Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
How And When Immigrants’ Use Of Government Benefits Might Affect Their Legal Status
Confusion about a new federal rule to restrict legal immigration based on the use of public benefits may dampen sign-ups for health care, housing and food aid even among immigrants not directly targeted by the rule. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions that will help clear up some of the misunderstanding. (Ana B. Ibarra, )
Good morning! Here are your top California health stories for the day.
California Officials Warn Disneyland-Goers That They May Have Been Exposed To Measles By New Zealand Tourist: A teenager from New Zealand visited Los Angeles and Orange counties this month and made a trip to Disneyland while she was sick with measles, potentially infecting others, health officials warned Friday. Orange County officials say visitors may have been exposed to measles while at Disneyland or California Adventure on Aug. 12, or at the Desert Palms Hotel in Anaheim between Aug. 11 and 15. L.A. County officials also listed several tourist destinations the girl visited while in town. As officials continue to investigate, the California Department of Public Health said it wasn’t aware of measles cases stemming from exposure to the teen. But Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, chief medical officer for the L.A. County Department of Public Health, said that although no one has reported contracting measles yet, individuals might not be showing symptoms. “If we do have cases here in L.A. county as a result of this, I would expect that we would see them at the end of next week or next weekend,” Gunzenhauser said Saturday. Read more from Soumya Karlamangla of the Los Angeles Times, Morgan Krakow of The Washington Post, and Hanh Truong of the Orange County Register.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times offers guidance about what to look for to spot measles symptoms.
Lessons From Paradise: Clear, Effective Escape Routes Are Crucial To Averting Wildfire Casualties: But an analysis found this week that in California there are dozens of towns like Paradise that have less-than-ideal escape routes in case of a disaster. More than 100 places in the state made the list. The analysis, published by analytic firm Street Light Data, focused on places with populations under 40,000 across the U.S. Researchers determined the number of available exits in each place and used location data gathered from smartphone apps and GPS devices to calculate the most commonly used routes residents take to leave. Evacuations will be less risky In towns where traffic is balanced across exits when disaster strikes versus the places where the majority of people are flocking to the same one, Schewel said. Yet in some places, like flood-prone McKinleyville; the private suburban enclave Coto de Caza; and the waterfront city of Sausalito, more than half the residents take the main exit even though there’s three or more. Read more from Michael Finch II of the Sacramento Bee.
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
Sacramento Bee:
Mental Illness Still Pervasive For Sacramento County Homeless
Sacramento County now boasts what officials call a robust, welcoming network of programs for homeless individuals facing behavioral and mental health issues. Since 2017, the county has increased spending on mental and behavioral health services for homeless people: the 2017-18 budget was about $12 million, while the current 2019-20 budget is about $28.3 million. Over the past three years, the county has spent more than $67 million toward the cause, over $20 million in excess of the $44 million it promised in 2017. So why is the number of homeless people with mental health issues still disproportionately high? (Wang and Chalermkraivuth, 8/26)
East Bay Times:
New San Jose Center Helps South Bay Teens Evolve In Their Mental Health
Teens in the South Bay struggling with mental health and substance abuse have a new resource: the region’s first non-hospital-affiliated outpatient clinic specifically for adolescents opened its doors in San Jose last month. Evolve Treatment Center’s San Jose location, 1991 Park Ave., Suite 20, celebrated its grand opening July 18. The center is part of a network of 12 California locations that serve teens ages 12-17 who suffer from a variety of mood disorders, behavioral issues and mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and substance abuse. The center’s sister locations, including one recently opened in Gilroy, vary in the scope of their treatment. (Pitcher, 8/23)
Capital Public Radio:
Sacramento Comedians Break Down Stigma Of Mental Illness With Jokes, Real Talk
In the nervous minutes before the curtains opened at Old Sacramento’s Laughs Unlimited comedy club this spring, the comedians on deck did a brief check-in. Carlos Rodriguez was feeling a little groggy, but Sydney Stigerts was raring to go. The group inquired about her smoking habits, she said she’d quit. Mostly. Steph Garcia was hyped after a good night of sleep, a dose of caffeine and a therapy session. (Caiola, 8/23)
