Special Features
In a Push for Fair Treatment, Los Angeles LGBT Center Creates New Categories for Relationship Violence

In a Push for Fair Treatment, Los Angeles LGBT Center Creates New Categories for Relationship Violence

A four-category system for intimate partner violence that Susan Holt created with her colleagues at the Los Angeles LGBT Center has become a standard of practice at the non-profit, the largest provider of LGBT medical and mental health services nationwide. But Holt and her colleagues are still working to spread the word about the four categories, which, Holt believes, can be helpful for treating the wider community as well.

June 21, 2017No CommentRead More

In the Central Valley, Abortion Clinics Are Few and Far Between

In the Central Valley, Abortion Clinics Are Few and Far Between

By Hannah Guzik Rosalinda Hernandez-Guzman grew up in the same Central Valley town where she is now raising her daughter. Visalia is rich in agriculture — rows of grapes, olives and citrus ring the city — but it falls behind the rest of California in access to reproductive health services.

May 24, 20172 CommentsRead More

Immigrant Communities Are Prepping Children in Case Parents Don’t Come Home

Immigrant Communities Are Prepping Children in Case Parents Don’t Come Home

By Marty Graham Mixed-immigration status families here are feverishly planning in the event that they are divided by deportations. The most common of many scenarios is that undocumented parents could be deported, leaving their children who are U.S. citizens behind.

May 11, 2017No CommentRead More

Asthma Studies Raise Thorny Questions about Race and Genetics

Asthma Studies Raise Thorny Questions about Race and Genetics

By Linda Childers Walking through the halls of West Oakland Middle School in Oakland, it’s not uncommon to hear the sounds of students wheezing and coughing mixed with preteen chatter. According to school data, approximately 39 of the 220 students enrolled at this school have confirmed cases of asthma, and many more have breathing issues, including an increased incidence of respiratory infections.

May 1, 2017No CommentRead More

Access

For Medi-Cal Patients Who Need Specialists or Mental Health Treatment, Where You Live Will Determine Your Access

For Medi-Cal Patients Who Need Specialists or Mental Health Treatment, Where You Live Will Determine Your Access

Photo: File/Thinkstock

By Hannah Guzik

 The California department that runs the state’s low-income health program released updated rules last week that spell out how far patients may need to travel to see a doctor.

Medi-Cal managed-care health plans, which cover more than a quarter of Californians, will be required to have primary-care doctors within 10 miles or 30 minutes from patients’ homes.

July 26, 2017No CommentRead More

After the Hospital, New Center Offers Shelter to the Homeless

After the Hospital, New Center Offers Shelter to the Homeless Claudia Boyd-Barrett “You and I, when we leave the hospital if we were to be there for surgery or an ailment, we would go home and one of our loved ones would take care of us and we’d be able to recuperate and watch television,” said Kelly Bruno, Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Foundation. The homeless go back to the street.

July 24, 20171 CommentRead More

Revised Senate Health Care Proposal Still Slashes Funds to Medicaid

Revised Senate Health Care Proposal Still Slashes Funds to Medicaid By Lisa Renner Though the Senate Republicans’ revised health bill includes additional funding compared to the previous version, health advocates say it would still have a devastating effect on low-income Californians.

July 14, 20173 CommentsRead More

Study: Preparing for Affordable Care Act Meant Better Care for Patients in California

Study: Preparing for Affordable Care Act Meant Better Care for Patients in California By Ron Shinkman California is one of several states that prepared for health care reform for years before the Affordable Care Act rolled out in 2014. A new study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research suggest that the early rollout has had some striking results.

July 13, 2017No CommentRead More

California Voices

California Needs Equality When it Comes to Mental Health Care

California Needs Equality When it Comes to Mental Health Care By Kimberly Chen Too few Californians have access to mental health care, and the problem exasperates inequities in the state. This is why a health equity focus is so important.

July 24, 2017No CommentRead More

Following a Stroke, She Woke Up in Men’s Clothes: Why LGBTQ Seniors Deserve Equal Rights

Following a Stroke, She Woke Up in Men’s Clothes: Why LGBTQ Seniors Deserve Equal Rights By Rick Zbur After a lifetime of bullying by schoolmates, co-workers and society at large, some LGBTQ seniors are forced to share a room with homophobic or transphobic companions. Same-sex couples are sometimes separated. A bill currently making its way through the California legislature would do much to combat the lack of understanding or hostility confronting so many LGBTQ seniors in residential care. 

