San Joaquin County Health Digest

A fire at a Stockton e-waste recycling plant on April 2 was extinguished by the next morning, leaving a toxic mess behind.

The Trump administration clawed back hundreds of millions of dollars in grants to California health agencies, likely affecting investigations into disease outbreaks and other public health services.

Negotiators with the California Nurses Association and San Joaquin County reached an agreement on a new three-year contract which was approved by county supervisors in their March 25 meeting.

‘Everybody’s been denied some form of care,’ said one California mental health advocate. Now, lawmakers are advancing new bills on behavioral health coverage.

The ports of LA and Long Beach are the biggest sources of air pollution in the LA basin. Air quality officials have drafted new rules to help electrify the ports. But community groups representing 400,000 residents say they don’t go far enough or fast enough to clean up their dirty air.

California is spending billions more than planned for Medi-Cal. Some of the cost drivers include higher enrollment among immigrants without legal status as well as pharmacy costs.

"From Labs to Lives" is a new website and video series launched by UC Davis highlighting the impact of research funded by the federal government. Read on for details.

To cover a budget gap in Medi-Cal — which provides health insurance for roughly 15 million disabled and low-income Californians — Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration is borrowing $3.4 billion from the state’s general fund.

A statement issued March 14 by the Association of Bay Area Health Officials urged residents to get a measles vaccination if they've never received one or need an updated one. Read on to learn more.

The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Union have ratified a new three-year contract with San Joaquin County, averting a strike. Whew. Read on to learn more.

California public health officials are closely monitoring two residents who recently tested positive for measles. Officials are on high alert given ongoing measles outbreaks in Texas, New Mexico and abroad.

California is spending more than it expected on Medi-Cal and Republican lawmakers are pointing to coverage expansions that benefited immigrant households.

Read on to learn more about the $83.4 million expansion planned by Kaiser Permanente for the expansion of its healthcare campus in Manteca.

Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to see tangible results from the $6.4 billion mental health bond voters approved last year. Moving fast carries a risk of neglecting under-resourced communities.

Read on for more information about the recently opened Sutter health care center in Manteca, and plans for another in Lathrop.

In 2022 California declared itself a refuge for transgender health care after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law ensuring gender-affirming care for California minors and those living outside the state.

Read on to learn more about the services provided to the hundreds of pet owners who drove in to the free mobile pet clinic on the first weekend of March at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds.

Two years ago, California made a bold announcement that it would manufacture a state-branded, low-cost insulin. Drug manufacturers, insurers, economists and diabetics took notice. It had the potential to disrupt the market, bring down drug costs and save patients’ lives.

Almost 15 million Californians have health care coverage through Medi-Cal, a program that stands to lose billions of dollars if Republicans follow through on proposed cuts.

In their February 25 meeting, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors voted to direct staff to draft an ordinance banning new tobacco outlets in unincorporated areas of the county. Read on to learn why they consider this urgent.

A new bill by a Bay Area state senator aims to create a special fund to help clean up so-called forever chemicals in California’s water supply. Senate Bill 454 was introduced by Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, on February 18 and, if passed by the state Legislature and signed by the governor, would create the PFAS Mitigation Fund.

The City of Lodi is considering working with partner agencies as part of a Joint Power Authority to bring improved emergency ambulance transport services to the city. Read on for more information.

Read on for more information about a free pet vaccine clinic to be held at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds in Stockton on March 1.

AS HOST TO the largest battery storage facility in the world, on a site that just had its fourth fire in four years, the people of Monterey County have grown to realize that Moss Landing is a learning laboratory for California’s green energy transition.

A local backyard poultry flock has been confirmed by San Mateo County health officials to have been infected with H5N1 bird flu. Read on for more information.

Bird flu was detected in a stray cat in San Mateo County. Read on for more information.

Good. Because it's flu season and cases are surging. Read on to learn more.

A free screening of Fentanyl High, a film exploring teen exposure to fentanyl, will be held on February 26. Read on for more information about the film and how you can attend.

The City of Lodi and the Public Health Services Agency for San Joaquin County are partnering as part of a health and longevity study, with an aim to improving a healthier place to live. Read on to learn more about this Blue Zone research project.

On January 17, San Joaquin County Hospital nurses went on a one-day strike as contract talks stall. Read on for details.

The LA fires have left domestic workers and day laborers jobless. They may soon be hired for wildfire cleanup work, where they can be exposed to ash and other toxins.

Read on for information about how long wait times at a Stockton VA clinic led to a new national law to improve veteran health care.