Busy week? We get it. Here are five things you need to know from this week’s cover story, “Sanity on Trial.” They might even entice you to read the whole thing. The abrupt resignation of Yurok Tribal Chair James Dunlap last month amid revelations about a murder case in his past, coupled with the ongoing […]
Medical / Health
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‘Full Spectrum’: One Way to Attract Doctors to the North Coast
It’s no secret Humboldt County has a doctor shortage. The lack of both primary care physicians and specialists has a variety of causes, and a host of impacts on the community. And efforts to recruit and retain doctors are met with mixed results; the shortage continues, but once in a while, you get a success […]
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St. Joseph Pushing for Trauma Center Certification
St. Joseph Health President David O’Brien will address the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors tomorrow morning to provide an update on the hospital’s efforts to become a certified Level III trauma center. The hospital has never before sought trauma certification, but is now applying for the designation. Trauma centers in the United States are generally […]
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Humboldt County Grand Jury: ‘Be Wise, Immunize’
In its first report of the year, the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury took a look at the county’s low vaccination rates, noting we currently rank 54th out of the state’s 58 counties when it comes to kindergartners and seventh graders. The grand jury hones in on transportation as a major barrier to getting the […]
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‘Magical Efficiency’: Update on Local Palliative Care Initiative
Palliative care doctor and founder of ResolutionCare Michael Fratkin was recently interviewed by Telemedicine Magazine, and the Q-and-A reveals some of the inner workings of Fratkin’s operation since it launched last year. The Journal wrote about Fratkin’s startup in 2014, when he was still finding support and funding for his vision to provide in-home end-of-life […]
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Wood Pushes Soda Tax Amid Busy Health Week
Really want that Double Big Gulp? Well, come next year, you’ll have to pay an extra $1.28 for it, if North Coast Assemblyman Jim Wood has anything to say about it. Kicking off what’s proven to be a busy week for Wood and health news, the assemblyman introduced a bill that would impose a 2-cent-per-ounce […]
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John Jaso: Humboldt’s Dreadlocked Baseball Hero Talks Concussions
Humboldt-grown pro baseball player John Jaso is the subject of a fantastic article that came out this week on VICE Sports. In it, Jaso’s former teammate Fernando Perez (a World Series champ and he’s a better writer than me? Sigh) talks with Jaso about playing catcher, diva pitchers, being a Moneyball player and the debilitating […]
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Yurok Tribe Declares Emergency After Rash of Suicides
The Yurok Tribe has declared a state of emergency after seven young tribal members took their own lives over an 18-month span. The tribe is working with tribal, state and federal agencies and developing a “broad, collaborative plan to identify the root causes of this epidemic,” according to a press release. All of the suicides […]
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Local Harm Reduction Team Becomes Authorized Naloxone Distributor
The Humboldt Area Center for Harm Reduction (HACHR) took a step toward helping reduce local overdose and infection rates yesterday, as a physician has agreed to carry a prescription for Naloxone and bulk syringes. HACHR would not disclose the name of the physician, but spokesperson Michelle Ellis said they were lucky to find someone who […]
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How to Ditch Your Pills in Humboldt
… the short answer is, you can’t. Not if they’re opiates, or another controlled substance. Despite a growing local and national epidemic of prescription pill abuse, stringent guidelines from the Drug Enforcement Administration have made it nearly impossible for those in Humboldt who want to dispose of their leftover medications to do the right thing. […]
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MediCal Expansion May Bring Better Addiction Treatment to Humboldt
Drug and alcohol related fatalities comprised 20 percent of all Humboldt County deaths over the last three years, but the number of those seeking help often exceeds the amount of treatment available. A change in the state’s MediCal program may change that, opening up access to treatment for many low-income residents. A key component of the […]
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Humboldt Hits Grim Mark: Suicides at Five Year Peak
The recent death of a 30-year-old man from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head brings the county to 40 suicides in 2015, its highest mark in five years, surpassing its 2012 total of 37, according to numbers from the Humboldt County Coroner’s Office. It also places Humboldt County at nearly three times the California […]