County News Service

March 16, 2014 (San Diego)--San Diego County officials took action Tuesday (3/11) to improve the level of care and oversight at nursing homes and other elder care facilities in the wake of troubling reports of poor supervision and treatment.

March 7, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - A case of tuberculosis has been reported at Helix Charter High School in La Mesa.  Students and staff may have been exposed, according to the County Health and Human Services Agency.

March 6, 2014 (La Mesa) - - The public is invited to join in the 2014 “Spring Into Health Living” on Wednesday, /March 19 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.  This is a health and wellness event featuring free health screenings, lectures and information for older adults provided by community service providers in the East County.

February 28, 2014 (San Diego)--By an 8 to 1 vote, the San Diego City Council has voted to create new zoning laws allowing up to 30 medical marijuana dispensaries within the city limits – up to four in  each council district.

February 27, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)-- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

• New cancer immunotherapy treatment already shows promise (Jewish World Review)
• Stem-cell firm cleared for ovarian cancer trial (Sacramento Bee)
• Sit More, And You're More Likely To Be Disabled After Age 60 (NPR)
• Bumblebees catching diseases from honeybees, say scientists (CS Monitor)
• Study: MERS virus infecting camels since 1992 (UT San Diego)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

By Miriam Raftery

February 23, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - A frightening, polio-like illness  has stricken some 25 children in California, leaving them paralyzed, USA Today reports.  All have lost the ability to move at least one arm or leg, and some have lost all four limbs.

February 19, 2014  (San Diego’s East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

SCIENCE

• Crocodiles can climb trees (alligators, too!) (Reuter)
• Science Confirms: Internet Trolls Really Are Narcissistic, Psychopathic, and Sadistic (Slate)
• Study: Arctic getting darker, making Earth warmer (UT San Diego)
• Trading water for fuel is fracking crazy (Eco Report)
• Jet stream may be changing (BBC)
• Snowy owls invade 'south'; cold affects waterfowl (UT San Diego)

HEALTH

• The Full-Fat Paradox: Whole Milk May Keep Us Lean (NPR)
• The genetics of being a daredevil (New York Times)
• Sexually Transmitted Food Poisoning? A Fish Toxin Could Be To Blame (NPR)
• IVF Baby Boom: Births From Fertility Procedures Hit New High (NPR)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

February 15, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - Maternal exposure to alcohol in-utero is a known risk and cause of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome. FAS children suffer significant problems such as retarded intellect, stunted growth and nervous system abnormalities, social problems and isolation. Until now Fathers have not had a causal link to such disabilities. Ground breaking new research has been revealed which shows Dads may have more accountability.

February 7, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)--The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD) is seeking applicants for two scholarship programs, including up to two scholarships for nursing students and five scholarships for students pursuing careers as medical health technicians.

February 1, 2014 (Alpine) – Healthcare in California is changing. Are you ready?

Professionals from Mountain Health will give a presentation about the new Covered California health care marketplace ( California’s approach to the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare).  The event will be held Thursday, February 20 at 6 p.m. at the Alpine Library, 2130 Arnold Way in Alpine.

January 23, 2014  (San Diego’s East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news each week that could impact your health and our future.

SCIENCE

• Robotic probe to awaken for comet rendezvous, landing (Reuters)
• Is our Sun falling silent? (BBC)
• Fridge sends spam emails (BBC)

HEALTH

• Gene therapy saves blind man's sight (BBC)
• Surgeon General Adds New Risks To Long List Of Smoking's Harms (KPBS)
• Smart Contact Lens Might One Day Let Diabetics Check Blood Sugar (NPR)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

By Carlette Anderson

January 21, 2014 (San Diego's East County) -- Each year the president proclaims February to be Heart Month.

Would you know how to respond if your child stopped breathing or someone you love had a heart attack? As parents we all want the very best for our children. However when it comes to knowing what to do if our child stops breathing, we panic and call 911.  Every year, we hear about children who have drowned in a pool because no one knew how to perform CPR. If CPR is administered within the first two to three minutes the child has a good chance of surviving with no brain damage. After four minutes the child can have severe brain damage and after six minutes the chance of survival is slim. Most parents would like to know how to perform CPR but with their busy schedules it is difficult to find the time to attend a class.

The good news is now you can learn CPR online in the comfort of your own home at www.cprpros.com.

By Lydia Wisz

A group of forward thinking “movers and shakers” in the clinical world together on November 9 to discuss how food profoundly matters. The Nutrition in Healthcare Leadership Team (NHLT) is a subcommittee of the San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative, a program facilitated by Community Health Improvement Partners. This public health program is supported through partnerships with, Health Care Without Harm and San Francisco Bay Area Physicians for Social Responsibility.

All of these groups have coalesced to strengthen San Diego’s healthcare systems to promote healthful and sustainable food practices. This training inspires us to take a serious look at how our western diet is linked to our western disease epidemic.

Youth focus group shows growing concern

January 5, 2014 (Spring Valley)– “After the assembly we had last week, I went to the bathroom. It was really smoky. I don’t think it was weed. It was hookah or something. I saw it and smelled it and just got out.”

Stories like this were common when students at a local East County high school participated in a focus group last month to discuss current drug trends on their campus, the Grossmont Union High School District reports.