Health and Fitness

By East County News Service

November 27, 2024 (San Diego)-- County Public Health officials are asking people to

throw away organic carrots tied to a nationwide E. coli outbreak. One person in San

Diego who consumed the carrots became ill from the same strain of Shiga Toxin producing E. Coli (STEC) that is part of a multi-state outbreak.

Thirty-nine people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli have been reported from 18 states, 15 people have been hospitalized, and one person has died. The implicated carrots are organic, whole bagged carrots and baby carrots sold under multiple brands by Grimmway Farm at many major retailers. Brand labels include Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, O Organics, Cal-organic, Bunny Luv, Good & Gather, Full Circkle, Compliments, GreenWise, Marketside, Nature’s Promise, Wegmans, Wholesome Pantry, Raley’s, Simple Truth, President’s Choice, and Grimmway Farms, and in a variety of sizes.

E. coli can cause severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting, often within three to four days. The STEC found in the carrots can cause hospitalization and even death. Grimmway Farms has issued a nationwide recall. The carrots are likely no longer in stores for sale but may be in your home. 

“If you or a loved one are feeling sick, contact your doctor as soon as possible,” said

Ankita Kadakia, M.D., interim County public health officer. “The Shiga toxin producing E. Coli bacteria can cause serious kidney problems that require hospitalization, so it is important to get care promptly.” 

If you think you purchased affected carrots, do not eat them. Throw them away and

wash any containers or surfaces that touched the carrots with hot soapy water or in the dishwasher.  Make sure to also wash your hands with soap and water after handling the carrots or container.

By Miriam Raftery

December 5, 2024 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports that 68 cases of salmonella have been linked to cucumbers, including 18 people who were hospitalized. SunFed Produce, Baloian Farms of Arizona Co. and Russ Davis Wholesale have issued voluntary recalls of all sizes of fresh American/slicer cucumbers grown by Agrotato and sold in 19 states, including California.

Russ Davis also recalled multiple products containing recalled cucumbers: Crazy Fresh Garden Salad W/ Ranch Dressing, Quick & Easy Garden Salad with Ranch Dressing, Crazy Fresh Turkey Havarti Wrap, Quick & Easy Bacon Avocado Wrap, Crazy Fresh Bacon Avocado Wrap, and Kowalski’s Market Garden Salad.

Symptoms of Salmonella Infection

Illness usually occurs within 12 to 72 hours after eating food that is contaminated with Salmonella, and the symptoms usually last four to seven days. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. Children younger than five, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe infections.

See the recall for detailed information.

What you should do

Do not eat any recalled cucumbers.

• Throw them away or return them to where you bought them.
• Look for a sticker that shows "SunFed Mexico" as the place where cucumbers were grown.
• If you bought whole fresh American cucumbers during October 12 and November 26 and can't tell where they are from throw them away.

Wash items and surfaces that may have touched the recalled cucumbers.

• Use hot soapy water or a dishwasher.

Call your healthcare provider if you have any of these severe Salmonella symptoms:

• Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
• Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving
• Bloody diarrhea
• So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down
• Signs of dehydration, such as:
• Not peeing much
• Dry mouth and throat
• Feeling dizzy when standing up

What Businesses Should Do

• Do not sell or serve recalled cucumbers grown by Agrotato, S.A. de C.V. in Sonora, Mexico, including recalled cucumbers from SunFed Produce, LLC.
• Wash and sanitize items and surfaces that may have come in contact with recalled cucumbers.
• When possible, notify customers who purchased recalled cucumbers.

Symptoms of Salmonella

• Most people infected with Salmonella experience diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.
• Symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after swallowing the bacteria.
• Most people recover without treatment after 4 to 7 days.
• Some people—especially children younger than 5 years, adults 65 years and older, and people with weakened immune systems—may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization.

See also

• FDA: Outbreak Investigation of Salmonella: Cucumbers (November 2024)
• https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/outbreaks/cucumbers-11-24/index.html
• FDA: Sunfed Produce, LLC Recalls Whole Fresh American Cucumbers
• About Salmonella Infection

Nursing home coverage could be on chopping block

By Chrystal Blair, California News Service

January 5, 2025 (Sacramento) -- As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, federal health programs affecting 85 million low-income Americans, including more than 12 million in California, may face cuts to reduce inflation and debt.