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Large Santa Rosa Medical Office Building Going Up Across From Memorial Hospital
Through the years, the property on Montgomery Drive right across from Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital has been home to a wide range of medical offices for doctors and health care specialists. The space will now become a more centralized medical office hub under the auspices of the hospital’s parent company, with a four-story, 92,000-square-foot building scheduled to be completed by June 2020. The goal is twofold: make it easier for doctors to meet with their patients who are in the hospital while also freeing up street parking through construction of a neighboring six-story parking garage for the complex, Tyler Hedden, the interim chief executive of St. Joseph Health–Sonoma County, said in a statement. (Swindell, 8/25)
The Desert Sun:
Mobile Food Pantry Brings Desert Highland Residents Free, Fresh Food
Residents of the Desert Highland Gateway Estates neighborhood received bags of fresh produce and canned food this week — but instead of an Albertsons or Stater Bros., their supermarket was a mobile food pantry. After hearing from community advocates about the lack of convenient access to a grocery store, the city of Palm Springs partnered with FIND Food Bank, the Desert’s regional food bank, to bring fresh produce and other staples directly to residents. (Beam, 8/23)
CalMatters:
In Santa Cruz, A Clandestine Food Bank Draws Hundreds Of Farmworkers
All eyes follow the white van as it rolls into the alley. More than 100 people — almost all migrant farmworkers from the nearby agricultural fields of Santa Cruz County — line up along a shaded edge of the street, tucked off a long road dotted with modest houses and neat lawns. Some lean on grocery carts, waiting for the delivery of boxes loaded with colorful sacks of carrots, potatoes, cabbage and onions, bundles of rice and beans, boxes of grapes, shampoo, toilet paper and laundry detergent. The arrival of the van means the boxes will be distributed soon. (Hllerstein, 8/24)
Ventura County Star:
St. John's Nurses Call Off Planned Strike, Agree To Tentative Contract
Nurses at St. John’s hospitals in Oxnard and Camarillo have called off a strike planned to start Aug. 30. Leaders of SEIU Local 121RN announced Friday night they reached a tentative agreement with Dignity Health on a five-year contract for registered nurses at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo and Northridge Hospital Medical Center. They said the agreement includes plans to address hospital security and staffing of nurses and support staff — issues they contend were jeopardizing safety at the hospitals. (Kisken, 8/24)
Sacramento Bee:
Wildfire Smoke Prompts San Joaquin Valley To Issue Health Caution
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District has issued a Valleywide health caution throughout the weekend due to poor air quality caused by smoke from local wildfires.Sacramento is not included in the zone affected, but areas south of Sacramento, including Stockton, will likely be impacted. The local wildfires include one in Medford Island, northwest of Stockton, and fires in the Inyo National Forest and Sierra National Forest bordering the San Joaquin Valley on the east. (Chen, 8/24)
Politico:
Senate Battleground Dems Shun 'Medicare For All'
The major battleground-state Democrats running to flip the Senate want nothing to do with "Medicare for All." In states like Arizona, Iowa and North Carolina, challengers Mark Kelly, Theresa Greenfield and Cal Cunningham are staying tightly focused on the health care message House Democrats used in 2018: expanding Medicaid, protecting Obamacare and slamming Republican repeal efforts. Incumbents like Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) are aligned similarly, backing proposals like a public health insurance option but declining to embrace a single national insurance plan. (Ollstein and Arkin, 8/25)
The Hill:
Sanders Doubles Down On 'Medicare For All' Defense: 'We Have Not Changed One Word'
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a 2020 White House hopeful, on Sunday dismissed criticism that he is backtracking on his "Medicare For All" plan. "We have not changed one word," Sanders said of the plan on CNN's "State of the Union" when asked about "2020 rivals" attacking him for tweaking its impact on union workers. (Klar, 8/25)
The Hill:
Sanders, Warren Back Major Shift To Fight Drug Overdoses
Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) are vowing to put in place a controversial approach to stopping drug overdoses if elected. Both Democratic presidential candidates endorsed supervised injection sites this week, a stance that conflicts with the federal government's objection to allowing so-called "safe" locations that let drug users inject heroin and other drugs. (Hellmann, 8/25)
