Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Want To Reduce Suicides? Follow The Data — To Medical Offices, Motels And Even Animal Shelters
An Oregon epidemiologist is using data to find patterns in suicides, then offering prevention training at the motels where people keep taking their lives, the animal shelter where they give away their pets, the pain clinics where patients struggle. Her model is spreading to Humboldt County, Calif., and elsewhere. (Maureen O’Hagan, )
Hill Hodgepodge: Pelosi Draws From Democrats, GOP And Trump For Drug Plan
The House speaker announced her plan for lowering drug prices, which includes negotiations between drugmakers and federal health officials. (Emmarie Huetteman, )
Good morning! Reports claim that U.S. HUD Secretary Ben Carson shocked and upset staff with remarks about transgender people while discussing San Francisco’s homeless crisis. More on that below, but first here are your top California health news stories of the day.
Newsom Made Bold Promises When It Came To The Homeless Crisis. How Have They Played Out?: Gov. Gavin Newsom’s rhetoric earlier this year was lofty: A “Marshall Plan" for affordable housing; unprecedented state action on homelessness; and most audacious, 3.5 million new housing units by 2025, a construction rate not seen since they started keeping track of that kind of thing. “If we want a California for all, we have to build housing for all,” Newsom said during his first State of the State address, a reference to his campaign slogan. California lawmakers just wrapped their first legislative session with Newsom in the governor’s office. Read more about what exactly has been accomplished here, from Matt Levin of CalMatters.
‘It Happens In The Shadows; It Happens In The Home’: LA Women Being Killed In Record Numbers: Last year, 114 women were killed in Los Angeles County, the highest number since the beginning of the decade, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis of coroner and law enforcement records. Meanwhile, the death toll for men, who make up the vast majority of casualties, declined dramatically to 523 from 755 deaths a decade earlier. Women are less likely than men to be killed in a shooting, but more likely to be beaten, stabbed or strangled. Female homicide victims also tend to be older, with a median age of 35, compared with 31 years old for men. While the killings of men are highly concentrated in low-income neighborhoods, female slayings are less so, demonstrating how domestic violence crosses boundaries of geography and income. The demand from those in need has placed a strain on service providers. Read more from Nicole Santa Cruz and Iris Lee of the Los Angeles Times.
Below, check out the full round-up of California Healthline original stories, state coverage and the best of the rest of the national news for the day.
More News From Across The State
The Washington Post:
HUD Secretary Ben Carson Makes Dismissive Comments About Transgender People, Angering Agency Staff
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson expressed concern about “big, hairy men” trying to infiltrate women’s homeless shelters during an internal meeting, according to three people present who interpreted the remarks as an attack on transgender women. While visiting HUD’s San Francisco office this week, Carson also lamented that society no longer seemed to know the difference between men and women, two of the agency staffers said. (Jan and Stein, 9/19)
The Hill:
Ben Carson's Remarks During San Francisco Visit Spark Backlash
A government official also told the newspaper that Carson has made fun of transgender people during meetings in Washington. "His overall tone is dismissive and joking about these people," the official said. "It's disrespectful of the people we are trying to serve." (Frazin, 9/19)
CNN:
Washington Post: Ben Carson Made Dismissive Comments About Transgender People In Internal Meeting, Attendees Say
Carson has a long history of spawning controversy with his comments about the LGBTQ community. In 2016, he compared being transgender to changing ethnicities, and during his tenure as HUD secretary the department has proposed a rule that would allow federally funded homeless shelters to consider sex and gender identity when deciding whether to accommodate someone. (LeBlanc, 9/19)
Capital Public Radio:
No Water, No Garbage Pickup: Some Of The Complaints As Capitol Park Hotel Is Transformed Into A Homeless Shelter
Residents and employees at the Capitol Park Hotel say renovation work underway is causing water to flow out of places in the building it’s not supposed to and not flowing to other places in the building it’s needed. Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment says it is helping hotel residents move to other affordable housing sites as part of a plan to make the hotel a transitional housing shelter. SHRA is managing the property, although it is now owned by Mercy Housing California. (Moffitt, 9/19)
Sacramento Bee:
California Labor Bills Held From Gavin Newsom’s Desk
Three bills that would change California law to benefit public workers received broad support in the Legislature over the last year, but at the last minute didn’t reach Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. The bills would have made cities responsible for mistakes that inflate retirees’ pensions, expanded workers’ compensation benefits and given broad legal privileges to communications between unions and workers. (Venteicher, 9/20)
Sacramento Bee:
Dignity Health Pays Out $570,000 In Redding Disability Suit
