Tagged With "Pandemic"
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Telehealth Is Grabbing the Pandemic Spotlight. Can California Do More to Help It Grow [chcf.org]
By Rob Waters, California Health Care Foundation, April 16, 2020 In a decade at the Sacramento-based Center for Connected Health Policy , Mei Wa Kwong has had to answer a basic question more times than she can count: “What, exactly, is telehealth?” And until recently, she doesn’t recall the word being used so frequently by a president of the United States. Telehealth, previously known as telemedicine, generally refers to the use of interactive video and audio to diagnose, treat, or...
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The undocumented restaurant workers who fed us are being forgotten. This is their struggle [latimes.com]
By Patricia Escarcega, Los Angeles Times, May 15, 2020 Tony Ruiz doesn’t know where he’s going to sleep tonight. Two months ago, the 31-year-old had a steady job as a line cook at the San Francisco Saloon, the long-standing bar and grill on Pico Boulevard, and was renting a room in a home near the West L.A. neighborhood where he grew up. When he wasn’t working, he dreamed of someday opening his own restaurant. Now, with his job lost to the coronavirus outbreak and his savings eroded, Ruiz is...
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Love in the TIme of Coronavirus: Inequities and Supporting Children
This blog is re-posted from positiveexperience.org/blog/ Link there for associated resources, and for the other blogs in the series. Having safe, stable, and equitable environments to live, learn and play forms the second of the 4 Building Blocks of HOPE. Children need homes where they feel safe and secure and have their basic needs met. Children thrive in an environment that encourages curiosity and provides opportunities for learning to play and interact with other children. Today’s blog...
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Overturn of ACA Would Wreak Havoc in Time of Pandemic [chcf.org]
By Xenia Shih Bion, California Health Care Foundation, May 18, 2020 In April, the US unemployment rate rose to 14.7% , surpassing the previous monthly peak of 10% during the Great Recession in 2009. At least 36 million Americans are now jobless — many of them are suddenly without employer-sponsored health insurance. Some may need to obtain health coverage in the individual marketplace or from Medicaid, whose eligibility requirements were greatly expanded under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
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Pandemic EBT [cdss.ca.gov]
From California Department of Social Services, May 2020 Due to Coronavirus (COVID-19), children who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals at school will get extra food benefits. These food benefits are called Pandemic EBT or P-EBT benefits. P-EBT benefits help families in California buy food when schools are closed because of the coronavirus emergency. Families will get up to $365 per eligible child on their P-EBT card to use on food and groceries. Families with children who get...
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Pandemic steals most from immigrant working women [calmatters.org]
By Jackie Botts, Cal Matters, May 21, 2020 Early estimates indicate that the coronavirus pandemic has stolen jobs from non-citizen workers — including immigrants who have green cards, work visas or are undocumented — in California at higher rates than citizens. And women have suffered greater job loss than men. But it’s the Californians at that intersection, women who aren’t citizens, who have experienced the most devastating job losses, according to a study published Wednesday by UC Merced...
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Racial status And The Pandemic: A Combustible Mixture [californiahealthline.org]
By Anna Almendrala, California Healthline, May 12, 2020 In early March, Madalynn Rucker, then 69, agonized over whether to close her Sacramento consultancy office. On the 16th, she finally succumbed to a barrage of texts and calls from her daughter about the heightened risk of the coronavirus, and told her employees to begin working from home. That was three days before California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s statewide stay-at-home order . Her daughter was right in more ways than one. While Rucker’s...
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RESOURCE: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic: Information and Resources for Immigrant Communities
California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation (CRLAF) and the Sacramento FUEL Network for Immigrants have prepared an informational flyer (attached) to support immigrant communities in the Central Valley as families navigate the immense uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Topics covered include legal, healthcare, employment, housing, food assistance, census, and other areas of concern, specifically as they relate to immigrants or immigration status. Please help distribute this...
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Information and Updates on COVID-19 [acpm.org]
From American College of Preventive Medicine, May 2020 Preventive Medicine Physicians are our nation's first line of defense against pandemic disease. They are responding to the current COVID-19 pandemic with dedication, expertise and unfailing commitment to public health. We are curating a collection of well-vetted resources on COVID-19 for physicians, families and anyone interested in learning more about the coronavirus. Read our new blog, Preventive Medicine Responds to COVID-19 HERE. [...
