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Stay Well
breaking health news & updates
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Trump Nominates Republican Once Accused of Mishandling Taxpayer Funds as HHS Watchdog | |
President Donald Trump has nominated a Republican attorney who was once accused of mishandling taxpayer funds and has a history of launching investigations against abortion clinics to lead the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General.
If confirmed by the Senate, Thomas March Bell will oversee fraud, waste, and abuse audits of the Medicare and Medicaid programs, which spend more than $1 trillion annually.
Bell, who was nominated on Monday, currently serves as general counsel for House Republicans and has worked for GOP politicians and congressional offices for decades.
The president's nomination is a brazenly political one for a job that has long been viewed as nonpartisan and focuses largely on accounting for and ferreting out fraud in some of the nation’s biggest spending programs.
Bell was terminated from his role at Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality in 1997 after a state audit showed he improperly authorized a nearly $8,000 payment to the agency’s former spokesman, according to Washington Post reporting at the time.
He was staff director for House Republicans' 2016 investigation into Planned Parenthood. That controversial panel Bell spearheaded looked into Planned Parenthood's use of fetal tissue for medical research. During the first Trump administration, Bell's job at the HHS Office of Civil Rights drew rebuke from Democrats. U.S. News & World Report Read more
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Susan Monarez Named CDC Director
President Donald Trump has chosen Susan Monarez to lead the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) permanently. She has served as acting director since January.
If approved by the Senate, Monarez would become the first person without a medical degree to head the CDC in more than 50 years.
She is an infectious disease researcher and a former deputy director of a federal health research agency created during the Biden administration.
“Americans have lost confidence in the C.D.C. due to political bias and disastrous mismanagement,” Trump wrote on TruthSocial.
He added that Monarez will work with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to fight chronic disease and improve trust in the agency. Its mission is to fight disease and help communities and citizens do the same.
Monarez took over at the CDC after the president’s original nominee, Dr. Dave Weldon, was pulled from the confirmation process just hours before his hearing. Some health experts say Monarez brings a different approach than that of Weldon, whose vaccine views raised concerns. U.S. News & World Report Read more
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Eden Health District Honored as 'Community Champion'
Eden Health District Chair Ed Hernandez and Director Roxann Lewis attended Spectrum Community Service’s “Community Champions Week.” Spectrum Community Services offers senior meals programs and ETHD stopped by the San Leandro Senior Community Center for a seniors’ meal lunch service on March 19 and 20.
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2 West Oakland Homeless Shelters Could Close at End of Month
The director of two Oakland homeless shelters says he’s shutting down the programs at the end of the month over the city’s failure to pay his organization. Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS) has contracts with Oakland to run both the “Community Cabins” shelter and RV “safe parking” site on Wood Street in West Oakland. Executive Director Donald Frazier claims that Oakland has been months late in paying BOSS for its services and hasn’t been able to commit to covering the remainder of the contracts. Oaklandside Read more
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New Golden Gate Safety Nets Are Reducing Suicide Deaths, Study Finds
Newly installed safety nets along San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge reduced suicides there by 73 percent, a new analysis suggests. The study looks at recent suicide deaths along the iconic bridge. Officials say there has been an average of 30 confirmed suicide deaths per year for the past 20 years. In 2024, officials finished erecting a continuous stainless-steel barrier on both sides of the bridge after years of pushback from those who opposed modifying the bridge’s art deco style. Washington Post Read more
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What the COVID-19 Pandemic Tells Us About How Viruses Evolve
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists predicted the coronavirus would mutate slowly. They were wrong. Hundreds of thousands of viral mutations and multiple seasonal waves later, researchers now know why. Turns out, SARS-CoV-2 was making evolutionary leaps and bounds in one specific group of people. "When the virus jumps from person to person, it gets about two mutations a month," says Sarah Zhang, a health writer for The Atlantic, who has been covering the coronavirus pandemic since it began. In February, she wrote a piece comparing several studies indicating that in the immune system of an immunocompromised person, the SARS-CoV-2 virus might survive for weeks, even months. NPR Read more
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A Clearer Picture of COVID’s Lasting Effects on the Body
Five years — and hundreds of millions of cases — after the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists are getting a clearer picture of how the virus can affect the body long after an infection seems to pass. Some of COVID’s effects became apparent soon after the virus began spreading. We quickly understood how deadly an infection could be, especially for those with underlying conditions like diabetes and heart disease. But it has taken years of research to start making sense of how a bout of COVID-19 can lead to lasting, sometimes invisible changes in different parts of the body. NY Times Read more
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I’m a Long COVID Researcher. And I Have Long COVID
About 6% of U.S. adults are estimated to be living with long COVID-19, and one of them is UC San Francisco epidemiologist and long COVID researcher Alison Cohen, PhD, MPH. Cohen, who was involved in COVID-19 research since the beginning of the pandemic, was infected for the first and only time in January 2022. Debilitating symptoms such as fatigue and the inability to sit or stand for long periods of time have never gone away.
