About one-third of Santa Cruz County households are struggling to afford basic expenses like housing, healthcare and childcare, according to a new United Way study. That figure rises to 58% of Latino households in the county and 45% of households with young children. Officials say more new home construction, better healthcare opportunities and increasing childcare capacity are all vital to tackling the problem.
Health & Wellness
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
We have to do more to tighten pesticide regulation in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County holds an unwanted and embarrassing title, says organic agriculture activist Woody Rehanek: “No other county in California has such a high proportion of fumigant gases to overall pesticides applied.” In short, we continue to use far too many pesticides, he writes. And the state Department of Pesticide Regulation’s draft plan for the use of pesticides for 2024-28 falls short of what we need to protect farmworkers and ourselves.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Watsonville Community Hospital nurses to picket Monday over ‘safe staffing, patient safety, retention’
Watsonville Community Hospital nurses are holding a picket Monday to protest “deep concerns about safe staffing, patient safety, retention, and recruitment” amid what they say have been “extremely contentious” negotiations for a new contract. “We sacrificed and struggled to care for our community during the pandemic and then worked to save this hospital from bankruptcy,” […]
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Against the odds, Watsonville Community Hospital survived bankruptcy. Will it survive the next few years?
While Watsonville Community Hospital recently celebrated a year since its rescue from bankruptcy, it continues to face enormous challenges. Hailed as a success story in how to save a distressed California hospital from closure, the hospital’s leaders point to the changes they are making to keep the doors open. But the hospital’s financial woes still loom large.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
I am the first male, openly trans person elected to public office in our state; this is my coming-out story
Nov. 13-19 is national Transgender Awareness Week, and in a Community Voices opinion piece, Adam Spickler, a Cabrillo College trustee and one of only four openly transgender people to hold elected office in all of California, shares their coming-out story. Adam wishes when they were growing up in the 1980s and 1990s that they had transgender role models.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
In Watsonville, farmworkers, students and activists demand state reduce pesticide use, boost organic farming
Students, farmworkers and doctors urged the state’s Department of Pesticide Regulation to restrict the use of harmful pesticides and push farmers to adopt organic practices during a gathering Monday in Watsonville. Residents shared personal stories of health issues, calling for greater protection for farmworkers and their communities. Some speakers drove from hundreds of miles away to participate in the meeting. The department will consider public comments before finalizing a new strategic plan.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Time to get flattened!
Lookout columnist Claudia Sternbach is a breast cancer survivor and reminds us why getting mammograms matters, even though she keeps putting hers off.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Health officials recommend jabs, masks for some health care workers as cold and flu season draws closer
Now that the initial frenzy to book vaccine appointments has mostly subsided, health officials recommend getting the latest COVID booster before the holiday and cold and flu season commences. Additionally, workers in all health care facilities will be required to wear masks in patient care areas for the entirety of cold and flu season, from Nov. 1 to April 30.
Posted inLatest News
Kaiser Permanente and unions reach tentative agreement one week after strike
Kaiser Permanente and a coalition of unions representing roughly a third of the health care giants workforce have reached a tentative agreement, a week after tens of thousands of workers walked off the job in protest.
Posted inLatest News
Kaiser Permanente strike will affect Santa Cruz County through Friday
On Wednesday, tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente employees in California walked out on the job for the first of a three-day strike against the health care provider, protesting what employees feel are unmet concerns over staffing and wages.