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California jail population plummets during the pandemic. Could this lead to long-term change? [sacbee.com]
By Jason Pohl, The Sacramento Bee, May 27, 2020 California’s long history of altering its criminal justice system — from requiring life in prison for third-strike offenders to reducing the punishment for hundreds of crimes — is having another moment that could dramatically alter how the state locks people up. In a seismic, almost overnight shift, California has jailed 21,700 fewer people — nearly one-third of its daily population — in county lockups since the new coronavirus hit the state.
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Supporting Students Means Taking Care of Parents, Too. Here's How Schools Can Help. [edsurge.com]
By Meredith Liu and Valentina Helo-Villegas, EdSurge, May 26, 2020 Over the past month, educators across the country have come up with creative ways to support the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of children. From “ teacher caravans ” to virtual office hours, read alouds, and dance breaks, they have provided students with much-needed support to complement their education during a time of unprecedented disruption. But what about the wellbeing of parents? Should schools play a role in...
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Tackling Food Insecurity among K-12 Students during COVID-19 [ppic.org]
By Caroline Danielson and Niu Gao, Public Policy Institute of California, May 28, 2020 Food insecurity—either concerns around having enough food or outright hunger— has increased sharply this spring. Nationally, among children age 12 and under, the rate is up 14 points—from about 3% in 2018 to 17% in April 2020. During California’s COVID-19 school closures, even large districts appear to be serving fewer free and low-cost meals than before the pandemic, while rural or small districts face...
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America! "Oh, Say Can You See?" [blackvoicenews.com]
By S.E. Williams and Chuck Bibbs, Black Voice News, May 20, 2020 The COVID-19 Pandemic shined a brighter spotlight on the unorthodox leadership of this nation and revealed an unprepared healthcare system. In the process, it also exposed a grim, denigrating and devastating reality regarding people of color and the poor, particularly Black people. The health vulnerabilities these communities have lived with for generations, left them dangerously vulnerable to this deadly virus. Now, they are...
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The pandemic's great divide: Twelve hours in an L.A. restaurant [calmatters.org]
By Nigel Duara, Cal Matters, May 29, 2020 Edson Romero maneuvers his black Cadillac Escalade under the early afternoon sun onto Highway 101 in Los Angeles. Behind him is the Boyle Heights home he shares with three siblings. Up ahead is Echo Park, and the job he’s held since the recovery from the last economic crash, back in 2011. He’s dressed in his work uniform: blue jean shorts, running shoes and a black shirt emblazoned with “Sage Plant Based Bistro” in yellow-green lettering. Romero, 34,...
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What Isolation Does to Undocumented Immigrants [theatlantic.com]
By Emily Kaplan, The Atlantic, May 27, 2020 One of the first times I met with Antonio, a middle-aged undocumented man in Queens, he was an hour late. When he arrived, panting, he explained that while he was on the subway, word spread among passengers that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were waiting at the next station. Antonio stayed on the train for several more stops—but when he got off, he said he saw agents at that station too. This was the only day that entire month, he told...
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No jobs, no tests, no savings: Southeast LA County hit hard by pandemic [calmatters.org]
By Jacqueline Garcia, Cal Matters, June 4, 2020 Seven of every ten residents of southeast Los Angeles County have lost their jobs or had their wages cut during the pandemic, and 40% have less than $500 in savings to help them survive the economic devastation, according to a survey released today. The survey was conducted for a Los Angeles foundation seeking information on how small cities in the region are faring, including Bell, Bell Gardens, East Los Angeles, Huntington Park, Maywood,...
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California needs to create a just and equitable recovery [calmatters.org]
By Sonrisa Cooper and Sylvia Chi, Cal Matters, June 4, 2020 The recent tragedies of the COVID-19 pandemic and high-profile incidents of police violence against black people have shown us that our country has a deep and visceral need for racial justice. Whether we are talking about a global pandemic, climate change or police brutality, people of color, especially black communities, are always hit first and hardest, and this has to change. We have a collective moral imperative to do better by...
