Posted inHealth

“Hunger Cliff” as CalFresh extended benefits end for thousands of Latinos

Due to a planned reduction in food benefits available from Los Angeles County to those most in need, many low-income Latinos and families will face what is being called a hunger cliff. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government temporarily increased its CalFresh food assistance program benefits. But these extra benefits ended on March 26, three years after the pandemic started.

The CalFresh program is designed for patients who struggle to pay grocery bills for food.

Posted inOpinion

Mami & Me: C-section after care tips for new moms like me

Our birth experiences are often scary and challenging and not what we had expected. Modern medicine has made C-sections possible. And I will forever be grateful for having that option, it ultimately saved my baby’s life. It can be difficult to deal with things that don’t go as planned, especially when you are a first-time mother who is unprepared physically and mentally for a C-section birth. Not to mention all the things you need after the surgery to take care of the wound.

Posted inHealth

Sen. María Elena Durazo proposes $25 minimum wage for health workers

Union-aligned Democrats were set to introduce legislation Wednesday mandating a statewide $25 minimum wage for health workers and support staffers, likely setting up a pitched battle with hospitals, nursing homes, and dialysis clinics. State Sen. María Elena Durazo’s bill would require health facilities and home health agencies to give raises to many support employees, including nurse technicians, housekeepers, security guards, food workers, and laundry providers. The Los Angeles Democrat said workers remain underpaid even as they have played a crucial role in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Posted inHealth

Risks of cardiovascular disease during pregnancy and after

February is American Heart Month, and in celebration, the American Heart Association and Sharp HealthCare held a virtual community conversation about maternal health. The virtual meeting included guest speakers such as Dr. Marin Nishimura, a physician in cardiovascular disease and internal medicine at Sharp Grossmont Hospital, and Dr. Lisa Johnston, a children’s specialist and chief medical officer at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for women and newborns in San Diego.

Posted inHealth

The role of structural and social determinants in Alzheimer’s disease

At the University of California, Los Angeles, the Equity for Latinx-Hispanic Health Aging Lab (EHLA) for Alzheimer’s Research and Care Department of Neurology recently went through the process of evaluating the role that structural and social determinants play in dementia care. Dr. Mirella Díaz-Santos is an assistant professor in the department of neurology with the Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Research & Care, and the director and founder of the Equity for Latinx-Hispanic Healthy Aging Lab at UCLA. She is also a neuropsychologist with expertise in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, working primarily with the Latino older adult community and their families.

Posted inHealth

Mami & Me: If your pediatrician says your baby has jaundice, I got you

In the first few weeks of being a first-time mom, so many challenges come at you unexpectedly. Unfortunately, my journey on a steep learning curve started on the first day I became a mom. A few hours after Levi was born, he was taken from me and placed into the intensive care unit (ICU) for a few days. Not only did he have to stay there, but as we were being discharged we were told that Levi was had jaundice.

Posted inHealth

Mami & Me: My baby underwent orchiopexy surgery at Children’s Hospital

The doctor told me and my partner that my baby was born with an “undescended testicle,” which means that a child’s testicle has not dropped down to its normal place in the scrotum. Before birth, a baby boy’s testes will develop inside his abdomen. Closer to delivery, these organs travel through a canal in the groin. When all goes as it should, the testicles then fall into place in the scrotum. How do I know this? Lots of research as a mom.

I was so happy to hear the good news that I will be going home. 

However, along with the good news, came the bad news. The doctor told me and my partner that my baby was born with an undescended testicle. When a child has an undescended testicle it means that the testicle has not dropped down to its normal place in the scrotum.