Month: September 2015

Majority of California Health Clinics Lack Dentists, Causing Some Patients to Forgo Treatment

Only about a third of community health clinics in California have dental services onsite, causing some patients to forgo treatment, according to a report released Wednesday. The study from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research found that the state could significantly improve access to dental care, particularly for low-income and uninsured people, if dentists were available at more health clinics. While a third of

New poll finds support for end-of-life discussions

The Kaiser Family Foundation’s latest tracking poll finds strong support for having Medicare reimburse doctors for the time they spend discussing end-of-life options with their patients. The survey also finds lukewarm support for the so-called “Cadillac tax” on expensive health plans, with respondents more likely to support the tax after they are told it might reduce overall health care costs. See the full poll here.

A Perilous Link: Pet Abuse and Domestic Violence

Santa Cruz veterinarian David Shuman witnessed severe cases of animal abuse when, fresh out of vet school, he worked at a veterinary hospital in Oakland. He remembers cases where people set cats on fire or threw dogs as if they were baseballs. He recalls one man who wounded a litter of puppies with a machete. But it wasn’t until later in Shuman’s career that he realized pet abuse could be a red flag for a larger pattern of violence, and that people who harm animals often don’t stop at animals.

Need to Know

How California’s drought affects residents’ health. The state’s strict emissions limits have reduced cancer risk by 76 percent in the last 20 years. Despite the need, third-generation Mexican adults in California are less likely to receive diabetes care. Undocumented adults in Contra Costa County now have health coverage. One in six school districts have dropped a Medi-Cal reimbursement plan for outreach, because it’s cumbersome. Are

Living in the Blast Zone

In the past seven years, crude-by-rail—transport of crude oil on rails—has increased, a change that galvanized recent protests in Richmond.

L.A. Rolls Out Complex Care Teams for Chronically Ill Patients

Los Angeles County’s Department of Health Services is betting it can save money while radically improving the health of some of its sickest and most challenging patients. Last March, county health officials began targeting individuals in South and East Los Angeles who rely on emergency departments or hospitalizations for care and who struggle with more than one chronic disease.

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