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San Joaquin County Health Articles



Local News Matters Stockton logo LOCAL NEWS
Stockton Man Becomes 28th Human Case of West Nile Virus This Year, Health Officials Say

Public health officials have confirmed the first human case of West Nile virus for 2024 in San Joaquin County.A 57-year-old man from Stockton who was infected with the virus received medical services at a Sacramento-area health care facility, the county …

Local News Matters Stockton logo LOCAL NEWS
E. Coli Found in Davis Elementary School Water Supply; Water Fountains, Sinks Closed

Water fountains and sinks will remain closed until further notice at Davis Elementary School in Stockton after testing showed E. coli bacteria present in the water on campus, school officials announced this week. 

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.

Local News Matters Stockton logo LOCAL NEWS
Lodi Lake Safety Hazard: Swimming a No-Go After Test Reveals Harmful Bacteria in Water

Health officials announced a temporary ban on swimming at Lodi Lake after tests Wednesday showed unsafe levels of bacteria, the Lodi Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department said.

San Jose Inside logo LOCAL NEWS
Newsom Hopes to Delay Minimum Wage Boost for Health Care Workers

A higher minimum wage for health care workers that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law is set to take effect in two weeks, but he is racing to delay it because of its potential impact on the state budget deficit.

Image caption: Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks in support of Prop. 1 during a press conference at the United Domestic Workers of America building in San Diego on Feb. 29, 2024. Voters narrowly passed the measure.
Newsom Releases Billions for Mental Health Housing

California voters narrowly passed Proposition 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s measure to fund mental health housing. He’s prodding counties to use the money quickly.

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.

Hilltromper Silicon Valley logo LOCAL NEWS
Tips on Ticks for Lyme Disease Awareness Month

Partly due to global warming and the proliferation of ticks, Lyme disease is the fastest growing infectious disease in the US. Here’s how to protect yourself.

Local News Matters Stockton logo LOCAL NEWS
Stockton Landfill Operator Alleges Inmates of Prison Hospital Exposed to Hazardous Water

A federal lawsuit filed by a corporate landfill operator just outside of Stockton alleges that inmates at a nearby prison hospital known as the California Health Care Facility are drinking well water that may be contaminated by toxic chemicals unfit …

Local News Matters Stockton logo LOCAL NEWS
UOP Receives Nearly $1M to Support Students to Help Fill the Need for Health Care Workers

The University of the Pacific in Stockton has announced that their School of Health Sciences was awarded nearly a million dollars in state grants to continue helping students fill the need for health care workers. 

Image caption: A new law seeks to prevent cars from speeding, which causes about one of every three traffic fatalities.
If Drivers Won’t Slow Down, Proposed Law Requires Cars Do It for Them

“Intelligent” speed-limiting technology will be required in all new California cars starting in 2027, if a new law authored by San Francisco Senator Scott Wiener passes.

Image caption: Los Angeles voters can take a step toward reducing traffic violence with a measure on the March ballot.
Can Traffic Deaths in Los Angeles be Reduced With a Ballot Measure?

With traffic deaths now regularly topping 300 per year, Measure HLA on the March 5 ballot gives Los Angeles voters the opportunity to force their reluctant city to implement new traffic safety measures.

Image caption: California traffic deaths dropped by 12 percent in the first three months of 2023, but road fatalities remain at crisis levels.
Death on the Roads: Traffic Fatality Crisis Far From Over

As the COVID pandemic eased, so did the epidemic of death on the road. Somewhat. But the ongoing crisis of traffic fatalities remains at high levels with early numbers form 2023 appearing to top 4,000 in California.

Image caption: Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas chats with Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer on the first day of the new legislative session Wednesday.
California Legislature Opens 2024 Session With Packed Agenda

State lawmakers reconvene with a lot of problems to fix, but not a lot of money to spend on solutions with a projected $68 billion budget deficit.

Image caption: When the calendar turns to 2024, undocumented Californian adults will become eligible for the state's public health insurance program, Medi-Cal.
All Undocumented Californians Eligible for Medi-Cal for First Time

Undocumented Californians are leaving health care clinics with “smiles” after they learn they’re newly eligible for Medi-Cal insurance. The health insurance expansion was decades in the making for immigrant advocates.

Image caption: Ambiance rides often save lives, but they can also ruin the lives of families slapped with expensive surprise bills for the emergency service.
Surprise Ambulance Ride Bills Banned Under New Law

Surprise ambulance bills can leave families deeply in debt after a medical emergency. A new state law that forces insurance companies to negotiate payments is expected to save Californians tens of millions of dollars a year.

Image caption: New efficiency measures in the Medi-Cal payment process may spell the end for some children's mental health programs.
Kids' Mental Health Programs May Close As State 'Modernizes' Payments

California is modernizing how it pays health care providers through Medi-Cal. Some mental health providers say the changes endanger their services.

Image caption: The town of Temarry, Mexico, is home to a processing plant that receives toxic waste from north of the border.
How California Dumps Hazardous Waste on a Mexican Town

An investigative report shows how California companies and governments avoid the Golden State’s strict environmental regulations by shipping toxic waste across state borders. New reporting shows how California exports the risk to Mexico.

Image caption: Many Californians who thought they were covered by Medi-Cal are turning up to doctor's appointments only to find they have no coverage.
Medi-Cal Recipients Surprised by Sudden Loss of Health Coverage

The federal government suspended an annual Medicaid renewal requirement during COVID-19. Now that it has resumed, many Californians are losing coverage for “procedural reasons.”

Image caption: More and more Californians are forced to rely on food banks as the federal government ends a policy that helps hungry people eat.
How This Government Policy is Making Food Insecurity Worse

The California food banks association warns of rising food insecurity, but its pleas for more state aid face a tough slog next year due to the projected budget deficit, as a federal program to help people get enough food is …

Featured

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.
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.
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
Here's the story behind that new service, and the original 911 number.
Mosquitos kill about 725,000 people every year, worldwide.
Taking a Bite Out of the Mosquito Population
How local government tries to control the world’s deadliest wild animal—the mosquito.
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
But even in California, access to abortion services in many areas remains limited.
The California mental health crisis is tied to both homelessness and rising crime.
UPDATE: California’s Mental Health Crisis: How We Got Here
The making of Gov. Newsom's plan to help get mentally ill Californians into treatment.
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
Californians live longer than people in all but three states, but not all counties are equal.
From nitrates to arsenic to “forever chemicals,” California’s water supply faces a serious pollution threat.
Dirty Water: California Faces a Water Contamination Crisis
In a state that declares water a “human right,” more than 2 percent of its residents have no drinkable water.
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