Health

San Benito County elections officials have a total of 617 ballots left to count in the Nov. 8 election as of Monday morning. The vast majority of the uncounted ballots—498 mailed ballots—are considered “challenged,” and the voters who submitted them have until 5pm Nov. 23...

Local registered nurses and the board of directors of Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital agreed to a new contract that “includes victories for patients and nurses,” according to the medical employees’ union. Nurses represented by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United ratified the four-year contract on...

San Benito County recently received grant funds to create a local program aimed at reducing the frequency of illegal mattress dumping.  The $52,000 grant is from the Mattress Recycling Council, says a press release from San Benito County. Specifically, the grant will help fund the...

The San Benito County Office of Emergency Services announced that they are trying to team up once again with local restaurants to run a meal delivery service that helps California’s older population.   County Public Information Officer David Westrick issued a press release on Jan. 13...

After Morgan Hill resident Kristina Andrews lost her daughter, Kourtney, to a drowning accident about six years ago, the local mother knew she wanted to do something to help prevent other families from suffering similar tragedies.  The desire to make a difference continued to grow...

San Benito County has drastically increased fines in an effort to combat the scourge of illegal dumping on roadsides, public property and other unauthorized locations.  The new fines, which became effective Sept. 21, are $2,500 for the first offense (previously $100), $5,000 for the second...

The San Benito Health Care District (SBHCD) convened for a special meeting Aug. 7 to discuss the Letter of Intent sent by American Advanced Management (AAM) to Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital (HHMH) CEO Mary Casillas. The letter outlined AAM’s intent to enter into a...

Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital officials said this week that HHMH will enter the second quarter of 2023 in a “better than expected cash position,” due to cost savings measures and optimistic negotiations with MediCal, Medicare and Anthem.  The hospital also revealed that it has received...

For more than two years, people have clamored for the return to “normal” after the uncertainties of a pandemic. In 2022, we got a taste of normalcy, but it was far from being predictable. Covid-19, which dominated the headlines in 2020 and 2021, seemingly took a...

More than two years after the Covid-19 pandemic started, hospitals and medical facilities throughout the region are still “desperate” for blood supplies for their patients, according to an American Red Cross representative. One way that many people, organizations and venues are committed to helping...