As of 2024, California has the largest state Medicaid program in the U.S. Programs such as Medicaid, CHIP, and SNAP could be affected by fiscal tightening in the upcoming year.
Mayra Alvarez, president of the Children's Partnership, told an Ethnic Media panel Medicaid cuts would deeply affect families.
"It's these public programs that are core to helping families meet the day-to-day needs of raising healthy kids," Alvarez contended. "These have been bipartisan programs that have helped our families thrive."
Political experts said Congress is expected to act swiftly on its agenda next year, with key actions likely starting in January, before the presidential inauguration.
Medicaid is funded by the federal government and individual states but each state runs its own program.
Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, who also participated on the panel, said cuts to the program will have widespread effects.
"Medicaid accounts for about 56% of all federal money that is flowing to states, is coming in through Medicaid," Alker pointed out. "If we do see big cuts to Medicaid, that will affect all areas of states' budget."
Key proposals include setting federal funding caps, reducing federal match rates, and eliminating mandatory benefits such as nursing home care. Medicaid advocates are also concerned plans to replace benefits with private insurance vouchers could offer less coverage.

• Severe muscle aches
• Chills, fever or fatigue
• Headache or dizziness
• Nausea, vomiting or stomach pain
• Difficulty breathing

• Seal up all external holes in homes, garages, and sheds larger than a dime to keep rodents from getting in.
• Eliminate rodent infestations immediately.
• Avoid rodent-infested areas and do not stir up dust or materials that may be contaminated with rodent poop and urine.
• Clean up rodent poop and urine using the “wet cleaning” methods described below.

• Do not sweep or vacuum infested areas.
• Ventilate the affected area by opening doors and windows for at least 30 minutes before starting to clean.
• Use rubber gloves. Spray a 10 percent bleach solution or other disinfectants onto dead rodents, rodent poop, nests, contaminated traps and surrounding areas, then let the disinfectant stand for at least 15 minutes before cleaning.
• Clean with a sponge or a mop that has been soaked in disinfectant.
• Place disinfected rodents and debris into two plastic bags, seal them and discard them in the trash.
• Wash gloves in a bleach solution, then soap and water, and dispose of them using the same double-bag method.
• Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water.

By Miriam Raftery

January 21, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – Among the dozens of executive orders issued by President Donald Trump yesterday after his inauguration is a notice to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO).  Under a 1948 law, withdrawal requires one-year notification and Congressional approval, Associated Press (AP) reports. 

If completed, withdrawal by the U.S., a founding partner of WHO, would drop one-fifth of WHO’s funding and prevent the U.S. and the American medical community from accessing vital health resources and data.

Trump previously tried to withdraw from  WHO in 2019, but President Biden rejoined the organization after his election before the waiting period ended. In July 2020, amid the pandemic, a joint statement by the American Medical Association and three other medical organizations representing pediatricians, family physicians and other doctors strongly opposed Trump’s withdrawal order, calling it “dangerous.”

The medical groups’ letter stated that withdrawal would put ”the health of our country at grave risk. As leading medical organizations, representing hundreds of thousands of physicians, we join in strong opposition to this decision, which is a major setback to science, public health, and global coordination efforts needed to defeat COVID-19. The WHO plays a leading role in protecting, supporting, and promoting public health in the United States and around the world. The agency has been on the frontlines of every global child health challenge over the last seven decades, successfully eradicating smallpox, vaccinating billions against measles, and cutting preventable child deaths by more than half since 1990. Withdrawing from the WHO puts these investments at risk and leaves the United States without a seat at the table—at a time when our leadership is most desperately needed.”

Yesterday’s executive order claims WHO mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic, calls for unspecified reforms cites political influence of member states, and cites “onerous” payments by the U.S. that are higher than China’s sharem even though China has a larger population.  Trump has previously faulted WHO for changing advisories such as for masking and social distancing as more information became available about the new COVID-19 virus.

