Morning Breakouts

Latest California Healthline Stories

Brown Signs Legislation Designed To Help Mentally Ill Homeless People

Currently, conservatorship laws often block counties from helping people suffering from both mental illness and substance abuse if they refuse assistance, officials say. The new legislation would create pilot programs in San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles to expand that power. It was one of several bills that Gov. Jerry Brown approved this week, but a closely watched measure on abortion pills at public universities is still sitting on his desk.

Adventist Health Cuts More Jobs As It Outsources Billing And Collection Operations To Missouri Firm

Starting no later than the middle of next year, Adventist patients wishing to speak with someone about their bill will be told to call a customer service center based in Missouri instead of speaking with someone face-to-face in Bakersfield.

Medical Records Paint Grim Picture Of Detained Immigrant Teen’s Mental Health Deterioration

The medical records of the teen were provided to the Desert Sun and show how he was treated while being kept in holding facilities. His family says his mental decline is the result of drugs he was given while in detention, without parental consent.

State-Funded Initiative Aims To Improve Access To Quick Genetic Testing For Babies Covered By Medi-Cal

Project Baby Bear will work with infants on Medi-Cal from four different cities: Fresno, Oakland, Sacramento and San Diego. Blood samples will be dispatched to Rady Children’s Hospital’s high-speed sequencing lab in San Diego, where the institute’s team of geneticists will use custom software to quickly look for genetic markers of disease.

Gov. Brown Signs Bill Standardizing Regulations On Carrying A Concealed Weapon

Gov. Jerry Brown also signed a bill making it clear that rapid-fire “bump stocks” like those used in last year’s Las Vegas Strip massacre are illegal in California. Meanwhile, a new study looks at Australia’s hailed gun regulations, and the reason they would have limited effect in the U.S.

Pharma Dealt A Disappointment Over ‘Doughnut Hole’ Change As Lawmakers Reach Agreement On Opioid Package

Negotiators for the House and Senate smoothed out the differences between their two versions on the massive opioid package that lawmakers are banking on as a winning talking point before the midterms. Not included in the final version of the agreement was pharma’s push to use the legislation to roll back a provision that puts them on the hook for covering more drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries.

Key Republican Senator Urges Colleagues To Take Kavanaugh Accusations Seriously As Hearing Nears

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who is eyed as a swing vote on the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, issued a warning that senators should not prejudge the allegations of Professor Christine Blasey Ford. Meanwhile, the battle heated up as President Donald Trump tried to discredit the second woman who spoke out against his nominee. And Republicans have obtained the services of outside counsel to aid in questioning Ford during Thursday’s hearing.

To Help Heal A Community That Has Known Too Much Trauma, New Center Aims To Tackle Root Of Violence

The new Community Healing and Trauma Prevention Center will give South Los Angeles residents access to counseling, support groups, healing-focused workshops and exercise classes. “People all across the country are going to be taking note of what we’re doing,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas of the model.