Heidi de Marco

Heidi de Marco was a reporter and producer for KFF Health News until March 2023.

@HeidideMarco

Adolescentes latinos se entrenan para educar sobre las vacunas contra covid

Organizaciones comunitarias de salud en California y en todo el país forman a adolescentes, muchos de ellos latinos, para que actúen como educadores de la salud en la escuela, en las redes sociales y en las comunidades donde persiste el miedo a la vacuna contra covid.

Listen: Teaching Teens to Reverse Overdoses, Taxes on Uninsured Californians, and More

California Healthline journalists report on efforts to train teens to use the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone, the state’s decision not to spend the tax penalty money from uninsured residents, Centene’s political contributions, and efforts to keep young kids on Medicaid for several years after birth.

Listen: Valley Fever, Health Worker Pay, and Ambulance Rides

California Healthline journalists report on the intersection between drought and valley fever, a union’s campaign to boost the minimum wage for some health care workers, and an ambulance company’s decision to stop providing some nonemergency services.

Environmental Justice Leader Says Proposition 30 Would Help Struggling Areas Clear the Air

Ana Gonzalez, who leads an environmental justice group in the Inland Empire, has endorsed Proposition 30, a ballot initiative backed by the ride-hailing company Lyft that would tax millionaires to fund zero-emission vehicle subsidies and electric charging stations. She contends most state policies overlook marginalized communities that are disproportionately affected by air pollution.

Shift in Child Hospice Care Is a Lifeline for Parents Seeking a Measure of Comfort and Hope

Terminally ill children, unlike adults, can get hospice services while continuing to receive life-extending or curative care. More than a decade after the inception of the federal policy, it is widely credited with improving the quality of life for ailing children and their families, even as some parents find themselves in a painful stasis.

Hospitals Divert Primary Care Patients to Health Center ‘Look-Alikes’ to Boost Finances

Medicare and Medicaid pay “look-alike” health centers significantly more than hospitals for treating patients, and converting or creating clinics can help hospitals reduce their expenses. California has more than two dozen of the look-alikes, far outpacing any other state, although many are not associated with hospitals.

Niños del norte de California aprenden a lidiar con el trauma que dejan los incendios

A medida que los incendios forestales de California se vuelven más intensos, frecuentes y generalizados, muchos niños que los sobreviven experimentan traumas psicológicos duraderos, como ansiedad, depresión y trastorno de estrés postraumático.