WHO  issued a statement saying it “regrets” Trump’s withdrawal from the global health authority and voiced hope that the U.S. will reconsider “for the wellbeing of millions of people around the globe.”

““The United States was a founding member of WHO in 1948 and has participated in shaping and governing WHO’s work ever since, alongside 193 other Member States, including through its active participation in the World Health Assembly and Executive Board,” WHO stated.

The statement continues, “For over seven decades, WHO and the USA have saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats,” it added. “Together, we ended smallpox, and together we have brought polio to the brink of eradication. American institutions have contributed to and benefited from membership of WHO.”

“WHO plays a crucial role in protecting the health and security of the world’s people, including Americans, by addressing the root causes of disease, building stronger health systems, and detecting, preventing and responding to health emergencies, including disease outbreaks, often in dangerous places where others cannot go, the statement continued,” adding, “With the participation of the United States and other Member States, WHO has over the past 7 years implemented the largest set of reforms in its history, to transform our accountability, cost-effectiveness, and impact in countries. This work continues.

According to the AP, withdrawing from WHO could prevent the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and other health agencies from accessing information on WHO-coordinated programs ranging from flu vaccine development to genetic databases. 

Dr. Ashish Jha, who served as White House Covid-19 response coordinator during the Biden administration, called Trump’s decision to withdraw from the WHO in his second term a “strategic error.”

“WHO is a pretty essential organization — and with America’s withdrawal, it creates a political vacuum that only one country can fill — and that is China,” Jha said in an interview with CNN on Monday.

He predicted that China will step up for the organization in the absence of US funding and leadership, which could, in turn, “give China more political influence around the world.”

• Severe muscle aches
• Chills, fever or fatigue
• Headache or dizziness
• Nausea, vomiting or stomach pain
• Difficulty breathing

• Seal up all external holes in homes, garages, and sheds larger than a dime to keep rodents from getting in.
• Eliminate rodent infestations immediately.
• Avoid rodent-infested areas and do not stir up dust or materials that may be contaminated with rodent poop and urine.
• Clean up rodent poop and urine using the “wet cleaning” methods described below.

• Do not sweep or vacuum infested areas.
• Ventilate the affected area by opening doors and windows for at least 30 minutes before starting to clean.
• Use rubber gloves. Spray a 10 percent bleach solution or other disinfectants onto dead rodents, rodent poop, nests, contaminated traps and surrounding areas, then let the disinfectant stand for at least 15 minutes before cleaning.
• Clean with a sponge or a mop that has been soaked in disinfectant.
• Place disinfected rodents and debris into two plastic bags, seal them and discard them in the trash.
• Wash gloves in a bleach solution, then soap and water, and dispose of them using the same double-bag method.
• Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water.

By Miriam Raftery

January 8, 2025 (La Mesa) – Dozens of public speakers at yesterday’s Grossmont Healthcare District meeting urged the board to move its 9 a.m. meetings to evenings in order to accommodate people with full-time jobs. The proposal was made by newly elected director Nadia Farjood, a working mother who says her new full-time job at the District Attorney’s office prevents her from attending daytime meetings.

The district represents about 520,000 residents. Around 271 people signed a petition in support of Farjood’s proposal, and around 40 showed up in support at yesterday’s meeting. But despite testimony from union representatives, healthcare workers, district residents and local elected officials, Farjood’s proposal failed, with no other director in support.

Some speakers voiced concern not only for Farjood, but for the potential chilling effect on would-be candidates who may be persuaded from running for office if they have full-time day jobs.

Jesse Garcia from the carpenters’ union called it “unfair” and “unAmerican” to “disenfranchise the 23,000 voters” who backed Farjood in the recent election by refusing to accommodate her request, potentially forcing her off of the board. He noted that he serves on multiple boards and committees, which all have evening meetings.

Regina Beasley, a Sharp Healthcare worker and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) member, said restricting meetings to mornings is “discriminatory” based on age, gender and employment status, noting that “most of us in here have children.”

