Health
This story is part of “The Stakes,” a UC Berkeley Journalism project on executive orders and actions affecting Californians and their communities. When the federal government rescinded millions of dollars in grants to California researchers earlier this year, state Sen. Scott Wiener proposed a way the state could raise its own research funding and steer how it is spent. He wants the Legislature to ask voters to support a $23 billion bond measure to fund science and research in California. …
This story is part of “The Stakes,” a UC Berkeley Journalism project on executive orders and actions affecting Californians and their communities. It was co-published with Richmondside. A recent Cooking Matters class at the nonprofit Rubicon Richmond began with a bit of show-and-tell. The 10 or so people in the room each shared the favorite foods they ate over the past weekend. Eli Cruz, who was leading the class, tried a Purple Haze latte. Carolyn, one of the students, had…
“I’m scared as hell,” said Kaya Owens. A single mom and hairdresser who works in Contra Costa and Alameda counties, Owens relies on Medi-Cal for herself and her young daughter. “I don’t have savings,” she said. “I’m pretty screwed.” Contra Costa County has the highest percentage of Medi-Cal enrollment in the state, with approximately 250,000 people receiving the benefit. Medi-Cal is California’s version of Medicaid, which provides health care for low-income residents, pregnant people, children and those with disabilities, among…
In years past, if someone in Richmond called 911 about an overdose, the response almost always came from the police. But if you were to call 911 about an opioid overdose in Richmond today, help often comes in the form of the city’s new crisis-response programs. These programs are gradually shifting Richmond’s opioid treatment approach away from emergency law enforcement and toward coordinated care. This new citywide coordinated response overhaul was the focus of the Opioid Awareness Community Forum held…
What might drive a person to act on air pollution? Dr. Niyi Omotoso, an Oakland pediatrician has asked himself that question. One answer, he believes, is asthma. Omotoso has treated many children with asthma, especially when he practiced in Richmond and San Pablo for 12 years. He saw how the disease disrupted the lives of the children and their families. A concerning UC San Francisco report confirms his experience: Around 25% of Richmond’s population suffers from asthma, almost double the…
After a Contra Costa man’s death from West Nile virus was reported on July 16, the county Health Department is urging the public to take precautions against the mosquito-borne illness. It was the county’s first reported West Nile death since 2006, and California’s only death among five recorded cases this year. Citing privacy laws, the county has released little information about the death, except that the man lived in the eastern part of the county and that health officials have…
Pulsing beats and whirling bodies fill up a cavernous hall at the Richmond Recreation Complex. It’s not Richmond’s newest nightclub — it’s a Thursday evening Zumba class. Located in Richmond Village, the Richmond Recreation Complex offers Zumba and other activities for adults and children. There are volleyball leagues for middle schoolers and adults and drop-in pickleball, just to name a few. The complex offers 10 programs, according to data from Richmond’s Community Services Recreation Department. The newly released winter…
“People of Richmond” is a regular series in which reporters pose a question to people in the community. Answers are presented verbatim, though sometimes edited for brevity. Q: Why do you think chronic sadness is so prevalent among WCCUSD high school students? “I’m a student athlete and I work. Sometimes I feel like I ignore my own feelings so I can get through the day.” (Alejandra, high school senior) “The environment is not safe, so definitely the schools aren’t safe…
“People of Richmond” is a regular series in which reporters pose a question to people in the community. Answers are presented verbatim, though sometimes edited for brevity. Q: Would you cross a picket line of striking workers to receive routine health care? “No I stand with the workers of Kaiser. My mom is a nurse so I understand their struggles.” (Kayla Chin, customer service manager, pictured above) “If I need to see a doctor, I’m going to go see a…