Santa Cruz County Health Digest

In advance of the opening of the new Santa Cruz County government center on Westridge Drive in a few weeks, the Human Services Department announced it was moved in and ready to provide services.

In its May 13 meeting, the Santa Cruz City Council voted 6-1 to approve a controversial medical marijuana dispensary on Mission and Laurel Streets.

Newsom-backed bill would allow Arizona abortion providers to practice in California as the Republican-led state restricts access.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new ad blasts GOP efforts to make it harder for people to leave states with abortion bans and seek treatment elsewhere.

Water suppliers say the costs will be massive, with rates increasing for many consumers. Known as the “Erin Brockovich” chemical, hexavalent chromium is found statewide.

Chinese Hospital, located in the heart of this city's legendary Chinatown, struggles with many of the same financial and demographic challenges that plague small independent hospitals in underserved areas across the country.

These professionals provide essential services, but their pay and working conditions do not reflect their value, and their health suffers.

Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley was awarded a $2M by philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

The official vote count for Measure N in support of Watsonville Community Hospital passed and was certified on April 4 by the Santa Cruz and Monterey county elections departments.

The passage of California Proposition 1 is leaving local mental health and homeless service providers with questions as to the impact in the count.

Evictions have exacerbated homelessness nationwide, increasing the rate of homeless infants and toddlers. Most of those children are not enrolled in early education programs.

Disputes between insurers and providers can lead to entire hospital systems suddenly leaving the plans.

After bringing his story all the way to the University of California Board of Regents, a disabled UC Berkeley student has prompted the UC to ensure emergency evacuation chairs are in every multi-storied building in the 10-university system.

Lawyers from the conservative Christian group that won the case to overturn Roe v. Wade are returning to the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday in pursuit of an urgent priority: shutting down access to abortion pills for women across the country.

Local reaction to the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute's "Health Rankings and Roadmaps" 2024 ranking for Santa Cruz County.

The County of Santa Cruz is remodeling the two story office building at 5300 Soquel Avenue in Live Oak with conference rooms, family spaces and other amenities for youth in crisis and expand the Health Services Agency’s substance use disorder and mental health services.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Monday that he is throwing his weight behind legislation to bar medical debt from showing up on consumer credit reports, a Democratic-led effort to offer protection to patients squeezed by health care bills.

The cannabis dispensary specializes in providing medical marijuana to patients with serious diseases and will be allowed to do business in the city of Santa Cruz after the Planning Commission approved its application.

Santa Cruz County officials are making plans for the millions of dollars allotted to the county as part of the settlement of various lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and distributors in 2019 and 2021.

Proposition E broadens police surveillance powers and Proposition F mandates drug screening and treatment for people receiving county welfare benefits who are suspected of drug use.

A report of a 12 month study which ended in February indicates almost half of those cited for drug usage were not residents of the city, leading to questions about city approaches to drug addiction.

The monthly rate of antidepressants being dispensed to young people increased about 64% more quickly during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study in the journal Pediatrics.

Health providers and addiction experts warn the funding structure is unstable for a California initiative that steers patients with substance use disorder into long-term treatment.

The United States is knee-deep in what some experts call the opioid epidemic's "fourth wave," which is not only placing drug users at greater risk but is also complicating efforts to address the nation's drug problem.

Pesticide reform activists and legal experts held a news conference in Watsonville outlining mounting evidence for a lawsuit they’re preparing to file against California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation for civil rights violations against farmworkers.

Harnessing their collective expertise, two nonprofits in South Santa Cruz County have joined forces to provide resources to families in need and fight against regional inequities.

For weeks, Anthem Blue Cross enrollees who receive health care from the University of California were in suspense, as the health system and one of its largest insurance partners struggled to reach a new contract.

While temperatures aren’t warm enough for mosquitoes to run rampant, now’s the time to prevent breeding grounds.

Nearly 2 million Medi-Cal enrollees can now accumulate savings and property without limitations and still qualify for the state's health insurance program for low-income residents.

Midwives provide many of the same services as doctors in low-risk pregnancies. A new UCSF study highlights obstacles they face doing business in California, especially when serving patients with Medi-Cal insurance.

The closure of Madera Community Hospital created a new health care desert in a community that already had fewer doctors per capita than other parts of the state. UCSF and Adventist have a plan to reopen it.

Change is coming to Saint Francis Memorial Hospital and St. Mary’s Medical Center.