Leila Kater (photo, left) testified that she represents almost 2,000 healthcare workers in the Grossmont district. She told the board that workers “will start paying a lot more attention to these meetings” in order to “hold this board accountable.”

Toni Vargas, a phlebotomist, voiced concerns over "exclusion" of working people including healthcare workers by holding morning meetings, and said avoiding evening meetings is "about preserving power."

Briana Costen,  a trustee on the La Mesa Spring  Valley School District board, said she was “deeply troubled” by the tone of the discussion.  “This is a public board, and you serve the public,” she stated, noting that “75% of voters in this district are below retirement age” and thus likely to have work conflicts that would make it difficult to attend daytime meetings.

Patricia Dillard, Vice Mayor of La Mesa, called for “transparency and accountability.” She said if any member cannot attend evening meetings that are more accessible to the public,  “you should have no choice to go get off this board.”

Former La Mesa Councilmember Jack Shu said he would often take calls late at night from constituents. “Public service means you serve the people when it is needed,” he said after dozens of others had spoken out. “I have not heard one person speak in favor of keeping the 9 a.m. time,” he said, noting that the city of La Mesa changed its meetings to 6 p.m. and had an increase in attendance as a result.

Melinda Vasquez said she worked with Farjood and voted for her because “I knew that she would bring a different vantage point to this board...She should not have to quit her day job to do public service.”

Several callers gave remote testimony on Zoom, including La Mesa Councilwoman Lauren Cazares, who praised the “excellent service” she received from the healthcare district after being hit by a drunk driver and injured in December.  She noted, “I have a full-time job and am a councilmember.  It shouldn’t be difficult to participate in meetings,” then urged the board to “please serve the community that elected all of you.”

After public testimony, the board held a discussion led by board president Bob Ayres, who thanked everyone for sharing their views.

Director Virginia Hall disputed claims by some speakers that all board members are retired and should be more flexible. “I do work,” she said, adding that she’s also helped care for her grandson. “It saddens me to hear these comments.” She praised the district for accomplishments including lowering tax rates for taxpayers, giving out $1.5 million in grants to community organizations, receiving a Golden Watchdog Award, and being named the Best Healthcare District in California in 2023.

Hall noted that people who can’t attend in person may participate via Zoom, and noted that the board did launch a pilot program holding meetings at 5 p.m. for six months last year, but that attendance did not increase. She suggested that attendance at meetings is low because the community trusts board members to make wise decisions.

Director Randy Lenac, participating remotely, noted that the head of LAFCO has said the Grossmont Healthcare District is the “gold standard of healthcare districts” and that Sharp Grossmont is a “great hospital.”  He voiced support for keeping meetings at  9 a.m. and said the meeting time has been “settled for a long time,” drawing groans from the crowd.

Farjood pointed out that the issue at hand was not whether or not the district has done good work. She then pressed her colleagues over their responses to a survey sent to board members about their availability for meetings at other times. Though all other members had written down a preference to keep meetings at 9 a.m., she noted, “None of the members identified any conflict with 6 p.m..”  She said she has seen board members at other evening meetings, including a recent holiday party.

Lenac insisted that “9 a.m. is the best time to assure principal participants can attend,” and insisted that his availability for other times is “irrelevant,” drawing laughter from the audience. He noted, however, that when meetings used to be at 7:30 a.m. he sometimes had to drive through snow from his rural residence, but added, “I never missed a meeting.”

Farjood asked who Lenac considered principal participants, prompting the attorney to try and stop her questioning. This drew shouts from the audience, such as ”No one elected him!” and “Stop speaking down to us!”

Assured she could continue, Farjood stated, “My view is that the public are principals.”

Lenac then clarified that he was referring to members of the hospital who regularly address the board on matters such as healthcare quality, finances, facilities, and future projects.

Farjood said the board is the oversight body for the hospital.  “To say we would put the interests of the hospital above the public you’ve heard from today is backwards,” she added. She asked Lenac how he knew that hospital principals couldn’t attend a 6 p.m. meeting, and he admitted, “Well, I don’t know, but I know that 9 a.m. works.”