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Opinion: More Than Ever, We Must Prioritize the Mental Health and Well-being of Children [stanfordchildrens.org]
By Rachel Velcoff and Steven Adelsheim, Stanford Children's Health, June 8, 2020 The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the lives of families across the country and left many adults feeling stressed, anxious, and struggling to cope. It has also put the mental health of our youngest and most vulnerable at risk. Now, three months into the pandemic, youth are experiencing further stress and trauma, as our country grapples with another profound crisis: the murder of George Floyd and the...
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Despite pandemic, one struggling California elementary school saw bright spots [edsource.org]
By Ashley A. Smith, EdSource, June 12, 2020 For Richmond’s Stege Elementary, the end of this school year was about showing progress as it begins a complete overhaul to a safe and enjoyable school where children want to come to learn. But like many schools across the country, the pandemic forced the teachers and students to adapt on the fly. Special education teacher Hannah Geitner found herself helping her students learn to read in less-than-ideal situations over Zoom. In one of her...
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California Considers Extending Foster Care for Young Adults Until Pandemic Emergency Ends [calhealthreport.org]
By Claudia Boyd-Barrett, California Health Report, June 22, 2020 At the beginning of March, Monse Gonzalez had her entire year planned. She would graduate from community college, save part of her paychecks as a childcare worker, and start school at the University of Santa Barbara. Then came the pandemic. Suddenly, everything Gonzalez, 18, had worked for was in jeopardy: her job, her housing, her associates degree. While many young adults have families to lean on during these uncertain times,...
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California Surgeon General: Systemic Racism Is Linked To COVID-19 Pandemic [news.wjct.org]
By WJCT Editor, WJCT Public Media, June 22, 2020 A new California rule requires everyone to wear face masks in public as more businesses and public spaces reopen in the state this week. For some residents, the mandate is controversial even as COVID-19 hospitalizations are surging. California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris says public health officials are considering how to boost economic activity in the safest way possible. “The goal of this is really around protecting Californians...
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UCSF study shows health workers grappling with pandemic anxiety: 'It's exhausting' [sfchronicle.com]
By Mallory Moench, San Francisco Chronicle, July 21, 2020 Dr. Robert Rodriguez’s anxiety rises and falls with the number of coronavirus cases and deaths. Fear that he could get infected at his San Francisco General Hospital job, or bring the virus home, affects his sleep. He doesn’t hug his 16-year-old son as much. Other worried family members avoid interacting with him. The stress isn’t sustainable, he said. “If day after day, you’re waking up and dealing with patients that are extremely...
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Re: UCSF study shows health workers grappling with pandemic anxiety: 'It's exhausting' [sfchronicle.com]
I tried to read the article ("click here to read more"); however, it would not let me - - it said I needed to subscribe.
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Child Life specialists empower kids in hospitals, disasters and now the pandemic
In late May, Betsy Andersen’s 7-year-old son, Ezra, had a serious meltdown. He and his six-year-old sister Abby had been enjoying an online Zoom interaction with “Miss Eileen,” “Miss Savannah,” a couple of their colleagues, and a puppet. Betsy Andersen “I could see him trailing off and then he started crying,” says Andersen, who lives in Mundelein, Illinois. But before she swooped in, she heard Miss Eileen talking to him: “She was saying ‘Hey, I see you’re having some big emotions.” Speaking...
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How a Pandemic Could Advance the Science of Early Adversity [jamanetwork.com]
By Danielle Roubinov, Nicole R. Bush, and W. Thomas Boyce, JAMA Pediatrics, July 27, 2020 The reach of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is global, a health crisis with a ubiquity never before experienced. While the physical health consequences of COVID-19 appear to affect proportionally fewer children compared with adults, its psychosocial consequences may be magnified within families who consistently weather a landscape of severe stressors or adverse childhood experiences...
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Richmond area students talk about what they'll remember from this year of protest and Covid-19 [edsource.org]
By Valerie Echeverria, Ronishlla Maharaj, Karina Mascorro, and David Sanchez, Ed Source, July 28, 2020 Black Lives Matter and the coronavirus have etched deep memories, as well as life lessons, this year for Richmond area students. Here are reflections from students and recent graduates, based on interviews conducted by participants in the West Contra Costa Student Reporting Project. Except for graduates, their class levels indicate their status in the upcoming school year. Irene Kou, 15,...
