To Fix Racism in Maternity Wards, California Lawmaker Seeks to Mandate Bias Training

A host of factors underlie the maternal health gap between black and white women, but studies consistently point to an ugly one: the persistence of racial bias.

Mortality rates among black infants in California are triple those of white infants. A host of factors underlie this health gap, but studies consistently point to an ugly one: the persistence of racial bias in perinatal care for women of color.

Jul 15, 2019 Adria Watson

New Budget Boosts Health Coverage For Low-Income Californians

Ann Manganello survives entirely off her Social Security stipend: $1,391 a month.

That doesn’t amount to much in the pricey desert enclave of Palm Springs, Calif. — especially for someone who contends with a host of expensive medical problems, including a blood vessel disorder, complications from a recent stroke and frequent bouts of colitis.

Jun 25, 2019 Ana B. Ibarra, California Healthline

St. HOPE’s Dual Approach in Oak Park Can Be a Model for Other Nonprofits

Cities across the country struggle with how to revitalize historically disenfranchised neighborhoods. An interesting and successful model — using public education, economic development and self-empowerment to drive change — has had a profound impact on a local underserved community.

Jun 14, 2019 Jake Mossawir

Startup of the Month: HealthSherpa

Guiding customers to health insurance coverage

When HealthCare.gov — the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchange website — went live in 2013, it was slow, buggy and hard to navigate — a digital mess. Two weeks later, three programmers in the Bay Area launched HealthSherpa.com, an alternative website to help online shoppers understand their options under the ACA and see plans and prices quickly.

Apr 3, 2019 Russell Nichols

An Alternative to ‘Deny and Defend’?

One area health system is among a small group of providers nationwide trying something different. In September 2014, Dignity Health implemented a system in four Sacramento-area hospitals designed to bring more satisfaction to patients and families after adverse medical events while boosting patient safety.

Feb 5, 2019 Steven Yoder