July 12, 20171 CommentRead More

California Needs Palliative Care Standards, and This is a Start

California Needs Palliative Care Standards, and This is a Start In California, we need to begin creating and implementing standards for palliative care sooner rather than later, due in part to a new state law. SB 1004, approved by the California legislature in 2014, requires the state’s low-income health plan, Medi-Cal, to provide access to palliative care services.

June 20, 2017No CommentRead More

Pull All Your Teeth or Go Into Debt: The Dismal Dental Choices Older Adults Are Faced With

Pull All Your Teeth or Go Into Debt: The Dismal Dental Choices Older Adults Are Faced With By Amber Christ Low-income older Californians often must choose between going into debt or having all their teeth pulled so that Denti-Cal will cover the cost of their dentures. The state health program doesn't cover partial dentures. Whether benefits are improved will depend on whether the governor and legislature come to an agreement to do so before the budget is signed in mid-June.

June 1, 20173 CommentsRead More

Do No Harm: Why Bail Reform Matters to A Physician

Do No Harm: Why Bail Reform Matters to A Physician By Lello Tesema Each year, an estimated 1,000 people die while incarcerated in local jails, and a majority are being held pre-trial. 

May 15, 2017No CommentRead More

Proposed Medi-Cal Rules Offer Rural Residents Less Access to Specialists and Mental Health Care

Proposed Medi-Cal Rules Offer Rural Residents Less Access to Specialists and Mental Health Care

By Hannah Guzik Should patients in rural California have to drive four times as far to see a neurologist as someone who lives in Los Angeles? Should your access to health care depend on your zip code?
Senate Health Bill Would Risk Health Coverage for Half of California Children

Senate Health Bill Would Risk Health Coverage for Half of California Children

By Hannah Guzik  If the Senate bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act becomes law, more than 5 million California children would be at risk of losing health coverage and some of the state’s hospitals may not be able to keep their doors open, Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Tuesday.
Health Care Bill Will Hurt Low-Income People of Color and Children, Advocates Say

Health Care Bill Will Hurt Low-Income People of Color and Children, Advocates Say

By Lisa Renner Minorities would be particularly affected. According to the Medi-Cal Monthly Enrollment Fast Facts report in January, 48 percent of Medi-Cal recipients are Hispanic, 13 percent are Asian/Pacific Islander and 8 percent are African-American. Twenty percent are white and 12 percent didn’t report a race.  
California’s Rural Counties Benefit Most from Government Health Coverage

California’s Rural Counties Benefit Most from Government Health Coverage

By Hannah Guzik If Washington, D.C. legislators approve cuts to government health care, California’s rural counties are among those who will suffer most, according to a new report.
California Legislature Considers—Again—Bill to Help Poor Families Afford their Babies’ Diapers

California Legislature Considers—Again—Bill to Help Poor Families Afford their Babies’ Diapers

By Fran Kritz Add diapers to the list of needs low-income families hope the state legislature and Governor Jerry Brown will fund this year. For the third time since 2014, the legislature is considering a bill that would cover some of the monthly cost.
Nowhere to Turn: California Children with Mental Illness Often End Up in ERs that Aren’t Equipped to Treat Them

Nowhere to Turn: California Children with Mental Illness Often End Up in ERs that Aren’t Equipped to Treat Them

By Chris Anna Mink Emergency rooms are chaotic, noisy and not staffed to care for children with acute mental health needs. Yet, every year nearly 13% of ER visits are due to mental health disorders – more than any other type of illness. 
For Those Who can Afford Them, Swimming Lessons Can Save the Lives of Children with Autism

For Those Who can Afford Them, Swimming Lessons Can Save the Lives of Children with Autism

By Fran Kritz Children on the autism spectrum are at far higher risk of drowning than other children, but both the cost of swimming lessons and the fact that there are too few specialized swim instructors make it difficult for many children with autism to learn to swim.
For Students Who Don’t Eat Breakfast at Home, California Takes a New Approach

For Students Who Don’t Eat Breakfast at Home, California Takes a New Approach

By Fran Kritz Nora Barich, a kindergarten teacher at Hoover Elementary said that in past years many teachers gave out morning snacks every day, which they bought with their own money, “but I haven't had to provide morning snacks since we started the [new] breakfast program.”

