California Weekly Roundup: Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Los Angeles Daily News:
UCI Health Lays Off 150 Workers As Part Of Restructuring
UCI Health said the cuts were prompted by a changing environment that includes shifts in federal funding, reimbursement pressures and rising operational costs. (Maio, 3/23)
Los Angeles Daily News:
California Hospitals Laying Off Thousands As Funding Cuts Trickle Down
Over the past year, multibillion dollar cuts in federal and state funding for health care have led to job cuts at hospitals — with some pushed into dire financial straits. (Maio, 3/22)
Capital & Main:
Is Kaiser’s Labor-Management Model Unraveling?
Health care workers say the system’s push for growth is undermining a once-vaunted partnership — and affecting patients. (Kreidler, 3/20)
Becker's Hospital Review:
BCBS Of Minnesota CEO Leaves Sutter Board Over Allina Deal
Dana Erickson, BSN, RN, president and CEO of Eagan, Minn.-based Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, has resigned from the board of Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health as the system moves forward with its proposed acquisition of Minneapolis-based Allina Health, both organizations confirmed in statements shared with Becker’s. (Gooch, 3/23)
Pasadena Star News:
15 Hospices Incorporated In A Single Day, In A Single Suite In Van Nuys
The businesses, which should have raised red flags for potential fraud, have received more than $12 million from Medicare and Medi-Cal since 2023. (Henry, 3/22)
Santa Monica Daily Press:
Santa Monica Gets Child Therapy Center
Child Therapy Center of Los Angeles opens new Santa Monica location offering neuroscience-based pediatric mental health care for ages 2-18. (Edgar, 3/19)
Manteca Bulletin:
Ripon Responds To Emergencies With ‘4’ Firefighters With A Big Asterisk
Fifty percent of the cardiac arrest calls the Ripon Consolidated Fire District handled last year ended with the patient surviving. It’s a relatively solid survival rate not enjoyed by a lot of fire services. (Wyatt, 3/21)
KVPR:
Medi-Cal Reduces Dental Care For Undocumented, May Force More Dentists To Turn Away Low-Income Patients
California expects to save more than $300 million per year by restricting Medi-Cal dental benefits for undocumented, low-income residents. But advocates say it will come at the expense of broader health concerns and reduced access to care. (Sheehan, 3/23)
inewsource:
Unhoused People In Encinitas Could Soon Get $2,000 In Rental Assistance In Just 48 Hours
People experiencing homelessness in Encinitas may soon be able to get up to $2,000 in one-time rental assistance in a matter of days, thanks to a new agreement between the city and a nonprofit. (Futterman, 3/22)
San Francisco Examiner:
Proposed Law Would Permit Evictions For Drug Use From City Housing For Homeless
Supervisor Matt Dorsey is pushing a new proposal that would emphasize drug-free permanent supportive housing, making it possible to evict residents for drug use. (Gurevich, 3/20)
Voice of OC:
Orange Eyes Smoking Ban As A Crackdown On Homelessness
While cities across Orange County look to ban smoking in public areas, the City of Orange is looking to take a different approach — targeting people who sleep on the streets. (Grube and Georgitis, 3/23)
Chico Enterprise-Record:
Judge Again Denies Chico’s Motion To Exit Homeless Settlement
Chico's second attempt to exit the Warren v. Chico settlement agreement was once again been denied in a ruling Monday from the U.S. District Court Eastern District of California. (Weber, 2/23)
VC Star:
Ventura County's Homeless Population Count Down Third Year In A Row
The annual count of Ventura County’s homeless population is down for the third consecutive year, according to preliminary results released March 20. (Huey, 3/24)
San Francisco Chronicle:
California Missed 11,000 COVID Deaths Early In Pandemic
The U.S. undercounted COVID deaths by more than 150,000, with more than 11,000 in California, according to a new study by Stanford and UCSF researchers. (Vaziri, 3/19)
Los Angeles Times:
As Mosquitos Go Year-Round In L.A., A Promising Fix Hits A Snag
