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El Dorado County Health Digest



Mountain Lion Attack Update and Fundraiser

03/25/2024

The family of two men attacked by a mountain lion in El Dorado County released an update of the survivor and fundraising details for those who wish to contribute to funeral and medical costs.

Placerville and El Dorado County Pass Bans on New Tobacco Shops

03/20/2024

The Placerville City Council and the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors the same day both pass prohibitions on new tobacco shops citing concerns around an increase in tobacco use by middle schoolers.

California Attorney General Boosts Bill Banning Medical Debt From Credit Reports

03/10/2024

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Monday that he is throwing his weight behind legislation to bar medical debt from showing up on consumer credit reports, a Democratic-led effort to offer protection to patients squeezed by health care bills.

San Francisco Voters Pass Police & Drug Ballot Measures

03/08/2024

Proposition E broadens police surveillance powers and Proposition F mandates drug screening and treatment for people receiving county welfare benefits who are suspected of drug use.

Study Finds Almost 50% of San Francisco Drug Users Not Residents

03/01/2024

A report of a 12 month study which ended in February indicates almost half of those cited for drug usage were not residents of the city, leading to questions about city approaches to drug addiction.

Antidepressant Prescriptions to Young People Surged During the Pandemic

02/27/2024

The monthly rate of antidepressants being dispensed to young people increased about 64% more quickly during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study in the journal Pediatrics.

California Hospitals, Advocates Seek Stable Funding to Retain Behavioral Health Navigators

02/26/2024

Health providers and addiction experts warn the funding structure is unstable for a California initiative that steers patients with substance use disorder into long-term treatment.

‘Fourth Wave’ of Opioid Epidemic Crashes Ashore, Propelled by Fentanyl and Meth

02/20/2024

The United States is knee-deep in what some experts call the opioid epidemic's "fourth wave," which is not only placing drug users at greater risk but is also complicating efforts to address the nation's drug problem.

Faceoff Between Anthem Blue Cross, UC Health Shows Hazards of Industry Consolidation

02/15/2024

For weeks, Anthem Blue Cross enrollees who receive health care from the University of California were in suspense, as the health system and one of its largest insurance partners struggled to reach a new contract.

All This Rain Could Invite Mosquitoes Into Your Backyard

02/14/2024

While temperatures aren’t warm enough for mosquitoes to run rampant, now’s the time to prevent breeding grounds.

New Eligibility Rules Mean Nearly 2 Million on Medi-Cal Can Now Save for a Rainy Day

02/13/2024

Nearly 2 million Medi-Cal enrollees can now accumulate savings and property without limitations and still qualify for the state's health insurance program for low-income residents.

Is Housing Health Care? State Medicaid Programs Increasingly Say ‘Yes’

02/05/2024

States are plowing billions of dollars into a high-stakes health care experiment that’s exploding around the country: using scarce public health insurance money to provide housing for the poorest and sickest Americans.

California Universities Are Required to Offer Students Abortion Pills. A Lot Just Don’t Mention It

02/04/2024

One year after California became the first state to require its public universities to provide the abortion pill to students, basic information on where or how students can obtain the medication is lacking.

As Climate Hazards Converge, More Californians Are Living in Harm’s Way

02/02/2024

When wildfire smoke and extreme heat combine, they create “a synergistic effect” or an “additional burden” on people’s health, researchers say.

Possibility of Wildlife-to-Human Crossover Heightens Concern About Chronic Wasting Disease

02/01/2024

Each fall, millions of hunters across North America bag deer. Over the winter, people chow down on the venison steaks, sausage, and burgers made from the animals.

Back From COP28, California Climate Leaders Talk Health Impacts of Warming

01/31/2024

As Californians increasingly feel the health effects of climate change, state leaders are adopting sweeping policies they hope will fend off the worst impacts.

Your Guide to Proposition 1: Newsom’s Overhaul of California’s Mental Health System

01/31/2024

Gov. Gavin Newsom crafted the measure to reform California’s mental health system, including a $6.4-billion bond for new facilities.

Bill Would Let Therapists and Social Workers Decide When to Confine Mentally Ill Californians

01/29/2024

A pending bill would extend the so-called 5150 confinement authority to county-designated psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, licensed marriage and family therapists, and clinical counselors.

Gavin Newsom Raised Millions for His Mental Health Ballot Measure. His Opponents Have $1,000

01/28/2024

The March ballot measure would raise billions for mental health care, but some clinics fear it would strip them of revenue they need for services they provide today.

How Fringe Anti-Science Views Infiltrated Mainstream Politics

01/28/2024

Rates of routine childhood vaccination hit a 10-year low in 2023. That, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, puts about 250,000 kindergartners at risk for measles.

Senate Probes the Cost of Assisted Living and Its Burden on American Families

01/25/2024

A U.S. Senate committee launched an examination of assisted living, holding its first hearing in two decades on the industry as leaders of both parties expressed concern about the high cost and mixed quality of care facilities.

A Record Number of Californians Are Visiting Emergency Rooms for Dog Bites

01/25/2024

Those pandemic puppies are growing up to be a public health concern.

988-Hotline Counselors Air Concerns: More Training Needed to Juggle Calls

01/23/2024

In the year and a half since its launch, 988—the country’s easy-to-remember suicide and crisis hotline—has received about 8.1 million calls, texts, and chats. Curiosity is growing about the people taking those calls.

California Panel Holds Up Studies on Psychedelics. Some Researchers Want It Gone

01/19/2024

At the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, scientists are eager to explore whether a psychedelic chemical found in a toad could help people with depression. But research has been put on hold by the state.

America’s Health System Isn’t Ready for the Surge of Seniors With Disabilities

01/16/2024

The number of older adults with disabilities that affect their performance of daily tasks will soar in the decades ahead, as baby boomers enter their 70s, 80s, and 90s.

Parents’ Rights Groups Mobilize as California Advances a Ban on Youth Tackle Football

01/15/2024

The Assembly has until the end of January to decide the fate of the youth tackle football bill, which would prevent kids under 12 from playing the sport to protect them from brain trauma.

What Would a Second Trump Presidency Look Like for Health Care?

01/15/2024

On the campaign trail, former President Donald Trump is again promising to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act—a nebulous goal that became one of his administration's splashiest policy failures.

Newsom Talks Projected $37.9 Billion Deficit

01/10/2024

Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed that lawmakers tap a rainy day reserve and that a minimum wage increase for health care workers be delayed to help the state fight a $37.9 billion deficit. This projection is more than double what Newsom and other officials had anticipated last year.

$10M-Plus Lawsuit Follows Multiple Deaths at Sacramento Jail

01/09/2024

Sacramento attorney Mark Merin has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the family of a man who died in May after being held at the county jail. Other inmates have died in recent years, and the jail is under a federal consent decree to improve its health care.

San Diego County Schools Face Post-Pandemic Funding Woes

01/04/2024

San Diego Unified School District has received more than $700 million in federal and state relief funds since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with these funds ending, some schools could be facing serious deficits.

Syringe Service Ban Has Effects, Says CDPH

01/04/2024

While the California Department of Public Health evaluates El Dorado County’s recent ban of syringe exchange programs, officials with the state agency said discontinuing such services could have “immediate public health consequences.”

Study Finds Paxlovid Treatment Does Not Reduce Risk of Long COVID

01/04/2024

A team of researchers from UC San Francisco has found that Paxlovid did not reduce the risk for vaccinated, non-hospitalized individuals during their first COVID-19 infection. They also found a higher proportion of rebound symptoms.

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