Health

JoAnn Ford advocates for health in Iron Triangle

JoAnn Ford is a Richmond native and has raised seven children in the Iron Triangle. After battling several health issues herself, she has become an advocate for improving health outcomes in Richmond. Through her work with Building Blocks for Kids, JoAnn raises awareness in the community around issues like access to healthy foods and increasing recreational activities. Here, JoAnn shares her story. Jake Nicol, U.C. Berkeley graduate student, produced and edited this film.

Richmond kids work towards Youth Council

In Richmond, a new model for adult-youth conversation is starting to emerge. On Saturday, more than 100 people gathered at City Hall for a Youth Summit sponsored by Mayor Gayle McLaughlin.

Doctors Medical Center fights closure

About 250,000 West Contra Costa County residents may soon be in the midst of a health care crisis. Doctors Medical Center San Pablo has lost millions of dollars for years by treating the uninsured and underinsured. The hospital has stayed afloat with the help of two parcel taxes and previous funding from the state and area providers including John Muir and Kaiser. But it still faces a sixteen million dollar shortfall for this year. A third parcel tax measure will…

Black smoke from Chevron Refinery not a risk, officials say

A dark cloud of smoke rose from Chevron’s Richmond Refinery Thursday morning, alarming some nearby residents, but oil company officials said the smoke resulted from routine maintenance and poses no health risks to the community. Melissa Ritchie, a Chevron spokeswoman, said the occasional flaring is a “normal and important part to keeping the refinery running safely.” The oil company’s fenceline and community air monitors indicate that the flaring has not resulted in any health risks from air quality, Ritchie said. But…