As for the 5 p.m. pilot program, Farjood called it a “sham” and noted that many people get off work at 5 p.m. and are commuting home at that hour. She also objected to what she views as inadequate outreach by the district, noting that most constituents she met walking precincts said they “never heard of it.”

Farjood clarified that she is not asking the board to change its days, which alternate between Tuesday and Thursday, but only to shift times to 6 p.m. or later.

Hall objected, saying that people are tired at the end of the day, and that traffic can be bad at 6 p.m.

Farjood suggested that better outreach could boost meeting attendance. When Hall asked why so many people showed up at this meeting, when meetings are usually sparsely attended, Farjood replied, “Because I let them know about this,” drawing cheers from the audience.

Board Chair Gloria Chadwick (photo), a retired nurse and long-time advocate for seniors, noted that some seniors are vision-challenged, particularly with night driving.  Pressed on her own availability for evening sessions, Chadwick said, “I will do whatever our board decides.”

Direcftor Ayres (photo,left) said “it’s possible” he could attend evening meetings, but noted that he has an outside full-time job that often requires evening work, including talking with clients in other countries.  “Last night I didn’t finish until almost 9 p.m.,” he noted.

As for Farjood’s conflict with attending daytime meetings,  Ayres noted that directors are also expected to attend training sessions, committee members, legislative days, grantees’ events and community events, which are often during daytime hours.

Farjood asked why the board needs two meetings a month. She then made a motion asking the board to change to one meeting per month, on the third Thursday at  6 p.m. No member seconded the motion, which died without a vote.

“Today is a dark day for the Grossmont Healthcare District,” concluded Farjood (photo, left), who added that increasing public access was a key part of her campaign. “No amount of years serving on this board can erase the message sent today—that working people cannot serve on this board.”

But she added defiantly,  “I am not going anywhere,” suggesting she may seek accommodation from her employer or, as an attorney, perhaps pursue a legal remedy.  “I will be advocating for this at every meeting,” she pledged, thanking all who showed up in support.

January 8, 2025 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• How drinking alcohol can affect your health (AP)
• Newsom targets ultra-processed foods to promote healthier living across California (CBS 8)
• Louisiana forbids public health workers from promoting COVID, flu and mpox shots (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• The ‘world’s largest’ vacuum to suck climate pollution out of the air just opened. Here’s how it works (CNN)
• Net neutrality is struck down by federal appeals court  (NPR)
• Is your car spying on you? What it means that Tesla shared data in the Las Vegas explosion (AP)

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

HEALTH

How drinking alcohol can affect your health (AP

AP - Moderate drinking was once thought to have benefits for the heart, but better research methods have thrown cold water on that. On Friday, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthycalled for updating the existing surgeon general’s health warning label on alcohol-containing beverages to include the risk of cancer. His proposal would require approval from Congress…. / Drinking raises the risk of several types of cancer, including colon, liver, breast and mouth and throat.

Newsom targets ultra-processed foods to promote healthier living across California (CBS 8)

Ultra-processed foods have been known to post a health risk to people because they contain more chemicals, additives, trans fats and emulsifiers.

Louisiana forbids public health workers from promoting COVID, flu and mpox shots (NPR)

A group of high-level managers at the Louisiana Department of Health walked into a Nov. 14 meeting in Baton Rouge expecting to talk about outreach and community events. Instead, they were told by an assistant secretary in the department and another official that department leadership had a new policy: Advertising or otherwise promoting the COVID, influenza or mpox vaccines, an established practice there — and at most other public health entities in the U.S. — must stop... The new policy in Louisiana was implemented as some politicians have promoted false information about vaccines and as President-elect Donald Trump seeks to have anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. And some public health experts are concerned that if other states follow Louisiana, the U.S. could face rising levels of disease and further erosion of trust in the nation's public health infrastructure.

SCIENCE AND TECH

The ‘world’s largest’ vacuum to suck climate pollution out of the air just opened. Here’s how it works (CNN)

The “world’s largest” plant designed to suck planet-heating pollution out of the atmosphere like a giant vacuum began operating in Iceland on Wednesday. “Mammoth” is the second commercial direct air capture plant opened by Swiss company Climeworks in the country, and is 10 times bigger than its predecessor, Orca, which started running in 2021.Direct air capture, or DAC, is a technology designed to suck in air and strip out the carbon using chemicals. The carbon can then be injected deep beneath the ground, reused or transformed into solid products.