Dignity Health will pay out $570,000 to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by an employee fired by the company’s Mercy Medical Center in Redding, according to an announcement Thursday by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Alina Sorling had worked as a food service technician on the Mercy Redding campus for 10 years when she suffered a severe illness that left her with vision loss, her lawsuit stated. She successfully trained, though, to be able to perform the sorts of everyday tasks she would have to do at work: cashiering, grilling, cleaning and stocking, court records show, and she also mastered the skills needed to continue independent living. (Anderson, 9/19)
Ventura County Star:
Low-Priced Mammograms, Cancer Symposiums, Martinis Offered By Hospitals
Hospitals across Ventura County will offer low-cost mammograms and events over the next several weeks that highlight breast cancer survivors and advances in treatment. The programs usher in October’s Breast Cancer Awareness month and start on Sept. 28 with the 10th annual breast health symposium organized by St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard. The event runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Serra Center, 5205 Upland Road, Camarillo. Specialists will talk about nutrition, radiation therapy, treatment protocols, breast reconstruction and other topics. Free bone density tests and chair massages will be offered. (Kisken, 9/19)
Sacramento Bee:
Feds Charge Sacramento Nurse In $31 Million Medicare Scheme
A Sacramento registered nurse has been charged in a massive Medicare fraud scheme that cost the federal health care program $31 million in payouts, court documents say. John Eby, whose Facebook page says he is a nursing care coordinator at Mercy General Hospital, was charged in a two-count information filed in Sacramento federal court Thursday with conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks and receipt of health care kickbacks. (Stanton, 9/19)
Los Angeles Times:
H.B. Doctor Indicted In $135-Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
A Huntington Beach doctor with a history of legal and disciplinary problems is one of seven healthcare professionals accused of participating in a Medicare fraud scheme that netted about $135 million through fraudulent insurance claims, according to federal prosecutors. Nagesh Shetty, 74, was indicted Wednesday in connection with the scheme, which involved “medically unnecessary” cardiac treatments and testing through an Inglewood healthcare provider, Global Cardio Care, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. (Sclafani, 9/19)
San Diego Union-Times:
In California, Jails Are Now The Mental Health Centers Of Last Resort
Almost one in three San Diego County jail inmates is prescribed medication to treat mental illness, making Sheriff Bill Gore one of the most prolific providers of behavioral health services in the region. Last year alone, Gore spent more than $5.6 million on pharmaceutical drugs for the 5,600 or so people behind bars on any given day — approximately $1,000 per inmate, or one-fifth of the sheriff’s entire budget for medical, dental, psychiatric and other contracted health care services. (Davis and McDonald, 9/20)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Rate Of Jail Inmate Deaths In San Diego County Far Exceeds Other Large California Counties
More than 130 people have died in San Diego County jails since 2009, the year Bill Gore took over as sheriff. That’s an average higher than one inmate per month, every month, over the past 10 years. Some are claimed by natural causes — chronic health conditions like heart disease and diabetes often found in people who end up in jail. Others are murdered or overdose on drugs. Dozens have taken their own lives even though Gore and his top command staff say they do everything they can to identify suicidal inmates and treat mental illness. (McDonald, Davis and Schroeder, 9/20)
Ventura County Star:
Dog Helps Homeless Veterans In Ventura County Undergoing Surgery
A service dog who helps homeless veterans in Ventura County is getting a $5,000 surgery to help him keep doing his work. As part of the Gold Coast Veterans Foundation's mobile veteran outreach program, Leo ventures into homeless encampments throughout Ventura County. Foundation Executive Director Bob Harris said the 165-pound white mixed Samoyed has been a tremendous help to homeless veterans. (Jazi, 9/19)
The New York Times:
Pelosi’s Drug Plan Would Let U.S. Negotiate Prices Of 250 Medications
Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday released her long-awaited plan to curb soaring prices of prescription drugs, a political chess move that could prod the Senate to move and heat up congressional negotiations with the White House on a popular but elusive goal. Ms. Pelosi’s plan, which she laid out at a morning news conference, would allow the government to negotiate the price of insulin and as many as 250 name-brand drugs each year for Medicare beneficiaries — an idea that many Republicans hate but that President Trump embraced during his 2016 campaign. Drug companies would also have to offer the agreed-on prices to private insurers or face harsh penalties, which could give the package broader appeal with voters. (Goodnough, 9/19)
Stat:
Trump Says It’s ‘Great To See’ Pelosi’s Drug Pricing Plan
President Trump on Thursday broke with most Republicans on Capitol Hill on the issue of drug pricing, saying on Twitter that it was “great to see” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduce a bill that many GOP lawmakers derided earlier in the day as “socialist.” In the tweet, Trump also reiterated his support for an existing, bipartisan drug pricing package currently before the Senate, and encouraged lawmakers to pursue a bipartisan solution. (Facher and Florko, 9/19)
Politico:
