Latest California Healthline Stories
How a Former Catholic Priest Is Navigating a Medi-Cal Health Plan Through Big Changes
Michael Hunn left the clergy and became a hospital and health system executive. He’s been named CEO of CalOptima, Orange County’s Medi-Cal health insurance plan for low-income residents, and his spiritual background is helping him guide the publicly run plan into the future.
Bounties and Bonuses Leave Small Hospitals Behind in Staffing Wars
A hospital in Wisconsin sued to keep seven employees from taking jobs with a competitor. A health system in South Dakota is offering nurses $40,000 signing bonuses. Facilities with fewer resources are finding it difficult or impossible to compete for health care workers.
Ready for Another Pandemic Malady? It’s Called ‘Decision Fatigue’
Pandemic living has come with a barrage of daily choices that have many of us complaining of a sort of brain freeze. That exhaustion is real, and it’s got a name: “decision fatigue.”
A Disabled Activist Speaks Out About Feeling ‘Disposable’
Alice Wong, a writer and organizer in San Francisco, says the isolation and loss of the pandemic have shown society what it’s like to be disabled.
Buffy Wicks Turns Her Health History Into Legislation
Assembly member who represents Oakland, is digging into abortion, vaccines and homelessness and drawing on her own health care experiences as she drafts bills.
Wartime Trauma Hits Close to Home for Scholar of Dementia
The federal government is putting up $7.2 million for a study into the correlation between war trauma and dementia in Vietnamese immigrants. Oahn Meyer, an associate professor at the University of California-Davis who is leading the study, wonders whether her mother’s dementia is linked to trauma she suffered during the Vietnam War.
When the Surges Just Keep Coming: A View From the Covid Vortex
Fresno County, one of California’s persistent covid-19 hot spots, is experiencing an autumn surge that once again has overwhelmed area hospitals. KHN spoke with Interim Health Officer Dr. Rais Vohra about leading the charge in a region where many people remain anti-mask and vaccine-wary.
A Judge Takes His Mental Health Struggles Public
Tim Fall, a sitting judge in California’s Yolo County, decided to break the silence on his mental health issues with a book published during a campaign year. Depression and anxiety, he says, shouldn’t disqualify candidates from any profession.
‘Down to My Last Diaper’: The Anxiety of Parenting in Poverty
Diapers are a baby essential, but no federal program helps families cover their considerable cost. Jennifer Randles, a professor of sociology at Fresno State, spoke with KHN about her novel research exploring the outsize role “diaper math” plays in the lives of low-income moms.
Q&A: How Will California’s New 988 Mental Health Line Actually Work?
California Assembly member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, who authored legislation to create and fund the state’s new 988 phone line for mental health emergencies, spoke with KHN about the effort and what more will be needed to create a full-fledged response network for people experiencing mental health crises.