As California Pours Money into Denti-Cal Reform, State Sees Modest Improvements
Fewer than half of children with Denti-Cal, the state’s low-income dental program, received preventative care at a dentist’s office in 2017. Still, that’s 20 percent more than did before the state...
View ArticlePharmacists Can Now Prescribe Birth Control, But Few Do
A California law that went into effect in 2016 allows pharmacists to prescribe, not just dispense, many forms of birth control. But three years in, only fifteen percent of pharmacies offer the option...
View ArticleCitizenship Question on 2020 Census Could Harm Central Valley, Study Finds
More than 1 in 10 Latinos living in the Central Valley would not get counted in next year's census if plans to add the citizenship question move ahead. The post Citizenship Question on 2020 Census...
View ArticleIn Los Angeles, a Novel Plan to End Congenital Syphilis
Research has shown that drug reps influence doctors’ prescribing behavior. Los Angeles County has repurposed drug reps to sell syphilis testing to local doctors. The post In Los Angeles, a Novel Plan...
View ArticleUndocumented Immigrants Aren’t Getting Needed Mental Health Care, Report Finds
Undocumented immigrants in California are at high risk for mental health challenges, but local governments aren't doing enough to ensure they get care, according to a new report. The post Undocumented...
View ArticleFacing Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric and ICE Raids, Fewer Undocumented Victims...
Spooked by ICE raids in their communities, news of family separations at the border, and anti-immigrant policies from the federal government, undocumented domestic violence survivors are staying with...
View ArticleFree Rides to Doctor’s Offices Help Low-Income Californians Get to Medical Care
Many counties already offered free rides, but they were rarely used. A new state law requiring free transportation is connecting many more low-income Californians to care. The post Free Rides to...
View ArticleWe Stand United Against Trump’s Divisive Public Charge Rule
In this country, we believe that our value and ability to contribute to society should not be based on how we look or how much money in our wallets. The Trump administration’s proposed public charge...
View ArticleBill Would Make Teachers First Responders for Youth in Mental Health Crisis
Noting rising suicide rates and mental health problems among the state's youth, a bill in the California Senate would require all new teachers to have mental health first-aid training. The post Bill...
View ArticleCounties Experiment With Linking Health Care and Social Services for Most...
More than 85,000 of California’s most vulnerable low-income residents, including those who are homeless and have been recently incarcerated, are now enrolled in a pilot project designed to link health...
View ArticleLax Oversight Allows Serious Health and Safety Violations to Continue at...
Immigrant detainees in California are confined in prison-like conditions for up to 22 hours a day, while the counties and cities that contract with ICE exercise little or no oversight of local...
View ArticleTeen Dating Violence is Widespread, but Underreported
Many teen victims do not tell their family or friends about the abuse, in part because they believe violence is “normal” in a relationship. Some fear not being believed or that their abusers will cause...
View ArticleProposed Law Would Require Low-Cost Nutritious Meals at Day Care Centers and...
Throughout California, low-income public-school students are guaranteed at least one free or low-cost healthy meal each school day. That same law doesn’t apply to public preschools or to child care...
View ArticleBill Would Allow Homeless Students to Park Overnight at Community Colleges
An estimated 20 percent of the state’s 2.1 million community college students have experienced homelessness or don’t have a stable place to live. A new bill aims to help these students by ensuring they...
View ArticleUpswing in New Cases of HIV, Hep C and STDs Prompts Call for Statewide Task...
A coalition of 133 health-related groups in California are calling for $2 million from the governor and state legislature for a statewide task force to stamp out a mounting public health syndemic of...
View ArticleAs California’s Ports Expand, Neighboring Communities Fight Back Against...
Advocates say a plan to turn a grassy lot in Oxnard into a port storage facility is part of a pattern of disregarding poor communities living near California's ports. These neighborhoods are often...
View ArticleFor Foster Youth in Crisis, Advocates Seek Another Option Besides 911
Supporters of California's 60,000 foster youth want the legislature and governor to create a statewide hotline that foster parents and children can call to receive immediate help. The hotline would...
View ArticleWe Have a Vision for Health Equity in California
Now is the time for California to finish the job of improving our health care system by ensuring communities have the opportunity to be healthy. The post We Have a Vision for Health Equity in...
View ArticleCounties Fail to Fully Protect People From Pesticide Exposure, Report Finds
California's county agricultural commissioners are failing to implement state laws designed to protect farmworkers and people living and working near agricultural areas from exposure to toxic...
View ArticleLead in Candies and Purses Dropped Thanks to Prop 65 Litigation, Study Concludes
According to a new study, enforcement of California's toxic chemical labeling law has resulted in a significant decrease in the amount of lead found in certain candies and colorful purses. The post...
View Article