She’s used her expertise as an epidemiologist and as a patient to deepen our scientific understanding of the disease, including authoring a recent paper that found promise in the extended use of the antiviral Paxlovid. But it’s been five years since the pandemic began, and there are still no federally approved medications to help the millions of people living with long COVID. We spoke with Cohen to learn about how she manages her symptoms and whether potential treatments are in the works. UCSF News Read more
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Women Are at Much Higher Risk Of Long COVID Than Men. Why?
Five years after the start of the pandemic, long COVID — one of the most mysterious and debilitating consequences of the virus — remains with us, and is disproportionately affecting women. An estimated 15 million to 20 million Americans have had long COVID, which is defined as having symptoms that last more than three months, often including fatigue, brain fog, and shortness of breath. Women have significantly higher rates of long COVID than men, with the ratio ranging from roughly 1.5-to-1 to 2-to-1, according to federal data, research studies, and doctors who treat long COVID patients. This disparity has been true throughout the pandemic. And it tracks with women in general being much more likely than men to have autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. SF Chronicle Read more
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Oklahoma Now Reporting Measles Cases Related to Texas/New Mexico Outbreak
As the number of cases in the Texas measles outbreak continues to climb, Oklahoma is now reporting four cases, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Currently, a total of 321 cases have been reported in the outbreak of measles that began earlier this year in Gaines County, Texas, and has since spread to New Mexico and now Oklahoma. All four cases in Oklahoma reported "exposure associated with the Texas and New Mexico outbreak."
As of March 18, the number of cases in the measles outbreak in Gaines County and the surrounding communities in the state of Texas totaled 279 individuals, including at least 208 children and 52 adults. Thirty-six patients have been hospitalized. The total number of cases in New Mexico is 38, with 17 children younger than 17 years and 20 adults affected; the age of one case is pending. Two patients have been hospitalized. Cases have been reported in 11 Texas counties and two New Mexico counties. U.S. News & World Report Read more
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Protesters Slam O.C. Republican Over Feared Trump Medi-Cal Cuts
Hundreds of healthcare workers and others massed in Anaheim Hills shouting their anger over expected cuts to Medicaid and what they stand to lose. Local resident Cynthia Williams, who was among those protesting outside Republican U.S. Rep. Young Kim’s office, said she knew exactly where the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, needed to trim the fat. “Cut these billionaires; go cut them off,” Williams said. “Medi-Cal cuts affect real lives, human beings that need care.”
The group of about 200 workers, their supporters, and constituents of Kim decried potential cuts to Medi-Cal and excoriated President Trump and tech titan Elon Musk, head of DOGE. The administration’s budget resolution proposes billions in tax and spending cuts. Although Trump has said he wouldn’t support cutting Medicaid, which provides health services for low-income people, the Congressional Budget Office has said it would be impossible to achieve his promised savings without cutting such programs. LA Times Read more
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Amid Plummeting Diversity at Medical Schools, A Warning Of DEI Crackdown’s ‘Chilling Effect’
The Trump administration’s crackdown on DEI programs could exacerbate an unexpectedly steep drop in diversity among medical school students, even in states like California, where public universities have been navigating bans on affirmative action for decades. Education and health experts warn that, ultimately, this could harm patient care.
