Capitol Briefs logoThe number of women serving in the California Legislature has grown steadily in recent years, due in great part to the efforts of Close the Gap California’s recruiting efforts. Now the group has its own caucus.
Image by Phimprapha Kitaiamphaisan. California lawmakers are responsible for shaping mental health policy for millions — deciding how the state responds to crisis, expands treatment and addresses stigma. But when it comes to their own mental health, many say the reality is far less structured
Gov. Gavin Newsom. Image by AP.It was another busy week around the Capitol, with the release of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s final May budget revision, the clearing of the Suspense Files in both Appropriations Committees and yet more controversy in the ongoing battle over sexual abuse claims against L.A. County.
Image by Love Employee. OPINION – Modern GLP-1 medicines are evidence-based therapies that help patients achieve meaningful, sustained weight loss and reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and orthopedic complications. For many patients, these medications can change the course of their health and prevent the very surgeries I perform.
The Langenhop family. Photo courtesy of the Langenhop family and the CIRM. After 21 years of “prospecting,” the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has fetched up its first “nugget” – federal approval of a one-and-done gene therapy for a life-threatening disease.
Image by Jacob Wackerhausen.OPINION – As California and the nation debate the future of health care coverage, Medi-Cal funding, and access to preventive services, these individual stories are often lost in policy language and budget spreadsheets. But the reality is simple: when preventive care is weakened, costs don’t disappear. They shift onto emergency rooms, local governments, employers, taxpayers, and patients.
Image by ndrii Yalanskyi. OPINION – Healthcare costs are straining families across California. The cause of this affordability crisis isn’t a mystery – it’s a problem hiding in plain sight, rooted in unchecked corporate hospital systems that put profits over patients.
Image by Natali_Mis. OPINION – Diabetes isn’t just a growing national concern – it’s a crisis in California. Too often, discussions about this alarming trend focus solely on medical treatments, lifestyle changes, or the rising use of GLP-1 medications. But there’s a critical part of the diabetes story we’re overlooking: oral health.
Image by PIKSEL. OPINION – Older adults are the fastest-growing demographic in the state, especially in rural areas, where one in 11 Californians are ages 65+. This rapid growth represents an opportunity to build a California where aging is not a challenge to solve, but an opportunity to ensure all Californians can age at home and in community
Image by peakSTOCK.OPINION – With the looming federal changes to Medi-Cal eligibility and projected loss of reimbursement, healthcare organizations in California are scrambling to prepare and looking for ways to save on healthcare costs. Palliative care may help do just that.