Friday, August 25, 2023 | California Healthline

Fresno Bee:
Madera Hospital Receives Initial Loan From State To Reopen 

On Thursday, the California Department of Health Care Access and Information announced $300 million in no-interest loans for 17 healthcare facilities throughout the state as part of its new Distressed Hospital Loan Program. (Montalvo, 8/24)

San Diego Union-Tribune:
Tri-City Medical Center Gets $33 Million Zero-Interest Loan 

Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside will receive a $33 million zero-interest loan from the state to help shore up its finances. (Sisson, 8/24)

CalMatters:
Distressed California Hospitals Get State Bailout Loans

Seventeen financially distressed California hospitals — including three that filed for bankruptcy earlier this year — will receive close to $300 million in interest-free loans, state officials announced Thursday. Madera Community Hospital, which closed its doors in January, stands to receive the biggest chunk, $52 million. The money comes from the Distressed Hospital Loan Program, which the Legislature created to support rural and independent hospitals that faced financial challenges coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Ibarra, 8/25)

Becker’s Hospital Review:
17 Distressed California Hospitals Get State-Backed Loans

California announced 17 recipients of the distressed hospital loan program, a program designed to keep struggling hospitals afloat through zero-interest loans. The $300 million in loans were distributed to applicants that created a plan outlining how the loan would help them return to financial stability. (Schwarts, 8/24)

Los Angeles Times:
What We Know About Cook’s Corner Mass Shooter John Snowling

The man who shot and killed three people and wounded six others Wednesday night at the Cook’s Corner bar in Trabuco Canyon was identified Thursday as John Snowling, a retired officer from the Ventura Police Department, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office. Authorities said Snowling, 59, armed with multiple weapons, went to Cook’s Corner looking for his estranged wife, who had filed for divorce nine months earlier. He walked up to her, and without “a discussion, dialogue or an argument,” Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said, “he immediately fired upon her, striking her once.” Marie Snowling had regained consciousness by Thursday afternoon and was expected to survive, officials said. Her husband was killed in a shootout with deputies outside the bar. (Solis, Lin and Ormseth, 8/24)

Los Angeles Daily News:
Who Was Alleged Cook’s Corner Gunman And Ex-Ventura Cop John Patrick Snowling? 

Marie Snowling talked about her troubled marriage over cigarettes and drinks about a month ago with acquaintance C. Cahill at a Mission Viejo bar. “She said he was very, very controlling and she finally got the strength to leave him and she wasn’t sure what to do,” Cahill of Mission Viejo remembered Thursday. “She said her kids were very supportive.” (Saavedra, Cain and Ritchie, 8/24)

Orange County Register:
Cook’s Corner Mass Shooting Gunman Entered With Two Legal Guns, Went To Get Two More 

When John Patrick Snowling walked into Cook’s Corner on Wednesday, Aug. 23, he was armed with two handguns and used one of them to shoot his estranged wife, Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said Thursday at a news conference. Snowling, who was killed in an exchange with sheriff’s deputies outside the Trabuco Canyon landmark, went to his truck after the initial shootings to get two more guns: a handgun and a shotgun, Barnes said in his description of events. The sheriff said that all four of Snowling’s guns were purchased legally. “He did acquire all of the guns legally,” Barnes said. (Harmonson, 8/24)

Los Angeles Times:
Cook’s Corner Shooting: A First-Hand Tale Of Survival 

For Mark and Debbie Johnson, the Cook’s tragedy is their second brush with a mass shooting at a concert. One of Mark’s employees at his real-estate research firm was shot twice at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas in 2017, where 60 people died. “Humans are resilient, but this is unique when you feel this vulnerable,” Debbie Johnson said. (Brown, 8/24)

San Diego Union-Tribune:
Should California Pass A $25 Minimum Wage For Health Care Workers? 

California lawmakers have been supportive of signing a bill that raises the minimum wage to $25 an hour for all health care workers. (Molnar, 8/25)

CalMatters:
California Taxes: Why Is A Colorado Company Involved?