Numerous requests for comment from medical schools about the impact of the anti-DEI actions went unreturned. University presidents are staying mum on the issue to protect their institutions, according to reporting from The New York Times. Utibe Essien, a physician and UCLA assistant professor, said he has heard from some students who fear they won’t be considered for admission under the new policies. Essien, who co-authored a study on the effect of affirmative action bans on medical schools, also said students are worried medical schools will not be as supportive toward students of color as in the past. Sacramento Bee Read more
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Rare Hair Loss Condition Can Be Treated with Low Doses of Antibiotic
Lower doses of a common antibiotic can curb hair loss caused by a rare skin condition, a new study says. The antibiotic doxycycline is commonly used to treat lymphocytic scarring alopecia, a condition in which the body’s immune cells target hair follicles, researchers said. But the relatively high doses of doxycycline used to prevent hair loss and scarring aren’t necessary, according to findings published March 18 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. That means these patients can receive effective treatment without the nausea, vomiting, and rashes that can accompany high doses of doxycycline, researchers said. U.S. News & World Report Read more
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Tuberculosis Cases in the US Rose to Their Highest Levels in More Than a Dozen Years
Tuberculosis continued to rise again in the U.S. last year, reaching its highest levels in more than a dozen years. More than 10,300 cases were reported last year, an 8% increase from 2023 and the highest since 2011, according to preliminary data posted this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Both the number of cases and the rate of infections rose. Rates were up among all age groups, and 34 states reported an increase. CDC officials say the rise is mainly due to international travel and migration. The vast majority of U.S. TB cases are diagnosed in people born in other countries. Other illnesses that weaken the immune system and allow latent TB infections to emerge may also be at play. U.S. News & World Report Read more
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Ears Ringing? Diet Changes Might Reduce Risk Of Tinnitus
Lowering the volume on earbuds or wearing earplugs in noisy environments is known to reduce a person’s risk of tinnitus. Now, new research suggests that eating more fruit and fiber or drinking more milk and coffee may also stave off the vexing and persistent buzzing that can drive folks to distraction. Simple dietary changes appear to reduce people’s risk of developing tinnitus, researchers reported in The BMJ.
“Diet-based strategies for tinnitus prevention are anticipated to play a significant role in chronic tinnitus management,” the research team led by senior researcher Qinxiu Zhang with the Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Sichuan, China, concluded. “Existing evidence suggests that consuming fruit, dietary fiber, caffeine, and dairy may be associated with a reduced incidence of tinnitus,” researchers wrote. U.S. News & World Report Read more
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Why Don't We Remember Being Babies? Brain Scans Reveal New Clues
All of us lack memories from our infancy. Is that because we don't make memories when we're babies, or is there something else responsible? Now, in new research published by Tristan Yates and her colleagues in the journal Science, they propose that babies are able to form memories, even if they become inaccessible later in life. NPR Read more
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An Essential Predictor of Happiness is Often Overlooked, According to a Global Study
On March 20 each year, the Wellbeing Research Centre releases its annual World Happiness Report, with a ranking of the happiest countries in the world. The report, which analyzes over 100,000 people’s responses from more than 140 countries, ranks countries based on inhabitants’ perceived quality of life on a scale of zero to 10, with 10 meaning they’re living their most ideal life imaginable.
