The Fresno Bee: The San Joaquin Valley Has A Severe Doctor Shortage. Federal Lawmakers Have Ideas To Help
The San Joaquin Valley is a doctor desert. It has the least number of doctors, nurses and practitioners per 100,000 people of any area in California. There are 22% fewer primary-care physicians than the state average. Those who do practice are aging toward retirement. The region has among the state’s highest concentrations of patients on Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid system for low-income people. It pays less than Medicare and far less than private insurance for the same services, meaning doctors often can’t afford to serve low-income areas. (Brassil, 8/7)

The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: Sonoma And Napa County Researchers Participate In Drug Trials Aimed At Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease
Sonoma County neurologist Dr. Allan Bernstein envisions a day when Alzheimer’s disease can be treated as successfully as heart disease or even cancer. That day is far off, he said, but we’re getting closer. (Espinoza, 8/6)

CalMatters: Some Of California’s Best-Paid Public Employees Say They’re Ready To Strike. Here’s Why 
Some of California’s highest-paid public employees are in an intensifying labor battle with the Newsom administration over staffing shortages at state prisons and hospitals that workers say endanger patients and staff. (Hwang, 8/7)

Axios: Cyberattack Hits Hospitals Across Three States
Hospitals and outpatient facilities in at least three states are still working to restore their computer systems after a cyberattack hit their parent company, forcing some locations to shut down for days. Prospect Medical Holdings, a Los Angeles-based private equity company, which operates 16 hospitals and 165 outpatient facilities across California, Texas, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania, announced it sustained an attack on Thursday evening, the Associated Press reported. (Reed, 8/7)

Modern Healthcare: Steve Jobs' Son, Healthmap Headline Funding Rounds
Reed Jobs, the son of deceased Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, is starting an investment fund that will focus on cancer care. The fund, named Yosemite, will invest in therapeutics, diagnostics and digital health around the oncology ecosystem. The company will fund early-stage companies and provide grants to emerging research. (Turner, 8/4)

VC Star: COVID-19 Rises Slightly In Ventura County, Variant Seems Mild
COVID-19 transmission is bumping up slightly in Ventura County, but most of the cases are mild and don't require in-patient hospital care, officials said. (Kisken, 8/6)

Los Angeles Times: Why New York Was Hit Harder By COVID-19 Than L.A. County 
While the pandemic exacted a devastating toll in America’s two largest metropolitan areas, New York City ended up seeing far more COVID-19 deaths per capita than Los Angeles County, a review of data shows. Health officials and scientists will spend years studying COVID’s spread to divine what fueled the worst global disease outbreak in a century, as well as determine what policies — if any — may have reduced the worst health outcomes. (Lin II, Money and Greene, 8/7)

ABC News: Why Tracking COVID Reinfections Has Waned Even As More People Became Sick
Public health experts said tracking reinfections is important for understanding long-term complications and immunity from vaccination. Resources at health departments, however, are now being diverted to other areas that are in need. It comes even as COVID-19 hospitalizations tick up across the U.S., though experts say it's no reason for concern yet. (Kekatos, 8/6)

Politico: Comity Crumbles On Congress’ Covid Committee 
The decadelong friendship between Reps. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) and Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) survived elections, impeachments and the Jan. 6 insurrection. But the battle over where to place blame for the last pandemic, and how to confront the next one, is testing its limits. Ruiz, Wenstrup and their staffs began the year with high hopes that the lawmakers — fellow doctors who both entered Congress in 2013, had neighboring offices, regularly went out to dinner together and co-wrote several wonky health care bills — could meaningfully collaborate as chair and ranking member of Congress’ sole committee dedicated to investigating the government response to Covid-19. (Ollstein, 8/6)

AP: California Investigates School District's Parental Notification Policy On Children's Gender Identity 
California’s attorney general said Friday he was investigating whether a local school district infringed on students’ civil rights by adopting a policy that requires teachers to notify parents if their child identifies as transgender or wants to use a name or pronoun different from what’s on their birth certificate. Rob Bonta said the policy, approved by the Chino Valley Unified School District in July, could force schools to “out” their students, increasing a student’s risk of being bullied or committing self-harm or suicide. (8/4)

USA Today: First-Ever Postpartum Depression Pill, Zurzuvae, Approved By FDA
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the first pill to treat postpartum depression, a condition that data shows affects around 1 in 7 women in the United States. Health experts say zuranolone, under the brand name Zurzuvae, could be a gamechanger for treating postpartum depression (PPD) and other depressive disorders after clinical trials found the 14-day daily pill began alleviating symptoms in a matter of days. (Rodriguez, 8/4)

The Hill: Childhood Vaccinations Falter Ahead Of Crucial Fall Season
Childhood vaccine coverage across the U.S. has hit a measurable decline once again as health authorities hope to avert major surges in diseases such as RSV and COVID-19 this winter. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the rate of vaccinations against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) for kindergarteners has fallen below the healthy target rate of 95 percent for the second year in a row to 93 percent. (8/6)