To curb a dengue-carrying mosquito, L.A. County officials are releasing sterilized males. The approach is promising, but funding to expand it is uncertain. (Seidman, 3/22)
Eureka Times-Standard:
To Forage Or Not To Forage: That Is The Question After Mushroom Poisoning
Humboldt County health officials identified the poisonous mushroom consumed by a local resident as a western destroying angel mushroom. (Schneider, 3/20)
Imperial Beach News:
Stop The Sewage Club Leaders Meet With CA Governor Candidate And San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan
As part of their advocacy efforts, the CHS Stop The Sewage Club has asked candidates for the 2026 election for Governor of California to come down to Coronado and Imperial Beach, tour the Tijuana River Valley, and see (and smell) firsthand the cross-border pollution crisis that has caused a state of emergency County-wide. (3/20)
Imperials Beach News:
High Hydrogen Sulfide Readings Reported In South Bay
During the latest heat wave, South Bay residents have experienced higher-than-normal hydrogen sulfide odors from Tijuana sewage pollution. (Selgi-Harrigan, 3/20)
Los Angeles Blade:
Families File Lawsuit Against Rady Children’s Health, Citing Discrimination Against Trans Youth
Four minors and their families are fighting on behalf of thousands at risk of losing gender-affirming care at Rady Children’s Health. (Song, 3/20)
Los Angeles Blade:
LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health Bill Makes Progress Despite Anti-Trans Advocacy
At Tuesday's state health committee hearing, opposers tried — and failed — to stop AB 1540 from moving forward. (Song, 3/19)
San Francisco Chronicle:
SF Has One Of The Highest IVF Birth Rates In The US. Here's Why
At least 9.4% of babies born in San Francisco in 2024, the latest available data, were born from pregnancies that used assistive reproductive technologies. (Echeverria, 3/21)
Imperial Valley Press:
New California Bill Aims To Provide Free Menstrual Products To Rural Farmworkers
Assembly Bill 2082, introduced by Assemblyman Jeff Gonzalez, R-Indio, would establish the Rural Farmworker Women’s Health Act of 2026. If passed, the bill would require the State Department of Public Health to partner with local nonprofit organizations to distribute free menstrual products—including tampons, pads, and menstrual cups—to women in remote agricultural regions. (Bojorquez, 3/24)
Times of San Diego:
California Looks To Spend $3.4 Million To Support Major Shift In Menopause Care
New California legislation aims to expand access to medical care pertaining to menopause, but it excludes millions on Medi-Cal. (Aguilera, 3/22)
CalMatters:
CA Colleges Will Offer Rehab Over Discipline For Overdosing
A new California law requires state colleges and universities to offer rehab services to students rather than punish them for overdosing. (Ta, 3/19)
CalMatters:
Digital Tablets Mellowed California Prisons. Now A Tech Migration Is Riling Users
Every incarcerated person in a California prison has a digital table enabling communication with the outside world. The system is changing vendors to lower costs. (Garcia, 3/24)
San Francisco Chronicle:
UCSF Scientists Are Working To Detect The Earliest Signs Of Schizophrenia--And To Prevent It
UCSF and Stanford researchers are tracking early schizophrenia signs to predict psychosis and improve treatment before it starts. (Allday, 3/22)
The Willits News:
What Teens Are Saying About Fentanyl: Community Film Screening And Panel
Mendocino County students and families are invited to attend a free community screening of the documentary Fentanyl High, followed by a panel discussion. There are two opportunities to participate: Wednesday, March 25, in Ukiah at Regal Theater, and Thursday, April 2, in Fort Bragg at Coast Cinemas. (3/21)
Los Angeles Times:
Data Centers Under Scrutiny By California Lawmakers As Fears Rise About Health And Energy Impacts
Due to health and energy concerns, the California Legislature is considering bills to prohibit data centers from being exempted from the state's stringent environmental law and impose new tariffs on new major energy users that strain power supplies. (King, 3/23)
