Monterey County Local Health News Articles and Digest

Health Community Service & Support Interim Inc.

03/08/2024
Image for display with article titled Interim Opens Its Doors in Soledad

About 70 community members attended the Feb. 28 open house of Interim, Inc., a nonprofit mental health agency, at its new South Monterey County location at 2149 H Dela Rosa, Suite #203, in Soledad.

From Los Angeles Times...

Health Elections & Politics Crime & Justice

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.

From Los Angeles Times...

Public Safety Health Crime & Justice

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.

From Salinas Valley Tribune...

Health

New Multi-Specialty Health Clinic Opens in Gonzales

02/29/2024
Image for display with article titled New Multi-Specialty Health Clinic Opens in Gonzales

The grand opening of Ocean Breeze Multi Specialty Clinic at 132 Alta St. took place last Friday afternoon in Gonzales and will provide access to the underserved and agricultural populations.

From CapPublicRadio...

COVID-19 Health Crisis & Personal Support

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.

From California Healthline...

Health Crisis & Personal Support State of California

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.

From California Healthline...

Health

‘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.

From Monterey Herald...

COVID-19 Health

Largest COVID Vaccine Study Yet Finds Links to Health Conditions

02/20/2024
Vaccines that protect against severe illness, death and lingering long COVID were linked to small increases in neurological, blood, and heart-related conditions in the largest global vaccine safety study to date.

From California Healthline...

Health

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.

From Los Angeles Times...

Health Animals

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.

From Los Angeles Times...

Business, Economy & Jobs Health State of California

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.

From CalMatters...

Health

She Opened a Business to Deliver Babies. California Policies Drove Her Out of the Country

02/11/2024
Midwives provide many of the same services as doctors in low-risk pregnancies. A new UCSF study highlights obstacles they face doing business in California, especially when serving patients with Medi-Cal insurance.

From CalMatters...

Business, Economy & Jobs Health

Bankrupt California Hospital Left a Health Care Desert. Two Medical Groups Move to Reopen It

02/08/2024
The closure of Madera Community Hospital created a new health care desert in a community that already had fewer doctors per capita than other parts of the state. UCSF and Adventist have a plan to reopen it.

From California Healthline...

Business, Economy & Jobs Health Housing

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.

From CapPublicRadio...

Education Health

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.

From Los Angeles Times...

Health Sustainability

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.

From California Healthline...

Health Animals

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.

From Los Angeles Times...

Health Elections & Politics Crisis & Personal Support State of California

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.

From California Healthline...

Health Sustainability State of California

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.

From CalMatters...

Health Crisis & Personal Support

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.

Monterey County Local News: Health