Health

UC Santa Cruz recently acquired and established the Strathearn Ranch Natural Reserve, a 2,400-acre oak-studded grassland property in San Benito County that will be used for field research and outdoor education for the university’s students, staff and researchers.  The UC Board of Regents approved the...

San Benito Public Health Services has joined the American Dental Association in proclaiming February as Children’s Dental Health Month, says a press release from San Benito County. “The health of our families in our city and our state are dependent on the good health of...

Food insecurity in California ticked upward over the past year, bringing the share of hardship back up to levels early in the Covid-19 pandemic, according to data released by the California Association of Food Banks on Dec. 12. “Families are buying less food,” said May...

The list of potential partners for Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital is down to two, with the future of the hospital and the San Benito Health Care District at a crossroads between a public and private option. At a special May 20 meeting of the district...

Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital and the San Benito Health Care District this week announced that they have reached a new labor agreement with the Hollister hospital’s largest union.  Hospital administrators said they received approval from the National Union of Healthcare Workers for a new labor...

The Central California Alliance for Health last week announced its collaboration with Serving Communities Health Information Organization (SCHIO), one of the oldest and most advanced multi-stakeholder health information exchanges (HIEs) in the country.  The partnership will help Alliance Medi-Cal members and providers in five counties,...

California lawmakers announced Aug. 1 the introduction of a bill that would create a permanent structure to provide relief for farmers impacted by natural disasters.  The Agricultural Emergency Relief Act aims to streamline the process for seeking and receiving relief.   While Congress has previously provided aid...

With election day approaching, voters have several state propositions from which to choose. Below is a brief description of each of them. For a deeper dive, visit voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions. Proposition 2 Public School and Community College Facilities Under Prop. 2, the state would sell a $10 billion bond...

The California State Assembly Select Committee on Fentanyl, Opioid Addiction and Overdose Prevention on Aug. 12 during an informational hearing discussed the urgency of combating the rise in overdose deaths among youth in recent years primarily due to ingesting fentanyl.  Between 2019 and 2021, drug...

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is providing disaster assistance to small businesses and persons in San Benito County that were affected by the winter storms earlier this year. The SBA is offering low-interest loans to those who suffered damage or financial loss due...