DHS Walks Back Decision To Halt Medical Deportation Relief
Acting Homeland Security Department Secretary Kevin McAleenan has directed federal immigration officials to resume processing deportation relief requests for people receiving treatment for serious medical conditions. The decision reverses an earlier move by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to put a freeze on the requests, known as “deferred action.” The earlier decision made an exception for military members and their families, but sought to deny relief to other applicants. (Hesson, 9/19)
The New York Times:
Vaping Illnesses Increase To 530 Probable Cases, C.D.C. Says
The number of vaping-related lung illnesses has risen to 530 probable cases, according to an update on Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and a Missouri man became the eighth to die from the mysterious ailments. During a news briefing, Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the C.D.C., said officials expect more deaths because some people are suffering from severe lung illnesses. (Richtel and Kaplan, 9/19)
Politico:
Senate Eyes E-Cigarette Crackdown
The White House has its knives out for the e-cigarette industry — and so does Capitol Hill. Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) have penned a bill that largely tracks with President Donald Trump’s crackdown on vaping, according to a draft obtained by POLITICO. The response from Congress comes amid health concerns over widespread use among teenagers of products such as e-cigarettes and vape oils that have been linked to deaths and illnesses in recent weeks. (Everett, 9/19)
The New York Times:
Purdue Says Sacklers May Walk From Opioid Deal If Judge Does Not Block Cases
Members of the Sackler family could withdraw their pledge to pay $3 billion as part of a nationwide deal to address the opioid crisis if a bankruptcy judge does not block outstanding state lawsuits against them and their company, Purdue Pharma, Purdue lawyers said in a legal complaint. Whether the threat is posturing or real, the move by Purdue, the maker of OxyContin, to inject it into the company’s bankruptcy proceeding could jeopardize the tentative settlement it reached last week with representatives of thousands of local governments that have brought lawsuits against it. Two dozen state attorneys general who have sued the company in their own courts have signed on to the agreement, too. (Hoffman, 9/19)
The Associated Press:
Buttigieg Calls Warren 'Extremely Evasive' On Health Taxes
Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is accusing his 2020 rival Elizabeth Warren of being "extremely evasive" when it comes to explaining how she'd finance a universal health care plan. Speaking on CNN on Thursday, Buttigieg issued his most pointed attack yet on the Massachusetts senator, saying she "was extremely evasive when asked that question, and we've seen that repeatedly." (9/19)
The Associated Press:
Trump Says Gun Bill Negotiations Going 'Very Slowly'
President Donald Trump on Thursday poured cold water on prospects for a bipartisan compromise on gun legislation, even as Attorney General William Barr circulated a draft plan on Capitol Hill to expand background checks for gun sales. In a Fox News interview, Trump said no deal is imminent, more than six weeks after mass shootings in Texas and Ohio killed more than 30 people. "We're going very slowly," Trump said, adding that while he doesn't want "bad people" to have weapons, he won't allow any plan to move forward that takes guns away from law-abiding people or restricts Second Amendment rights. (9/19)
The Associated Press:
House OKs Measure To Prevent Possible End-Of-Month Shutdown
The House passed a short-term bill Thursday to prevent a federal shutdown when the budget year ends Sept. 30, and give lawmakers until the Thanksgiving break to negotiate and approve $1.4 trillion for federal agencies. The Senate is expected to approve the stopgap bill next week. The vote in the Democratic-run House on the bipartisan plan was 301-123. (9/19)
San Francisco Chronicle:
President Trump Is Both Right And Wrong About California Homelessness
President Trump has discovered the shameful situation that is homelessness in California. Last week, his administration announced it was considering unilateral action to dismantle tent encampments and remove homeless people from the streets of California cities.On Monday, his Council of Economic Advisers released a 40-page report that painted a grim picture of homelessness in California, noting correctly that our state has just 12% of the nation’s population but about half of the nation’s unsheltered homeless people. (9/18)
Los Angeles Times:
Why A One-Size Solution To L.A.'s Homelessness Crisis Is Destined To Fail
In recent years, the focus has been primarily on building more permanent supportive housing to get people off the streets and provide them with services that will keep them housed. That approach is absolutely essential, but it can’t be the only one. Lately, Sacramento Mayor Darryl Steinberg and others have talked about the need also for more temporary shelter beds. This is another step in the right direction. But we’re still not thinking broadly enough. (Kevin Murray, 9/19)
CNN:
Homelessness Is Reaching An Emergency Level In Los Angeles
Los Angeles is enduring a crisis of homelessness. We are in the eye of an economic storm -- fighting the forces of high rents, stagnant wages, and a deficit of a half million units of affordable housing -- that is pushing thousands from housed to homeless. And its cost, the moral expense to us as a community and region, deserves a statewide declaration of a State of Emergency. This year's count revealed that at any given point in time, there are more than 58,900 Angeleños experiencing homelessness; many are families sleeping in places not meant for human habitation. It is a frightening illustration of the challenges we face that many from afar may not easily comprehend -- for every 133 people our service providers house every day, 150 more people become newly homeless. (Mark Ridley-Thomas, 9/18)