Net neutrality is struck down by federal appeals court  (NPR)

 A U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati on Thursday ruled that the FCC did not have legal authority to reinstate the landmark net neutrality rules…. / Net neutrality was first introduced by the FCC during the Obama Administration in 2015 and was repealed two years later under then-President Donald Trump. / Then, last year, the FCC effectively reinstated net neutrality when it voted to reclassify broadband as a public utility, such as water and electricity, to regulate access to the internet. Under the Communications Act of 1934, such public utility services are subject to government regulation./ In doing so, the FCC aimed to make ISPs accountable for outages, require more robust network security, protect fast speeds, and require greater protections for consumer data.

Is your car spying on you? What it means that Tesla shared data in the Las Vegas explosion (AP)

Your car is spying on you. That is one takeaway from the fast, detailed data that Tesla collected on the driver of one of its Cybertrucks that exploded in Las Vegas earlier this week. Privacy data experts say the deep dive by Elon Musk’s company was impressive, but also shines a spotlight on a difficult question as vehicles become less like cars and more like computers on wheels. Is your car company violating your privacy rights?

East County News Service

January 6, 2025 (La Mesa) – Tomorrow at 9 a.m., the Grossmont Healthcare District board of directors will consider a proposal by newly elected board member Nadia Farjood to change the board’s meeting times to evenings or weekends.  But a survey of board members shows no support for that plan. The board previously experimented with holding evening meetings but found that attendance by the public dropped, multiple members noted.

Farjood, an attorney, has said that her  day job prevents her from attending any meetings Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., when she has court appearances, as well as from 6 to 9 p.m. on the second and third Tuesdays each month.

While the board has changed its meeting times more than once during the past election year, none of its meeting times were during the hours when Farjood has said she could participate.

“Rescheduling the meeting from 9 a.m. time will help accommodate all Board member work schedules and enhance public access,” she states in response to a survey of board members on meeting date/time availability. She also states that she  believes weekend meetings are not ideal for staff, leaving only weeknight meetings as options, in her view.

She notes that the La Mesa City Council meetings at 6 p.m., and that both Palomar Health and Fallbrook Regional Health districts’ boards meeting evenings. She also calls on Grossmont to cut meetings from twice monthly to once a month, and for the board to reimburse members for ride-share services or taxis to attend evening meetings.

A petition at Change.org has gathered 217 signatures in support of Farjood’s proposal.though many are from outside the district, The petiion argues that moving meetings to 6 p.m. would enhance accessibility and participation, promote transparency, respect the democratic process, and encourage more people to run for the board. 

But the four other board members disagree--and cite past experiences as evidence that daytime meetings have actually increased public participation.

Chair Gloria Chadwick says she supports keeping the current dates and times “because we conducted a pilot program to determine if more participation would be generated at an evening hour. The results were that fewer people attended the evening time slot.” She notes that no public comments or suggestions were received during those evening meetings, “not even from the Zoom meeting public, which included the competing candidates for the three board positions.” She adds, ”Since the 9 a.m. time slot, our attendance numbers have increased.” The meeting time change also reflect input from staff, and it aligns with scheduling of senior health programs offered by the library, where the board meets. Chadwick indicated she would only be available Mondays through Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m, except for special or emergency sessions.

Board member Robert Ayres agrees with Chadwick. “After twice revising the current District Board meeting days and time I find that the present schedule is meeting the needs of the District,its staff, the staff of the Hospital, and for Grantee, Scholarships, and Sponsorship awards recognition. The 9 a.m. time is also conductive for presentations made to the District Board for both internal and external presentations.” He notes that Mondays have many holidays that would impact meetings and that Fridays are often not available for people traveling over the weekend.  He also voiced concern over nighttime driving safety concerns. He says he  supports only Tuesday and Thursday 9 a.m. meetings.

