California Health Report

The California Health Report is a non-profit journalism initiative that operates independently, focusing on health and health policy across California. Our aim is to create stories that serve the public interest, addressing topics such as healthcare access, health inequalities, children's health, aging, and issues related to justice and violence.

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‘I Cannot Fall Apart Right Now.’ Kids With Disabilities and Their Families Struggle in Aftermath of Wildfire Displacement

1 week ago | calhealthreport.org | Ricky Rodas

Wyatt Ahders had a routine. Every week, the 18-year-old would step out his front door and walk to friends’ houses in the neighborhood. Along the way, he’d stop and exchange hellos with any neighbors he passed. Then that routine was disrupted. The Ahders’ family home burned in the recent Palisades fire. Along with it, Ahders, who has autism, lost his familiar schedule that brought him a sense of security.
How One Bay Area Group Uses Restorative Circles to Help Women Heal

4 weeks ago | calhealthreport.org | Claudia Boyd-Barrett

On a recent evening in downtown Oakland, seven women sat on couches arranged in a circle around a table with flickering candles, passing around a small, pink ball. Each passing of the ball signified the holder’s turn to speak, while the rest of the group listened. The women shared how they were feeling, recent challenges they’d faced and about people they were grateful for. Then it was facilitator Kusum Crimmel’s turn to speak.
Medicaid Cuts Could Upend Lives of Children With Disabilities. Can California Do More to Prepare?

1 month ago | calhealthreport.org | Claudia Boyd-Barrett

Jessica Pequeño of Napa has been taking breaks from watching the news lately. But when she opens her social media feeds for the support groups she frequents for parents of children with disabilities, they’re full of panicked chatter about the news she’s been trying to avoid.
A Violence-Prevention Helpline for Those Who Want to Change Gains Ground in California

2 months ago | calhealthreport.org | Claudia Boyd-Barrett

Jacquie Marroquin spent much of her childhood living in fear of her father. A child of undocumented immigrants from Guatemala, Marroquin – who grew up in Los Angeles in the 1970s – worried that speaking to anyone in authority about her father’s physical and emotional abuse would put her family in danger of being separated, or get her parents deported. But she desperately wanted the abuse to stop.
What Has And Hasn’t Happened in the Year Since San Diego’s Devastating Floods

Jan 22, 2025 | calhealthreport.org | Claudia Boyd-Barrett

This story is part of the Pulitzer Center’s nationwide Connected Coastlines reporting initiative. Jessica Calix has tried to make the 33-foot travel trailer she and her son Chago share at a north San Diego RV Park feel like their old rental home in Southcrest.
More California Kids with Disabilities Are Enrolled in a New Health Program, But Is It Helping?

Nov 7, 2024 | calhealthreport.org | Claudia Boyd-Barrett

Susan Skotzke had high hopes when she heard about a new benefit called Enhanced Care Management offered under her daughter’s Medi-Cal health insurance plan. Skotzke, who lives in Santa Cruz County, spends between five and 10 hours a day coordinating care for her daughter, Diana, who has a rare genertic condition and seizure disorder, and is unable to walk, talk or feed herself.
How I Used Restorative Justice to Heal Myself and My Family

Oct 21, 2024 | calhealthreport.org | Lisbet Perez

As a victim advocate and survivor of domestic violence, I have had the privilege of learning about and applying the principles of restorative justice in my own life. My journey began 11 years after leaving my children’s father, a decision that shattered my sense of safety, trust and self-worth. I believe my story will resonate with many, especially fellow survivors working in domestic violence prevention. It was a challenging journey, but I am grateful to have thrived.
Punjabi Residents in Fresno Find a Lifeline in a Community-Led Health Program

Aug 15, 2024 | calhealthreport.org | Claudia Boyd-Barrett

All Nirmal Singh and his wife, Daljit Kaur, wanted were a few groceries from Walmart. But as the older couple drove in circles around the suddenly unfamiliar streets of Fresno, Singh feared they’d be spending the night in their car. Singh, 72, had struggled with bad eyesight for years. At the meatpacking plant where he works the night shift, he strained to see the hooks for hanging chickens and worried he might trip over stray pieces of meat on the floor. His wife’s eyesight was even worse.
Opinion: Doctors Are Facing a Mental Health Crisis. We Must Make it Easier for Them to Get Help

Jul 8, 2024 | calhealthreport.org | Max J Blumberg

See the person, not their disease. While this teaching — originating from Canadian physician Sir William Osler — has been a foundation of medical training since 1850, medicine has failed to follow this principle when it comes to our own doctors. To practice in California, physicians must apply for a license in a process that asks invasive questions about our mental health history. Any affirmative answer could lead to devastating penalties.
California Excludes Some Undocumented Immigrants From Health Coverage. This Bill Would Fix That

May 7, 2024 | calhealthreport.org | Jasmine Aguilera

Marisol Pantoja Toribio found a lump in her breast in early January. Undocumented, uninsured, and without her family, the usually happy-go-lucky 43-year-old quickly realized how limited her options were. “I said, ‘What am I going to do?’” she says in Spanish, quickly getting emotional. She immediately worried that she might have cancer. “I went back and forth — I have [cancer], I don’t have it, I have it, I don’t have it.” And if she was sick, she adds, she wouldn’t be able to work or pay her rent.