Los Angeles Times:
Dianne Feinstein To Republicans: Ban High-Capacity Ammunition Magazines Right Now
In the early morning hours of Aug. 4, outside a crowded bar in Dayton, Ohio, a gunman fired at least 41 rounds in 32 seconds, striking 26 people. Nine of those victims died in the shooting.The gunman was able to fire so many rounds so quickly because he used a 100-round magazine. That meant he didn’t have to stop firing to reload. If police hadn’t already been on the scene and able to return fire so quickly, many more almost certainly would have lost their lives. (U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, 9/14)
Modesto Bee:
How To Contend With Stanislaus County’s Opioid Crisis
Thousands of opioid addicts and family members are struggling in our community.Stanislaus County has lost 300 people since 2006. Nationwide, more than 400,000 Americans have died since 1996. (Lynn Telford-Sahl, 9/17)
Los Angeles Times:
Why California Public University Students Should Have On-Campus Access To The 'abortion Pill'
I’m one of those students who had to travel to an abortion provider off campus, but I attended a private California university. About 500 students a month at the state’s public universities are forced to seek medication abortions off campus. My experience was unreasonable. I had to travel almost 47 miles, one way, to secure an earlier appointment at an abortion clinic that would allow my sister to stay with me in the room. (Jackie Castellanos, 9/18)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Newsom On Wrong Side Of Environmental Bill
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signaled that he will veto the most significant environmental protection bill to emerge from the California Legislature this past session: Senate Bill 1, a measure tailored to safeguard the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta from water grabs if, as expected, the Trump administration weakens the Endangered Species Act. The governor who fancies himself as a leader of the resistance to Trump administration policies that undermine this state’s laws and violate its values needs to reconsider his position on SB1. (9/16)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Save San Francisco’s Board-And-Care Homes — And Then Fix Them
Mayor London Breed and three supervisors last week announced a plan to stabilize privately run adult residential facilities, known as board-and-care homes, to prevent yet more people with psychiatric disabilities from becoming homeless. While these stopgap measures are crucial, it is important for the mayor and the Board of Supervisors to recognize that such facilities are not always the humane mom-and-pop residences portrayed in recent media coverage. (Neil Gong and Alex Barnard, 9/17)
Sacramento Bee:
CalFresh Is Available To More People. Let’s Spread The Word
On June 1, hundreds of thousands of SSI recipients became newly eligible for CalFresh, formerly known as “food stamps,” for the first time in nearly 50 years. This change could provide SSI-enrolled adults who are older and people with disabilities with hundreds of dollars worth of healthy food each month. (Rita Saenz, 9/15)
Los Angeles Times:
Can Trump Legally Revoke California's Clean Air Waiver? Short Answer: Probably Not.
President Trump’s latest attempt to stick his thumb in California’s eye — the revocation of the state’s treasured authority to set its own auto emissions rules — rests on very shaky legal ground, experts say. At the very least, the move to revoke the state’s Clean Air Act waiver will lead to an intense legal battle that could delay the revocation past the 2020 election, the outcome of which could make his maneuver moot. (Michael Hiltzik, 9/19)
Fresno Bee:
Conception To Age 2 Most Critical For Child’s Brain
We need to educate our students early on the complexity of pregnancy and parenting of a child and the critical role early biology plays in fostering positive outcomes for a child. In 2016, California mandated the teaching of a sex education curriculum. However, it did not specifically require the teaching of the importance of the conception to age 2 developmental window and how critical this time frame is to the child’s future quality of life. (Howard Watkins, 9/15)
Modesto Bee:
Here’s How California Communities Can Attract Doctors?
Most of the political debate over health care reform focuses on expanding coverage for the uninsured and making care affordable for working Californians and their families. But an even more fundamental question for many communities across the state is simply ensuring that there are enough doctors and other medical professionals to serve their health needs. (Dan Schnur, 9/15)
San Jose Mercury News:
Santa Clara County Can Do More To Help Solve Root Causes Of Homelessness
The city of San Jose recently released the 2019 Homeless Census & Survey Report. The report focuses on unhoused individuals priced out of the expensive Bay Area market. While I wholeheartedly agree that we must assist the unhoused who struggle to find affordable housing, we must look at other root causes — mental health issues and drug/alcohol abuse — if we hope to solve the problem of homelessness. The report said that 36% of the homeless in Santa Clara County reported substance abuse issues, while 42% reported psychiatric conditions. (Johnny Khamis, 9/13)