Researchers examined a country’s GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, perceptions of corruption, freedom, and more to help explain the findings. However, this year, they paid particular attention to another key happiness predictor: Benevolence. For the first time, the report took into account someone’s trust that a lost wallet would be returned in their country. Yahoo News Read more
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Sacramento Company Will Make Close To $10 Million For Cleaning Up Homeless Encampments
Sacremento has extended its contract with a company used for cleaning homeless encampments, pushing the total spending past $9 million in just over two years. The City Council unanimously approved a $1.1 million extension Tuesday night with Forensiclean, a private clean service company based in Sacramento. This latest extension ensures that the Forensiclean will work for at least another three months and adds to its growing amount charged to the city. Sacramento Bee Read more
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Homeless Deaths Jumped 50% Over 3-Year Period in California County; Fentanyl Partly to Blame
Deaths of homeless people in Orange County increased by 50 percent between 2020 and 2023, with fentanyl said to have played a key role, according to a county report. The third annual report filed by the Homeless Death Review Committee found that deaths increased incrementally over the last decade and rose to “unprecedented heights” between 2021 and 2023. A 56% hike also occurred in the first year of the pandemic between 2019 to 2020. East Bay Times Read more
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California Considers More Homeless Shelter Oversight After CalMatters Investigation
A new state bill would add more oversight to California homeless shelters after a CalMatters investigation exposed that many taxpayer-funded facilities are plagued by violence, mismanagement and low success rates. The bill would build on an existing state law that was supposed to add basic checks on homeless shelter safety and sanitation. Previous reporting found all but a handful of cities and counties have ignored the law.
Under the new proposal, local governments would be required to perform annual inspections of taxpayer-funded shelters, and cities and counties could lose state funding if they fail to correct code violations or keep neglecting to file mandatory reports. Shelter operators would also have to do more to inform residents of their rights to file complaints. CalMatters Read more
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Biden’s Prisons Chief Tapped to Fix Lagging Mental Health Care in California Lockups
Following through on intentions broadcast a year ago, a federal judge is putting control of California’s troubled inmate mental health programs into the hands of an outsider: President Biden’s former chief of prisons. With inmate suicide rates at an all-time high, U.S. District Senior Judge Kimberly Mueller said her aim is to force changes in California’s prison mental health system, which a federal judge in 1995 deemed to be so poor as to constitute cruel and unusual punishment.
To do that, Mueller is naming a federal “receiver-nominee” to develop an oversight plan for psychiatric services for California’s prison population. Three prior candidates, for varying reasons, passed up the job. LA Times Read more
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Violence, Neglect Plague Bay Area Psychiatric Hospital. California Has Left Its Patients In Danger
California is committing more and more people to psychiatric hospitals run by for-profit companies. The results are devastating. For nearly a decade, Santa Rosa Behavioral employees and patients have pleaded for the California Department of Public Health to better protect the thousands of people treated inside the facility each year.
The agency, which licenses hospitals and responds to patient and worker complaints, has documented dozens of violations at Santa Rosa Behavioral since it opened, many of them tied to understaffing. The failures have contributed to a litany of assaults, sexual abuses, and potentially preventable deaths. SF Chronicle Read more
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Leading a Movement Away From Psychiatric Medication
Laura Delano decided to walk away from psychiatric care altogether, a journey she detailed in a new memoir, Unshrunk: A Story of Psychiatric Treatment Resistance. Fourteen years after taking her last psychotropic drug, Delano projects a radiant good health that also serves as her argument — living proof that, all along, her psychiatrists were wrong. Since then, to the alarm of some physicians, an online DIY subculture focused on quitting psychiatric medications has expanded and begun to mature into a service industry. NY Times Read more
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Insurance Denials Can Devastate Mental Health Patients. California Is Considering How to Fix That
Frustrated Californians have long complained that they can’t get their health plans to cover desperately needed mental health treatment. These days, state lawmakers appear to be hearing them—and trying to act. One bill introduced this session would require health plans to cough up more data on coverage denials—and penalize those that wrongfully deny claims most often.