A feud between private ambulance companies and local fire departments, with millions of dollars in profits on the line, underpins another battle about a ballot measure to restrict taxation in California that looms over the end of the legislative session. American Medical Response, the Colorado-based corporation also known as AMR that reigns in the medical transportation services industry, has poured more than $3 million into the November 2024 initiative that would increase the requirements for implementing taxes, fees and other government charges — the single largest donor so far outside of its sponsor, the California Business Roundtable. (Koseff, 8/24)

Capitol Weekly:
Skinner Remains Hopeful Of Shifting The Narrative Surrounding Menstruation 

With over half of American women in a 2023 poll stating that they’ve felt embarrassed about their period at some point, it is no surprise that there is a lack of discourse on menstrual cycle advocacy in governments across the country. California State Senator, Legislative Women’s Caucus Chair, and menstrual product advocate, Nancy Skinner describes the narrative of shame that permeates the attitudes of both men and women alike regarding menstruation, stating, “In typical fashion, we as women are still hiding our periods, or some kind of shame, when it is a basic biological function. We should get out of the closet — there should be no shame, there should be no hiding.” (Watts, 8/24)

The Bakersfield Californian:
2 Years Later, Kern Releases Updated COVID-19 Death Data 

Understanding the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic depends almost entirely on the data made available. And after nearly two years, death data — at least in Kern County — has become available. (Donegan, 8/24)

AP:
California Doctor Lauded For COVID Testing Work Pleads Guilty To Selling Misbranded Cosmetic Drugs

A “rock star” doctor who tested tens of thousands of people for COVID-19 in the pandemic’s early months in a badly-stricken California desert community has pleaded guilty to misbranding cosmetic drugs, authorities said Thursday. Dr. Tien Tan Vo acknowledged in a plea agreement that none of the lip fillers used by his Imperial Valley clinics from November 2016 to October 2020 were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, federal prosecutors said. (8/24)

CNBC:
Covid Vaccines: CDC Expects New Shots To Be Available In Mid September

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expects updated Covid vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax to be available to the public in mid-September, an agency official told reporters Thursday. That amounts to the most specific timeline to date. Federal officials have said the new shots could arrive around September. CDC Director Mandy Cohen had previously provided a later timeline, telling NPR that the vaccines could be available by the “early October time frame.” (Constantino, 8/25)

The New York Times:
Faulty Oxygen Readings Delayed Covid Care For Black And Hispanic Patients: Study

Pulse oximeters routinely overestimated levels of oxygen in the blood in darker-skinned Covid patients, leading to delays in treatment and hospital readmissions, according to a research article published on Thursday. The research focused on the first years of the coronavirus pandemic, when patients overwhelmed hospitals. At the time, blood-oxygen levels were a key factor in deciding which patients wound up in limited hospital beds and received treatment. (Jewett, 8/24)

Modern Healthcare:
CDC Releases Sepsis Guidelines For Prevention, Treatment

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released guidelines to help hospitals create more effective sepsis management teams and improve patient survival rates. The agency’s seven “Sepsis Core Elements,” announced Thursday, come as sepsis cases continue to rise and industry leaders call for better surveillance systems, diagnostic tools and education surrounding the life-threatening condition. (Devereaux, 8/24)

Fierce Healthcare:
Fewer, But Larger, Healthcare Data Breaches Reported In The First Half Of 2023

The healthcare industry has suffered fewer but larger cybersecurity breaches in the first half of 2023, suggesting a shift in targets and tactics among attackers, wrote cybersecurity firm Critical Insight in a new report. The 308 healthcare data breaches reported to the federal government from January through June represent a 15% sequential decline from the back half of 2022’s 363, according to the report. (Muoio, 8/24)

Bloomberg:
Wegovy Weight-Loss Drug Improves Obese Patients’ Heart Failure Symptoms

Wegovy, the blockbuster weight-loss medication from Novo Nordisk A/S, alleviated heart failure symptoms in patients with obesity, according to a late-stage trial that adds to the drug’s potential benefits. A weekly dose reduced patients’ ills that can include shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling in the legs and irregular heartbeat, according to findings published Friday in the New England Journal of Medicine. (Muller and Kresge, 8/25)

Reuters:
Cigna Removes Pre-Authorization Requirement For 25% Of Medical Services

Health insurer Cigna Group said on Thursday it would remove the use of prior authorization or paperwork required to get approval for insurance coverage for 25% of medical services. Health insurers have come under pressure as physicians claim that the pre-authorization requirements for some procedures are restrictive and increases their paperwork. (8/24)

Military Times:
These Genetic Tests Are Now Part Of Tricare’s Covered Benefits

Defense health officials have added six preconception and prenatal genetic tests to military members’ health care benefits. The lab tests that are now a Tricare covered medical benefit include one test per condition, per lifetime, for these genetic disorders: Cystic fibrosis, Spinal muscular atrophy, Fragile X syndrome, Tay-Sachs disease, Hemoglobinopathies, Conditions linked with Ashkenazi Jewish descent. (Jowers, 8/24)

Modern Healthcare:
UnitedHealth Lawsuit Over Mental Health Claims Revived By Appeals Court

