign against tobacco products being marketed to youths. The agency said the product applications covered a variety of flavored e-cigarettes, including some with flavors such as Citrus and Strawberry Cheesecake, as well as Cool Mint and Menthol. The FDA said the companies in question did not provide sufficient evidence that marketing the products would be appropriate for public health. (Werner, 5/12)