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Reopening K-12 Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic [jamanetwork.com]
By Kenne A. Dibner, Heidi A. Schweingruber, Dimitri A. Christakis, JAMA Network, July 29, 2020 The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges to the nation’s kindergarten-grade 12 education system. 1 The rush to respond to the pandemic led to closures of school buildings across the country, with little time to ensure continuity of instruction or to create a framework for deciding when and how to reopen schools. States and school districts are now...
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San Francisco Puts Community Paramedics on Front Lines of the Pandemic [chcf.org]
By Claudia Boyd-Barrett, California Health Care Foundation, July 28, 2020 For San Francisco public health officials, it was a potential nightmare scenario. On May 7, a man experiencing homelessness tested positive for COVID-19. He had just visited the city’s Sobering Center, a facility in the South of Market district where intoxicated people can recover safely without being transported to overcrowded hospital emergency rooms. Before anyone realized the man had COVID-19, he had exposed 17...
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‘Trauma on top of trauma’: Bay Area students under stress from pandemic face wildfire risks [sfchronicle.com]
By Jill Tucker, San Francisco Chronicle, August 25, 2020 Students in the Bonny Doon school district had been back in class — virtually — for two days before the wildfires forced them to evacuate, many fleeing for their lives in the middle of the night Wednesday. Teachers and students lost homes to the powerful wildfires raging through the charming, wooded town in the Santa Cruz Mountains. School had just started, but now Superintendent Mike Heffner, who is also the principal of the...
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With less money and more risk, waves of child-care providers call it quits [latimes.com]
By Rikha Sharma Rani, Los Angeles Times, August 22, 2020 Kirsten Hove and her mom have been taking care of kids in San Francisco for decades. Hove’s mother opened a day-care program in her home in the city’s Marina neighborhood more than 30 years ago. In 2006, Hove and a family friend expanded the business by opening sites in their apartments nearby. The days were long, but the women loved the work. What took years to build, however, was dismantled by the coronavirus in just a few months. [...
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An extraordinary summer of crises for California's farmworkers [nationalgeographic.com]
By Alejandra Borunda, National Geographic, September 1, 2020 Rosa Villegas woke up at two in the morning on a late August Monday to make her way to the lettuce fields in California’s south Salinas Valley, where she was scheduled to start bagging heads of romaine at 4 a.m. The sky overhead wasn’t its usual dark, star-dotted self as she walked to her car. Instead, it glowed a sickly red, colored by the fires burning on the flanks of the Santa Lucia mountains, just a few miles west. “It was...
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North Park Gets a 'Community Fridge' Helping People Who Need Food [kpbs.org]
By John Carroll, KPBS, September 1, 2020 If you’re driving through the intersection of 30th and Lincoln in North Park, you might do a double take at a pop-up next to Hangers Cleaners. There sits an old refrigerator, painted mustard yellow, with shelves of dry goods and diapers next to it. A community fridge, to be more precise. "I just wanted to include it into my own community,” said North Park resident Annie Lein. After seeing community fridges in other cities like LA and Oakland, Lein...
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Disruptions to Child Care Arrangements and Work Schedules for Low-Income Hispanic Families are Common and Costly [HispanicResearchCenter.org]
OVERVIEW Child care is a critical support for working families that allows parents to pursue opportunities for employment and economic mobility. 1,2 Child care’s vital role in the lives of families and in the overall economy is reflected in federal and state programs such as the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) that aim to improve low-income families’ access to care options that support parents’ work efforts. 3 A key premise of these programs is that families should have access...
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First 5 Humboldt is Meeting Parents Where They Are
The ways that First 5 Humboldt is meeting the needs of families are shifting, just like many services throughout our community. Click the link below to read an article written through the Lost Coast Outpost highlighting some of these programs, Pandemic Parenting: First 5 Humboldt Helps Families Address Stress and Regression In Children Through Online Parent Groups . "“I think parents in our community have been affected [by the pandemic] in a big way,” Allen told the Outpost . “A lot of...
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Re: Expanding Treatment Options for the Growing Mental Health Pandemic
Thanks for sharing this. It is helpful for those who are suffering from mental health issues in the pandemic (COVID-19). For those people, mental health therapist can help them and the therapist try their best to overcome their client's issues so that they can get rid of their issues and again their life happily.
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