A federal appeals court has revived a high-profile class action lawsuit that accuses a UnitedHealth Group subsidiary of improperly denying mental health claims. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled Tuesday that some policyholders may be entitled to relief from United Behavioral Health, partially reversing an earlier decision. (Tepper, 8/24)

Voice Of San Diego:
How San Diego Is Rolling Out CARE Court 

San Diego County officials have until October to stand up a new system to compel people with certain serious mental illnesses into treatment.  There’s a lot to do before then, and among the many challenges the county is up against is an undeniable obstacle: Though the program is only expected to serve a relatively small group of people, it’s likely to hammer a system that already regularly fails to deliver the right care for those who need it. (Halverstadt, 8/24)

The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat:
Maria Carrillo High School Students Team With Mental Health Professionals For Santa Rosa Marathon Booth On Cyberbullying

Instead of passing out water to runners at the Santa Rosa Marathon this weekend, a group of mental health professionals and high school students will be manning booths to combat the rise of cyberbullying. (Gutierrez, 8/24)

Axios:
Bullying Rates Are Jumping In Schools: Survey

Bullying in schools has shot up over the past five years, according to an annual survey by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Years of pandemic disruption have caused students to struggle with stress management, problem solving and peer relationships, the survey found. 40% of child and teen respondents said they were bullied on school campuses in the past year, according to the Youth Right Now survey, conducted annually by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. (Rubin, 8/24)

The Washington Post:
Doctors To Parents: Stop Smashing Eggs On Your Kids’ Heads On TikTok

Pediatricians and other child development experts have spoken out about the risk of emotional harm to the children featured in many of these videos. (Bisset, 8/25)

The Washington Post:
A Mother’s Stress May Change The Makeup Of Her Child’s Microbiome

When it comes to microbiome health, many people focus on the foods that will help the trillions of good bacteria in their guts thrive. But less is known about how other factors like stress and trauma influence our gut health. A provocative study suggests that a mother’s stress may leave a lasting scar on future generations by impacting the makeup of her child’s gut microbiome. (Zimmerman, 8/24)

Sacramento Bee:
McKinsey Got Veterans Hooked On Opioids. CA Must Cut Ties

After serving two tours in Iraq with the U.S. Army, I returned home with a Purple Heart. But I was struggling with the same mental health challenges that many veterans face. I was prescribed a cocktail of opioids and other sedatives — effectively trading my firearm for a pillbox — and then sent on my merry way. I recently learned that there were nefarious reasons behind what has become the opioid epidemic; reasons deeply mired in greed. (Devon J. Mathis, 8/24)

East Bay Times:
California Medical Board Reform Would Save Patient Lives

A bill currently facing its final votes in the state Legislature, SB 815 by Sen. Richard Roth, D-Riverside, is the start to reforming how the medical board handles investigations. It would require the board to interview complainants before their cases are closed. It would also create a public liaison unit to guide complainants through the investigation process. (Maria Ibarra Navarrette, 8/25)

San Diego Union-Tribune:
I’m Unhoused In Balboa Park. Family Disputes And Health Problems Put Me On The Streets.

I’ve been out on the street for more than 15 years in San Diego and in Tijuana. Right now I stay mostly near Balboa Park with my partner and my nephew, who is five years younger than me. I call him my son because I don’t have any children of my own. (Christopher Hinojosa, 8/18)

Los Angeles Daily News:
Diverting Homeless Funds From Proposition 63’s Intended Purpose 

In 2004, California voters approved Proposition 63, the Mental Health Services Act. It was a 1% tax on incomes above $1 million to fund badly needed mental health services, and supporters told voters the new funding would reduce homelessness. The tax has brought in about $39 billion overall, and it’s expected to raise nearly $4 billion this year alone. (8/23)

The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat:
A Clearer Picture Of Local Homelessness

On a designated day each year, teams of volunteers fan out across Sonoma County to count the unhoused — people living on the street or alongside creeks, people sleeping in shelters or vehicles or other places not intended for human habitation. (8/25)

Military Times:
Banning Gender Affirming Care Impacts Service Members And Families

Transgender troops have served openly and received all medically necessary care since 2016. They’ve served with distinction all around the world, been lauded for their accomplishments, and are dedicated to the mission of the armed forces. When the Trump administration all but banned transgender troops in 2019, it went against the prevailing view. Gallup found that an overwhelming majority of Americans — more than 70% — supported their opportunity to serve. And troops themselves mirrored that sentiment, with 66% of active duty personnel supporting transgender service, according to the Pentagon’s own study. (Bree Fram, 8/22)

Fresno Bee:
Fresno Considers New Ways To Regulate Biological Labs 

Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz says his staff has been searching through the voluminous California Penal Code to find where misrepresenting the operation of a biological lab might be covered. (8/23)