Latest KFF Health News Stories
‘Essential’ Or Not, These Workers Report For Duty
In Los Angeles County and beyond, people continue to toil through the coronavirus pandemic, often in positions that put them in constant contact with the public. Many are low-wage workers who can’t afford to stop working.
California’s New Attack On Opioid Addiction Hits Old Roadblocks
State officials in California have achieved some success in promoting the use of medication-assisted treatment for people with opioid addictions, but they are bumping up against familiar resistance and constraints.
California Isn’t Testing Enough Children For Lead, Prompting Legislation
A recent report by the California state auditor faults two state health departments for failing to ensure that children receive required blood lead tests and for not doing enough to reduce childhood lead exposure in high-risk areas. Lawmakers are proposing several measures to increase testing.
Public Health Officials To Newsom: Lockdown Won’t Work Without Enforcement
California Gov. Gavin Newsom was out front nationally when he ordered nearly all Californians to stay at home to stem the spread of COVID-19. But local officials warn it won’t work without tougher enforcement.
California Lawmakers Struggle To Conduct Business Amid COVID-19 Lockdown
In an interview with California Healthline, the state’s Senate leader, Toni Atkins, makes clear that with social-distancing measures in force it will be difficult to debate and pass complicated budget measures ― but public health, education and public safety will be priorities.
Photo Essay: LA Under Lockdown
Californians are under orders to stay home to slow the spread of the coronavirus — and the result is that some of Southern California’s best-known spots are shuttered or deserted, from Santa Monica Pier to Olvera Street.
With Medical Safety Gear Scarce, The Public Is Stepping Up. Here’s Help On Ways To Help.
If you or your company have useful supplies and want to donate them, here are some answers to questions you might be asking.
A View From The Front Lines Of California’s COVID-19 Battle
California physicians dealing with COVID-19 offer a sobering portrait of a health care system bracing for the worst of a pandemic that could be months from peaking.
Is The Bay Area’s ‘Unprecedented’ Lockdown The First Of Many?
About 7 million people across the San Francisco Bay Area began to “shelter in place” Tuesday to limit the spread of the new coronavirus. Although public health officials acknowledged the orders were drastic, they also agreed they were necessary.
In Face Of Coronavirus, Many Hospitals Cancel On-Site Training For Nursing And Med Students
Hospitals and nursing homes say they are acting to protect students and patients, but nursing educators worry the pipeline of new nurses could be slowed at a time when they may be needed most. Some doctors in training have also seen their clinical rotations canceled.
Many Schools Have Closed ― But Not All. What Parents Need To Know About That Tough Call.
Closing K-12 schools is part of a broad strategy to limit public interactions and slow the spread of COVID-19 cases. But the decision is far from easy, with conflicting science about how effective such closures are weighed against the massive disruption to families’ lives.
The High Cost Of Being Trump’s Enemy
The ongoing feud between President Donald Trump and California’s Democratic leaders is costing the Golden State hundreds of millions of health care dollars — with billions more at stake.
Testing Shortages Force Extreme Shift In Strategy By Local Health Officials
California’s capital region is among the areas that have had to shift response to the coronavirus outbreak because of a shortage of test kits in the U.S.
How To Avoid Coronavirus? Lessons From People Whose Lives Depend On It
As the new coronavirus continues its spread through the U.S., the general public can look for guidance from millions of Americans with weakened immune systems who long ago adopted the rules of infection control that officials tout to avoid contagion.
Surging Health Care Worker Quarantines Raise Concerns As Coronavirus Spreads
The number of U.S. health care workers who have been ordered to self-quarantine because of potential exposure to the new coronavirus is rising at an exponential pace. Many experts say something has to change.
New California Coronavirus Case Reveals Problems with U.S. Testing Protocols
Disease experts say a new coronavirus case in California underscores the need for more widespread community testing for the illness, as well as problems caused by the delays in getting functional coronavirus test kits to state and local public health agencies.
Your School Assignment For The Day: Spelling And Specs
In California’s rural Central Valley, low-income children have limited access to vision care. School districts are teaming up with nonprofits to fill the gaps.
The Golden State’s Mixed Record On Lung Cancer
California has one of the lowest rates of new lung cancer cases in the country, attributed largely to its aggressive anti-tobacco policies. But gaps in the state’s health care system mean that people who are diagnosed with the disease, or at a high risk of getting it, often fall through the cracks.
Congressional Candidates Go Head-To-Head On Health Care — Again
The California Democratic members of Congress who flipped seven Republican seats two years ago made health care a major campaign issue, criticizing their opponents for voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act. As the Democrats defend their seats in this year’s elections, they are coming back to health care — but the issues are different.
Newsom: To Fix Homelessness, California Must Fix Mental Health
California Gov. Gavin Newsom dedicated nearly all of his State of the State address Wednesday to homelessness. To fix that problem, he said, the state must address another one: mental health care.