Reuters:
CDC Flags One Death And Nearly 200 Cases Of Lung Illnesses In U.S., Possibly Tied To Vaping
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday it had identified 193 potential cases of severe lung illness tied to vaping in 22 states as of Aug. 22, including one adult in Illinois who died after being hospitalized. The CDC has been investigating a "cluster" of lung illnesses that it believes may be linked to e-cigarette use, although it has not yet been able to establish whether they were in fact caused by vaping. (8/24)
Stateline:
Success Of Red Flag Laws Might Depend On Mental Health Teams
A rarity among local law enforcement agencies, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office employs a staff of round-the-clock mental health and threat assessment experts who continuously seek intelligence from the community on people they believe could pose a threat of violence. When a tip comes in, the team assesses the risk and intervenes if warranted. In the wake of back-to-back shootings in Ohio and Texas this month, red flag gun laws have emerged as a potentially bipartisan method of curbing the nation’s escalating number of mass murders. But the infrastructure that Palm Beach County has in place may be necessary to make the laws work. (Vestal, 8/26)
The Wall Street Journal:
When An Epidemic Threatens The Globe, This Doctor Jumps Into Action
When an infectious disease threatens to become a pandemic, it is up to John Hackett to keep the world’s blood supply safe. He is known as the “chief virus hunter” within Abbott Laboratories , where Dr. Hackett is in charge of a global team that plays a prominent public-health role whenever an outbreak occurs. Dr. Hackett’s job is to consult Abbott’s vault of more than 60,000 viral strains of HIV and hepatitis to determine whether a diagnostic test to detect the particular virus exists, brainstorm a plan for developing one in the event of a new viral strain, and collaborate with government agencies to coordinate a public health response. Today his tests are used to screen more than 60% of the world’s blood supply. (Higgins, 8/24)
Modern Healthcare:
David Koch's Death Unlikely To Weaken His Network's Healthcare Lobbying
Billionaire libertarian activist David Koch died Friday, removing a major funding figure from the healthcare political scene. But the passing of the 79-year-old co-founder of the right-wing advocacy group Americans for Prosperity likely will have little impact on continuing efforts by that group and his brother Charles Koch on healthcare issues. (Meyer, 8/23)
The Washington Post:
After Planned Parenthood Quits Federal Program, Patients Face Higher Fees, Longer Waits And Possible Clinic Closures
In Cleveland, a Planned Parenthood mobile clinic that tests for sexually transmitted diseases has cut its staff to part-time and may shut down. In Minneapolis, women and girls accustomed to free checkups are now billed as much as $200 per visit on a sliding fee scale. And in Vienna, W.Va., Planned Parenthood employees are marking boxes of birth control pills with “Do not use” signs because they were paid for with federal grants the organization can no longer accept. Planned Parenthood’s decision to quit a $260 million federal family planning program this week, rather than comply with what it calls a “gag rule” imposed by the Trump administration on abortion referrals, is creating turmoil in many low-income communities across the United States. (Cha and Regan, 8/24)
The New York Times:
The $6 Million Drug Claim
Dawn Patterson keeps a multimillion-dollar drug in the fridge, next to a bottle of root beer and a jar of salsa. The drug, Strensiq, treats a rare bone disease that afflicted her with excruciating pain and left her struggling to work or care for her family. A year after she began taking the drug, Ms. Patterson, 49, credits it with nearly vanquishing her pain, enabling her to return to work part time for a hospital. (Thomas and Abelson, 8/25)
The Washington Post:
ICE Opens Family Detention Facility To News Cameras
More than a year after he drew criticism for comparing family detention to a “summer camp,” the nation’s top immigration enforcer stood in a clean hallway in America’s largest family detention complex and gestured around himself. “Take a look,” said Matthew Albence, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s acting director. (Sacchetti, 8/25)
The Associated Press:
Oklahoma Judge To Deliver Judgment In State's Opioid Lawsuit
An Oklahoma judge is expected to rule Monday in the first state case to go to trial accusing an opioid drugmaker of being responsible for the devastating consequences arising from addiction to the powerful painkillers. Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman is scheduled to deliver his judgment in open court at 3 p.m. The case is at the forefront of a wave of similar lawsuits by states, cities, counties and Indian tribes against drug companies over the wreckage caused by the national opioid crisis. (8/26)