Returning from a Midlife MS Diagnosis — On a Bike

After her Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis in 2007, Julie Williams decided to commute to work on a bike to improve her health. She quickly found it improved her physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Medi-Cal Discriminates Against Latinos, Harms Seniors Especially, Lawsuit Alleges

Medi-Cal Discriminates Against Latinos, Harms Seniors Especially, Lawsuit Alleges

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett People who rely on Medi-Cal for their health insurance are finding it difficult to get critical care because the state’s reimbursement rates to doctors are unreasonably low, a new lawsuit alleges. While the problem affects all age groups, older Californians find it especially difficult to meet their specialized medical needs, attorneys involved in the lawsuit said.
Rising Temperatures Will Put Seniors at Risk, Experts Predict

Rising Temperatures Will Put Seniors at Risk, Experts Predict

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett The future is hot, and seniors, who are more prone to heat stress than younger adults, will be among those most affected by rising temperatures. With the over-65 population projected to expand rapidly in the coming decades, the accompanying hotter weather could place an enormous burden on emergency and health care infrastructure.
Bullying is Prevalent in Senior Living Facilities, Contributing to Depression

Bullying is Prevalent in Senior Living Facilities, Contributing to Depression

By Kellie Schmitt Research has found that about 20 percent of people in senior care facilities have experienced antagonistic behaviors nationwide. As older adults face aging—and the mental and physical losses it brings—bullies try to assert control, just like their middle-school counterparts.
Health Care Overhaul, Federal Budget Could Disproportionately Harm Seniors

Health Care Overhaul, Federal Budget Could Disproportionately Harm Seniors

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett Older Californians could face increasing financial hardship and difficulty finding health care if Republican-led efforts to overhaul the nation’s health care system move forward, state officials and advocates agreed.  The American Health Care Act (AHCA) would drastically cut federal funds used by states to provide health services to poor and disabled seniors. The budget slashes funding to Medicaid, the federal insurance program for low-income people, known in California as Medi-Cal.
San Diego Program Offers Support to Former Inmates Through Medi-Cal

San Diego Program Offers Support to Former Inmates Through Medi-Cal

A San Diego program seeks out formerly incarcerated individuals after they are released to connect them with health care, paid for under the ACA with their Medi-Cal card. Generally, health care seems to provide a crucial link to a better life after incarceration. Former inmates participating in the program are more likely to do well in their communities and avoid the cycle of re-arrests.
Stark Disparities Persist at Centers Serving Children with Special Needs

Stark Disparities Persist at Centers Serving Children with Special Needs

By Lisa Renner The amount of state funding given to a child with developmental disabilities varies wildly depending on where the child lives, according to a new report by Public Counsel, the nation’s largest pro bono law firm. Regions with higher black and Latino populations receive lower funding than those with higher white and Asian populations, the report said.
Those Who Fought for LGBT Rights Often Can’t Find Fair Housing

Those Who Fought for LGBT Rights Often Can’t Find Fair Housing

By Linda Childers Though they rocked cultural norms by being open about their sexuality in their youth, these lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) elders, often find that moving into an assisted living or skilled nursing facility means going back into the closet. 
How a Last-Resort Academy for Foster Children in San Diego Has Succeeded

How a Last-Resort Academy for Foster Children in San Diego Has Succeeded

By Marty Graham A lauded academy for foster teens in San Diego County is only about 60 percent full, and officials say that’s a good thing, because it suggests shifts in local policy meant to keep kids out of the system may be working.
Afraid of Law Enforcement, Immigrants in Abusive Relationships Face Safety Dilemma

Afraid of Law Enforcement, Immigrants in Abusive Relationships Face Safety Dilemma

By Hannah Guzik Interpersonal assault victims, who already faced stigma and a culture that often blames them for their assault, now must contend with a president who himself has been accused of sexual assault. Further, President Donald Trump’s immigration policies have left many California victims who are undocumented afraid to even step foot in a courthouse or police station, for fear that they may be deported.
Batterer Interventions May Help the Few Abusers Who Finish the Programs

Batterer Interventions May Help the Few Abusers Who Finish the Programs

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett “It really helps and it really works if you’re open minded and willing to allow the process to occur. If you attend it and just sit there with your arms crossed and you’ve got a messed up look up on your face and you’re really not participating in the class, it won’t help you.”
Anxiety Grips California Students Amid Immigration Crackdown

Anxiety Grips California Students Amid Immigration Crackdown

By Claudia Boyd-Barrett Amid news of stepped-up deportation efforts under President Donald Trump, many students with an undocumented parent are living in fear that their families will be torn apart.