Governor Gavin Newsom this week proclaimed a state of emergency to support counties across the state recover from storms experienced during January 2021, as well as an executive order extending consumer protections for communities impacted by wildfires last year. Executive Order N-22-21 extends prohibitions on price gouging in counties impacted by wildfires, and the emergency…
Read More »This week, senior officials clarified the state’s expectations for local health jurisdictions and providers in administering COVID-19 vaccine boosters. In a letter from CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón, vaccine providers throughout the state are instructed to: Proactively outreach to patients who are age 65 and older, have underlying medical conditions,…
Read More »On Wednesday, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-21-21 extending provisions implemented to expand the state’s health care workforce during the pandemic, allowing health care workers from out-of-state to provide services in California, and enabling certain medical personnel to continue supporting the state’s COVID-19 response, including administering vaccines. The order additionally continues flexibility for health…
Read More »Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. announced his intent to nominate Dr. Robert Califf as the Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to the White House, Dr. Califf is a recognized expert in clinical trial research, health disparities, health care quality, and cardiovascular medicine. Dr. Califf previously served as FDA Commissioner…
Read More »U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy this week released the “Community Toolkit for Addressing Health Misinformation,” intended to help Americans navigate the serious threat of health misinformation, particularly mis- and disinformation online. Recall, this summer, Dr. Murthy issued the first Surgeon General’s Advisory of the Biden-Harris Administration warning Americans about the urgent threat of health…
Read More »The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Women’s Health (OWH) this week announced that over 200 hospitals nationwide are now participating in the HHS Perinatal Improvement Collaborative. The participating facilities comprise a network of hospitals from all 50 states focused on improving maternal and infant health outcomes by reducing disparities and…
Read More »The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will host a special virtual event with NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, and other national experts from labor and medicine on the mental health of the nation’s health care workforce. The event…
Read More »This week, an Orange County Superior Court judge issued a tentative ruling in a lawsuit between several jurisdictions and opioid manufacturers. The lawsuit, brought by Los Angeles, Orange, and Santa Clara counties and the City of Oakland, claimed pharmaceutical companies Johnson & Johnson, Allergan, Endo International, and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries contributed to the state’s opioid…
Read More »The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) recently announced it has begun accepting applications for its 2022 Model and Innovative Practice Awards. Every year, NACCHO’s Model Practices Program nationally honors and recognizes outstanding local public health practice and shares them through the Model Practices Database. Model Practices are awarded to local health…
Read More »California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón this week warned consumers about the risks associated with wearing decorative contact lenses ahead of the Halloween holiday. The sale of contact lenses without a prescription is illegal. The right to dispense, sell, or furnish contact lenses is limited exclusively…
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