Board member Virginia Hall, who drives from Santee, concurs that, “When we tried the 6-month pilot program at 5 p.m., we did not have any more public attend compared to our previous 7:30 a.m. time. 9 a.m. is a more reasonable time for all,” she states, adding that it is “safer for all to drive during daylight hours and not during rush hour.” Further, she says  9 a.m. meetings allow for more staff involvement and less overtime. In addition, she says Fridays are when “most public, staff and the hospital staff are tired and Friday traffic is generally worse in the afternoon.”   She would support meetings only between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekdays. While she could also be available Saturdays during those hours, she observes,”GHD and hospital staff are usually not available without a financial impact to the taxpayers and hospital” on weekends.

Board member Randy Lenac, in answer to whether he supports keeping the current board meeting dates and times, responded succinctly, “Yes, it works for all concerned.”  He did not list any alternative times he could be available.

The board majority’s sentiment is bipartisan; Chadwick is a Democrat, while Ayres, Hall, and Lenac are Republicans. Farjood, a Democrat, has drummed up support for her cause from Run Women Run, though the group has also endorsed Chadwick over the years.

Farjood is correct that changing meeting times to evenings has been done by some other boards to enable working people to attend; examples include Helix Water District and the La Mesa City Council. But her request does not take into account the ract that the Grossmont Healthcare District Board already tried evening meetings, with the opposite outcome. Morning meetings have also been seen as more convenient for doctors and hospital personnel, a factor that cities and other public boards don't need to to consider. On the other hand, the board has the will of voters to consider, and whether keeping a meeting time convenient for the majority is appropriate if it disenfranchises voters whose representative is unable to participate. 

If the board declines Farjood’s request to change the meeting dates and times, her options to continue to serve appear limited.  A new state law prohibits elected officials from participating remotely, such as on Zoom, more than five times a year for boards that meet more than once a month (or two meetings a year for those meeting monthly or less frequently). The law, AB 2302 which takes effect January 1, 2025,  aims to increase interaction with the public in person. 

Per Grossmont District policy, a board member who misses three or more consecutive meetings can be removed, with the vacancy filled either by appointment or special election. 

Being forcibly removed could be a blight on a record of a public official aspiring to run in the future for another office. Another option is to resign, which would provide Farjood with the opportunity to save campaign donors’ funds for use in a future campaign for another office, but which could disappoint supporters who backed her campaign for the healthcare district board.

While it’s rare for a newly elected official to step down, it is not unprecedented. Helix Water District trustee-elect Luis Tejeda resigned Dec. 30, 2017 before being sworn in, citing a new job that posed conflicts of interest. County Board of Supervisors Chair Nora Vargas resigned effective today despite winning reelection by a landslide, citing safety and security concerns.

Nursing home coverage could be on chopping block

By Chrystal Blair, California News Service

January 5, 2025 (Sacramento) -- As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, federal health programs affecting 85 million low-income Americans, including more than 12 million in California, may face cuts to reduce inflation and debt.

As of 2024, California has the largest state Medicaid program in the U.S. Programs such as Medicaid, CHIP, and SNAP could be affected by fiscal tightening in the upcoming year.
Mayra Alvarez, president of the Children's Partnership, told an Ethnic Media panel Medicaid cuts would deeply affect families.
"It's these public programs that are core to helping families meet the day-to-day needs of raising healthy kids," Alvarez contended. "These have been bipartisan programs that have helped our families thrive."
Political experts said Congress is expected to act swiftly on its agenda next year, with key actions likely starting in January, before the presidential inauguration.
Medicaid is funded by the federal government and individual states but each state runs its own program.
Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, who also participated on the panel, said cuts to the program will have widespread effects.
"Medicaid accounts for about 56% of all federal money that is flowing to states, is coming in through Medicaid," Alker pointed out. "If we do see big cuts to Medicaid, that will affect all areas of states' budget."
Key proposals include setting federal funding caps, reducing federal match rates, and eliminating mandatory benefits such as nursing home care. Medicaid advocates are also concerned plans to replace benefits with private insurance vouchers could offer less coverage.