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Sacramento County Local News: Health


All Local Health News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

Image caption: A smoky blanket of particulate matter hovers over San Francisco’s skyline.
Getting Acquainted With AQI

Learn what's getting into Californians’ lungs and why it matters.

Image caption: The California mental health crisis is tied to both homelessness and rising crime.
UPDATE: California’s Mental Health Crisis: How We Got Here

How the California mental health crisis emerged out of the state’s history of deinstitutionalization and laws designed to protect the mentally ill, as well as the communities around them.

Image caption: From nitrates to arsenic to “forever chemicals,” California’s water supply faces a serious pollution threat.
Dirty Water: California Faces a Water Contamination Crisis

Almost one million California residents are forced to drink from contaminated water supplies, or pay for bottled water. Economic inequality makes the crisis worse. What is the state doing to fix it?

Image caption: Though life expectancy has declined in recent years, Californians still live longer than most Americans.
Want to Live a Long, Healthy Life? Move to California

Life expectancy in California exceeds all but three other states, but how long you live depends on which county you live in. They're not all equal. Why? The answer may lie in political policies.

Image caption: Find mental clarity with the help of these government agencies and nonprofit groups.
Finding Peace of Mind

Feeling stressed? Confused? Or just a little blue? Help is just a phone call away for residents of Sacramento County.

Image caption: Access to abortion in California is limited in many areas, though state laws protect a woman’s right to choose.
Abortion Rights in California, Explained

California has historically been ahead of the rest of the country in expanding the legal right to abortion services. Here’s what state laws say today, and how we got here.

Image caption: Mosquitos kill about 725,000 people every year, worldwide.
Taking a Bite Out of the Mosquito Population

The pesky mosquito can be deadly as well as annoying. Here’s how local governments in California have been waging war on mosquitoes for more than a century.

Image caption: California will soon be getting a new hotline number as an alternative to 911 for mental health crises.
988, the New Mental Health Emergency Number, Explained

California will soon add a new emergency hotline service with the number 988. Here’s the story behind that new service, and the original 911 number.

Image caption: States have expansive powers to protect the health of the general public.
The State’s Broad Power to Protect Public Health, Explained

Since long before the COVID-19 pandemic, states have possessed broad authority to protect public health, even to suspend laws and commandeer private property. Here’s why, and how it works.

Folsom Times logo From Folsom Times...

11/12/2024
Image for display with article titled Sacramento County Reports Fentanyl Deaths on the Decline

Sacramento County has reported progress in the battle against the opioid crisis, reporting a 56% reduction in fentanyl-related deaths between 2023 and 2024. According to the latest data, the County Coroner’s Office reported 180 fentanyl-related deaths so far this year, down from 406 in 2023. 

California Local Pin Marker From Local News Matters...

11/01/2024
The invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitos have been detected in more areas of Santa Clara County, prompting officials to hold meetings to discuss their response to the threat posed by the species. 

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

10/29/2024
A strain of bird flu that imperiled California poultry and cattle has jumped to people. In humans, the symptoms are mild and the virus has not been transmitted among people.

Folsom Times logo From Folsom Times...

10/24/2024
Image for display with article titled Folsom Rotarians Provide Transport Van for Flying Samaritans

It was an evening of goodwill and community spirit at the Rotary Club of Folsom on Thursday as members gathered for a special presentation, awarding a much-needed van to the Flying Samaritans. The van will be used to transport volunteers on their missions, which provide vital medical, dental, and optometry services to underserved communities in Baja California, Mexico.

California Local Pin Marker From Elk Grove Citizen...

10/24/2024
In their October 17 meeting, the Elk Grove Planning Commission granted initial approval to a new building development at the Sutter Health campus.

Folsom Times logo From Folsom Times...

10/22/2024
Image for display with article titled Sac County Supes Vote to Ban Sale of Intoxicating Hemp Products

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors on unanimously adopted an ordinance Tuesday that will soon prohibit sales of certain products containing intoxicating cannabinoids derived from hemp.

Folsom Times logo From Folsom Times...

10/18/2024
Image for display with article titled Caution Urged After Skunks Test Positive for Rabies Near Sacramento Zoo

​​​​​A Sacramento Zoo visitor was bitten by a skunk on Oct. 15, 2024. According to a press release from Sacramento County Public Health officials, the skunk was behaving aggressively prior to biting the visitor. Sacramento Zoo officials captured and euthanized three skunks within the area after the incident and submitted them to the Sacramento County Public Health Laboratory for rabies testing. On Oct. 17,confirmation was received that two of the three skunks tested positive for rabies.

Rancho Cordova Grapevine Independent logo From Rancho Cordova Grapevine Independent...

10/15/2024
Image for display with article titled Mercy General Hospital Guild Back Open to Volunteers

The Mercy General Hospital Guild is back open to any and all volunteers since the pandemic years.

Carmichael Times logo From Carmichael Times...

10/08/2024
Image for display with article titled Shorter Ambulance Wait Times Reported

Sacramento County is making tremendous progress in its goal to achieve a shorter ambulance patient offload time, according to county officials.

California Local Pin Marker From The Mercury News...

10/04/2024
The Mercury News explains the Proposition 35 to renew the existing tax used to fund Medi-Cal health services.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

10/02/2024
The summer COVID surge in California may be finally abating, but people are still advised to get update vaccines in anticipation of a resurgence in the fall and winter.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

10/01/2024
A California minimum wage law that was delayed amid budget troubles is now set to go into effect Oct. 16. It’s expected to benefit hundreds of thousands of workers.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

09/30/2024
An estimated 1 in 5 schools has no air conditioning and another 10% need repair. Underfunded schools struggle to keep classrooms cool as heat waves intensify. “It’s a hot mess,” one teacher says.

California Local Pin Marker From The Sacramento Bee...

09/20/2024
On September 19, Sacramento Sheriff Jim Cooper announced that enough fentanyl to kill the population of Elk Grove had recently been seized after being smuggled into two county jail facilities.

Folsom Times logo From Folsom Times...

09/18/2024
Image for display with article titled New Folsom Ranch Veterinary Hospital Celebrated With Official Ribbon Cutting

Hundreds from Folsom and the surrounding communities joined with with city leaders and the staff from Choose Folsom the evening of September 17 to officially welcome the first medical facility that recently opened its doors in the community South of Highway 50.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

09/17/2024
The California surgeon general is launching a campaign today to spread awareness about health conditions that contribute to pregnancy-related deaths, such as heart disease.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

09/17/2024
California’s new cap on health care cost increases is regarded as the most aggressive in the nation. It includes potential fines against companies that exceed the limit.

California Local Pin Marker From Los Angeles Times...

09/11/2024
H5N1 bird flu has been reported in three California dairy herds.

California Local Pin Marker From CapPublicRadio...

09/05/2024
CapRadio reports on an air monitoring program seeking to determine the cause of respiratory illnesses in South Sacramento.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

09/05/2024
Lawmakers approved two bills to allow some community colleges to provide bachelor’s degrees in nursing. That’s setting up another conflict with the California State University, which already offers these bachelor’s degrees.
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