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.

California Local Pin Marker From CapPublicRadio...

12/26/2024
Following news of the death of pet cats from eating bird flu infected raw food or raw milk, CapRadio has information about how to protect your feline friends.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

12/25/2024
A new state law will keep medical debt off your credit report, sparing a hit to your all-important credit score. This is a big deal for California where millions struggle with unpaid medical bills. It takes effect Jan. 1, 2025.

Folsom Times logo From Folsom Times...

12/20/2024
Image for display with article titled Sac County Health Officials Closely Monitoring Bird Flu Situation

Governor Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency on Dec. 18, 2024, in response to the ongoing H5N1 Avian Influenza (bird flu) outbreak. The declaration is intended to help state agencies respond more effectively by streamlining resources and operations.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

12/19/2024
For California nurses seeking help with alcohol or drug abuse, the road to recovery through a program managed by their licensing board can be fraught, writes CalMatters health reporter Kristen Hwang.

California Local Pin Marker From California Healthline...

12/19/2024
Keith Poulsen's jaw dropped when farmers showed him images on their cellphones at the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin in October. A livestock veterinarian at the University of Wisconsin, Poulsen had seen sick cows before, with their noses dripping and udders slack.

California Local Pin Marker From CapPublicRadio...

12/18/2024
As the first serious case of bird flu in a human is reported and more dairy herds across the state are infected, California Governor Newsom declared a state of emergency. Read on to learn what that entails.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

12/18/2024
California doctors are asking the state to create a ‘safe harbor’ program for addiction recovery. They say the current system discourages doctors from participating because they regard it as punitive.

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

12/17/2024
Image for display with article titled Sutter Health Announces Latest Multispecialty Care Center Expansion

Renovation is underway at the Sutter Health Arden Care Center located at 1651 Exposition Blvd. in Sacramento as part of the health system’s robust, strategic plan to increase access to more care services.

Sacramento News and Review logo From Sacramento News and Review...

12/16/2024
Image for display with article titled Hope Cooperative CEO April Ludwig on Continued Advocacy for Housing Policies and Wraparound Services in Sacramento

April Ludwig is the CEO of Hope Cooperative, a nonprofit that provides supportive housing and mental health services in Sacramento County. A Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, she took the helm in September 2023, fully transitioning into her role in January.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

12/11/2024
Gov. Newsom launched an ambitious program that uses Medi-Cal to help Californians access housing, healthy food and more. Now, its fate is in the hands of President-Elect Trump.

California Local Pin Marker From The Sacramento Bee...

12/09/2024
A week after Sacramento County initiate its CARE Court, petitions have been filed for the first three people to be considered under the new program. Read on to learn more about the CARE Court system.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

12/09/2024
California has an aggressive mandate for zero-emission trucks, which are powered by electricity or hydrogen. But trucking companies face big obstacles — and people are still breathing dangerous diesel exhaust.

Folsom Telegraph logo From Folsom Telegraph...

12/05/2024
Image for display with article titled Folsom Moves forward With Sutter Health at Broadstone

Despite traffic fears, city officials approved the $80 million Broadstone Crossing Phase II project with a Sutter Health care center at Iron Point Road and East Bidwell Street.

California Local Pin Marker From CapPublicRadio...

12/04/2024
Learn more about the expanding recall of raw milk products following detection of bird flu in tested samples.

American River Messenger logo From American River Messenger...

12/03/2024
Image for display with article titled New Partnership Bolsters 911 Response in Sac County

The City of Sacramento Fire Department and Medic Ambulance entered a partnership on Nov. 1 to provide Basic Life Support transport services in Sacramento County.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

12/02/2024
California Democrats have passed two dozen laws to protect abortion access since the Supreme Court in 2021 overturned Roe vs. Wade. New bills are on the table.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

12/02/2024
Birth centers are midwife-run facilities that deliver babies outside of hospitals. They have struggled to stay in business in part because of strict state licensing requirements.

The Sacramento Oracle logo From The Sacramento Oracle...

11/26/2024
Image for display with article titled Sacramento County Fentanyl Deaths Declining

Sacramento County has made remarkable progress in the battle against the opioid crisis, reporting a 56% reduction in fentanyl-related deaths between 2023 and 2024.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

11/25/2024
Gov. Gavin Newsom is urgently preparing to protect reproductive rights from the incoming Trump administration—and the looming possibility of Project 2025-inspired policies.