Fox News: Rachel Levine Urges Parents To ‘Speak Up,’ Defend Vaccines At School Board Meetings From ‘Myths And Fear’
Assistant Secretary of Health Rachel Levine this week called on parents across the country to speak up in favor of vaccines in school board meetings and other public settings, and said failing to do so will make it easier for "misinformation" about vaccines to spread. "Misinformation is eroding public confidence in them," Levine said in a Friday blog post on the Department of Health and Human Services’ website. "If we want vaccines to continue to protect our children, we need to speak up and protect vaccines." (Kasperowicz, 8/5)

The Bakersfield Californian: Healthcare For The Homeless Fair To Be Held Monday 
Clinica Sierra Vista is partnering with The Mission at Kern County for a Healthcare for the Homeless Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday at The Mission, 816 E. 21st St. (8/5)

San Francisco Chronicle: This S.F. Supervisor Wants Mayor Breed To Shift Drug Overdose Prevention Funds To Jails
Supervisor Matt Dorsey is urging San Francisco Mayor London Breed to reallocate 100% of the $18.9 million in funds budgeted for “wellness hubs” into services for people jailed on drug charges. In a letter addressed to the mayor, Dorsey said he withdrew his support for a wellness hub in his district after it dropped supervised consumption services from its core mission. (Neelakandan, 8/5)

Los Angeles Times: Overdose Teams On Skid Row Use Oxygen To Save Lives 
Behind the steering wheel of the black cart, Simon Angel Melendrez scanned the streets of Skid Row, searching for anyone struggling to breathe. When he saw a man slumped forward in his wheelchair on a downtown sidewalk, Melendrez pulled the cart over and jumped out. The man barely reacted when Melendrez shook his shoulder. Blood dripped from a wound on his brow. (Reyes, 8/6)

San Diego Union-Tribune: Change Cities? Enter Rehab? San Diego's New Homeless Camping Ban Leaves Many Facing Tough Decisions
Dayla London wasn’t sure what had been the last straw. It might have been a lack of water. After all that heroin and Fentanyl and crystal meth, even her alcohol intake had slowed, to the point where she hardly drank anything. Maybe it was the screams. At night, the 32-year-old would walk downtown San Diego, and it seemed like someone was always shrieking. (Nelson, 8/6)

Los Angeles Times: Why L.A. County Is Resisting Newsom's Mental Health Proposal
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to "modernize" how billions of dollars for mental health are spent, but Los Angeles County officials and others have raised concerns about his proposal. (Cosgrove, 7/5)

The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: Bilingual/Bicultural Trainees To Bring Services To North Sonoma County Mental Health Desert
Nallely Ramirez always planned to return to Sonoma County and give back to her community, even as her horizons grew wider with every sociology class she took at UC Santa Cruz. Once she returned, the 30-year-old Healdsburg native became immersed in the turmoil and trauma of people in her community during a period of perennial fires. (Espinoza, 8/4)

Axios: Half Of World's Population Faces Mental Disorders By 75
About half of the world's population "can expect to develop" at least one type of mental disorder by the time they are 75 years old, according to a new study published in the scientific journal The Lancet Psychiatry. The number of Americans experiencing mental health challenges has risen in recent years, particularly during the pandemic. The study finds evidence that certain disorders — such as depression and addiction — are also on the rise at the global level. (Ravipati, 8/5)

The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: Mosquito Season Is Here And With It The West Nile Virus
An American Crow infected with West Nile virus was found in Petaluma, the first time this year the potentially deadly disease has been detected in the North Bay. The infected bird was found near Culpepper and Maria drives in east Petaluma. (McConahey, 8/5)

The Bakersfield Californian: Kern's Climate History Means Valley Fever Could Come Back Strong, But It's Not A Sure Thing 
Public health officials are warning that the ultra-wet weather western Kern County residents experienced this winter and spring following years of drought could result in an increased risk of valley fever this summer and fall. (Mayer, 8/5)

Los Angeles Daily News: New Law Triggers Surge Of Lawsuits By Alleged Victims Of Prison Sexual Assault 
A California law allowing victims of sexual assault by law enforcement officers more time to seek redress in the courts against their assailants has prompted a spate of lawsuits across the state. (San Bernardino Sun, 8/6)

San Diego Union-Tribune: Meet Lyle, A Different Kind Of Police Dog Helping Put Child Abuse Victims At Ease 
The newest member of the San Diego Police Department’s Child Abuse Unit is a trailblazing 5-year-old yellow Labrador retriever named Lyle. When child abuse victims recount their traumatic experiences during interviews, Lyle rests his head on their laps or lies down near them. Sometimes he snores, eliciting giggles. Other times children do tricks with him, allowing them to feel a sense of control — at least for a moment — during otherwise difficult times. (Hernandez, 8/6)

Los Angeles Daily News: How To Look At The Pros And Cons Of Independent Living As We Age
Most older adults have spent their entire lives living independently. They worked, earned money, supported themselves, raised families and made their own decisions for decades. Yet aging can bring about changes that lead to becoming more dependent. These include financial difficulties, inability to care for oneself both physically and mentally or having to relocate because of limitations. (Dennis, 8/6)