Another would require plans to wait at least 28 days after approving a patient to go into a substance use treatment center before they reassess whether the patient can remain there. A third would prohibit health plans from requiring prior authorization for mental health and substance use treatment before and during a patient’s stay in a hospital. CalMatters Read more
| | Fentanyl Crisis/Drug Trends | | | |
Purdue Pharma Submits Opioid Lawsuit Settlement Plan, Including up to $7 Billion Cash From Sacklers
Purdue Pharma asked a bankruptcy judge to consider the latest version of its plan to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of the powerful prescription painkiller OxyContin, a deal that would have members of the Sackler family who own the company pay up to $7 billion. The filing is a milestone in a tumultuous legal saga that has gone on for more than five years.
Under the deal the family members — estimated in documents from 2020 and 2021 to be worth about $11 billion — would give up ownership of the company in addition to contributing money over 15 years with the biggest payment up front. Family members resigned from Purdue's board, stopped receiving money from the company, and ceased other involvement before it filed for bankruptcy protection in 2019 as it faced lawsuits from thousands of state and local governments, plus others. The new entity would be run by a board appointed by state governments, and its mission will be to abate the opioid crisis that has been linked to hundreds of thousands of deaths in the U.S. since OxyContin hit the market in 1996. U.S. News & World Report Read more
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Trump Administration Extends Opioid Emergency as Fentanyl Deaths Drop
The Trump administration is extending through mid-June an emergency declaration linked to the opioid overdose crisis that was set to expire last Friday. In a statement, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. acknowledged drug deaths in the U.S. "are starting to decline" but said the Trump administration will continue treating the opioid crisis as "the national security emergency that it is." President Trump has linked fentanyl smuggling to his tariffs against Canada, China and Mexico. In doing so, Trump has often made factually inaccurate claims about the number of drug deaths in the U.S. NPR Read more
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Mayor Daniel Lurie Is Going After a New Target In SF’s Drug Crisis: Free Pipes, Foil
The days of San Francisco service providers handing out free foil and pipes to drug users on the sidewalks may soon be over. Mayor Daniel Lurie is taking a new approach to addressing San Francisco’s drug crisis by going after a long-standing, but increasingly polarizing, city strategy focused on reducing the harms of drug use rather than pushing solely for abstinence.
The Lurie administration signaled plans to try to stop city-funded nonprofits from handing out smoking supplies, such as foil, pipes, and staws to drug users. Critics, including service providers and public health experts, are firing back and raising concerns that this move will lead users to revert to the more dangerous practice of injecting drugs, potentially causing a rise in overdose deaths and the spread of diseases. SF Chronicle Read more
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Jury Awards $3.3 Million to Father of Mentally Ill California Inmate Who Died of Fentanyl Overdose
A federal court jury has awarded $3.3 million in damages to the father of a schizophrenic man who died in 2022 following a fentanyl overdose in his cell at the Theo Lacy Facility in Santa Ana. Following a five-day trial that concluded Friday, March 14, jurors determined Orange County is liable for the death of 28-year-old Joshua James Campos, who in addition to schizophrenia had been diagnosed with bipolar and obsessive-compulsive disorders when he was placed in the jail’s general population, where he apparently obtained the lethal dose of fentanyl. East Bay Times Read more
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Heart Disease, Diabetes, Obesity? A Plant-Based Diet Can Extend Your Life, Study Says
People dealing with heart disease, diabetes, or obesity are behind the eight ball when it comes to their chances of living longer. But they can improve their odds if they start following a healthy plant-based diet, according to a study scheduled for presentation Saturday in Chicago at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology. Closer adherence to a healthy plant-based diet is linked to a 17% to 24% reduced risk of premature death from any cause, heart disease, or cancer, researchers report. U.S. News & World Report Read more
| | About Eden Health District | | |
The Eden Health District Board of Directors are Chair Ed Hernandez, Roxann Lewis, Mariellen Faria, Sabrina Aranda, and Ronna Jojola Gonsalves. The Chief Executive Officer is Mark Friedman.
The Eden Health District is committed to ensuring that policy makers and community members receive accurate and timely information to help make the best policy and personal choices to meet and overcome the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as other health issues.
We welcome your feedback on our bulletin. Please contact editor Rebekah Moan.
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