Santa Cruz County Health Digest

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.

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 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.

Are food recalls on the rise? Yes. Read on to learn more.

In an announcement on December 6, Watsonville Community Hospital officials confirmed the multi-day computer and Internet outage was the result of a cyberattack. Read on to learn more.

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.

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.

Third party specialists are investigating a computer and network outage that has Watsonville Community Hospital working with backup paper systems and files. Find out more about the outage and what's being done to bring systems back online.

Learn how health officials and California dairies are responding, or not, to the explosive spread of bird flu through dairy herds across the state.

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

Learn about the discussions underway at UCSC about the addition of a medical school on campus.

Bird flu has been spreading among dairy workers in California’s Central Valley, jumping from cows to people. A new suspected case in the Bay Area came from an unknown source.

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. 

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.

A summary of the latest campaign finance filings for the Measure Z "soda tax" on the Santa Cruz County November ballot.

At an October 17 meeting at the Silver Spur on Soquel Drive, local residents heard about plans to develop the property into a senior assisted-living and memory care facility.

In their October 8 meeting, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors advanced a proposal to ban the sale of filtered cigarettes in the unincorporated parts of the county.

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

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.

The Waves of Wellness: Santa Cruz Festival will be held on October 19 in downtown Santa Cruz on Pacific Avenue, Cooper Street and Abbott square.

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.

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.

The public is invited to give feedback to the Harm Reduction Coalition of Santa Cruz County about a possible mobile outreach program to distribute clean syringes and Narcan in an effort to reduce overdose deaths.

In their September 25 meeting, the Pajaro Valley Health Care District board voted to purchase the Watsonville hospital facilities and land.

Santa Cruz County Office of Education's Career and Adult Learning Services is offering a paid instruction and apprenticeship program to help fill the need for dental assistants in the county.

A groundbreaking was held on September 17 for the future Janus of Santa Cruz perinatal center on Pennsylvania Drive in Watsonville.

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’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.

H5N1 bird flu has been reported in three California dairy herds.

Celebrating 50 years, nonprofit health care provider Santa Cruz Community Health will be hosting a fundraising gala at the Hotel Paradox in Santa Cruz on Octtober 5.

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.

Almost everyone in California has health insurance. That trend reflects about a decade and a half of policymaking designed to expand access to health care. The state’s average uninsured rate has dropped from nearly one in four Californians in 2009 to less than one in ten today.