Annual losses of $20 million or more have been trimmed to a $5 million operating loss under the nonprofit health care district that now runs Watsonville Community Hospital, and a no-interest loan from the state’s Distressed Hospital Loan Program will help with financial flexibility as officials work on other measures.
Health & Wellness
Posted inHealth & Wellness
COVID is on the rise, and yes, time to think about masking again
The numbers prove what you might suspect: COVID has hit a summer high. With no new vaccine anticipated until late September, expect to see more people wearing masks as drugstores empty their shelves of tests.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
COVID back on the rise in Santa Cruz County as hospitalizations and infections trend upward
New Leaf Community Markets brand manager Lindsay Gizdich said the store is moving from Pacific Avenue in order to have…
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
I spent 15 days as an inpatient at Dominican Hospital; the staff made all the difference
Linda Bookout, 76, spent 15 days at Dominican Hospital fighting first pneumonia and then a blood irregularity. She had a miraculous experience — not only because her health inexplicably improved, but also because of the kindness the staff showed her. She thanks many — by name — here. Health care workers, she reminds us, are crucial to community well-being.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
As dental woes drive school absences, Santa Cruz County leaders put focus on teen oral health
A new report showing that 30% of Santa Cruz County teens missed school in 2020 because of problems with their teeth — more than double the state average — has local health and nonprofit officials digging into why it’s a problem here and seeking solutions.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
With coronavirus uptick, should I get a COVID shot? When are new vaccines available?
Updated versions and new vaccines for COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus will be rolled out this fall.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
New coronavirus subvariant Eris is gaining dominance. Is it fueling an increase in cases?
It’s possible the Eris subvariant, formally known as EG.5, might have even further immune-escape advantage than other members of the Omicron coronavirus family.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Why won’t our state pesticide regulators keep us safe from Telone? Why won’t they follow the science?
Farmworker activist and organizer Yanely Martinez says the Department of Pesticide Regulation is “environmentally racist” and not following science in its latest draft of pesticide regulations. The draft, released July 25, allows farm owners to spray the carcinogenic pesticide Telone at levels state scientists have determined are dangerous, she says. The impact of the guidelines will “establish a standard of protection for Latino and Indigenous farmworker communities that is 14 times weaker than for other communities,” she writes. Here, she pens an open letter asking the DPR director to reduce Telone use in Santa Cruz County. DPR is scheduled to make a final decision on Telone regulations on Nov. 7.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Just what the doctor ordered: In California, a prescription could pay for your fresh fruits and veggies
Medi-Cal and other programs are testing food prescriptions that advocates say could improve chronic conditions, lower health care costs and reduce hunger.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
As speedy, hefty e-bikes become ubiquitous around Santa Cruz, can regulation be far behind?
After a teenager was killed in a Southern California e-bike accident in June, a bill that would put some guardrails on ridership is moving through the State Assembly. Santa Cruz is putting the focus on education for now, but while local officials say they’re well aware of the dangers e-bikes can present, enforcement of any new rules will be a serious challenge.
