$15M Gift To UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Intended To Address Shortage Of Mental Health Services For Kids

East Bay Times: Benioffs' $15 Million Gift To Address Mental Health Services
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland has received a $15 million gift from Lynne and Marc Benioff to address a shortage of mental health services for children and adolescents in Oakland and the East Bay. The $15 million gift, announced Tuesday by UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals, is intended to enable the Oakland hospital to increase its mental health services, heighten awareness and encourage philanthropy. (Kawamoto, 12/18)

KQED: In Effort To Keep Alta Bates Open, Officials Point To New Report About Potential Impacts Of Closure
Politicians and unions in the East Bay are stepping up the pressure on Sutter Health to keep Alta Bates Medical Center operational as a full-service hospital. On Tuesday, a task force unveiled a long-awaited report by UC Berkeley heath planning researchers on the impact of the hospital closure on health in the East Bay. (Dillon, 12/18)

In other news from across the state —

LAist: LA Leads The Nation In Chronic Homelessness 
Homelessness in the U.S. rose slightly — about a third of a percentage point — between 2017 and 2018, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. While much of the data in the report isn't new, it does provide new context for the homelessness crisis. (Tinoco and Fonseca, 12/18)

Sacramento Bee: Large Cannabis Cultivation Facility OK’d For North Sacramento 
The 21,596-square-foot facility, which now houses an auto repair shop, will mostly be used for cultivation, but it will also include areas for manufacturing, packaging, distribution and six suites for delivery-only medical and recreational cannabis, according to a city staff report. The council approved the plan with an 8-0 vote, with Mayor Darrell Steinberg absent. (Clift, 12/18)