05/20/2013
A new CDC report finds that as many as one in five individuals in the U.S. under age 18 experience a mental health disorder each year and that the rate of mental health disorders among children is climbing. The report marks the first comprehensive examination of the mental health of U.S. children. Washington Post et al.
04/24/2013
A UCLA Center for Health Policy Research study finds that California children experience more difficulties obtaining sub-specialized pediatric care than children in any other state. The study also finds disparities in access to such care related to factors such as geography, race and ethnicity. HealthyCal.
04/15/2013
A state report finds that a higher rate of Sacramento and Los Angeles children enrolled in Medi-Cal received dental treatment in 2012 than in 2011. However, an advisory committee still is concerned about dental care access in those areas. Sacramento Bee.
04/10/2013
Some children with autism who have transitioned from Healthy Families to Medi-Cal have lost access to certain behavioral health services, according to a children's health advocate. A state law requiring insurers to cover such services exempts Medi-Cal. Sacramento Business Journal.
04/05/2013
First 5 L.A. has awarded the UCLA School of Dentistry $11 million to create a program that will provide dental care for children and pregnant women in Los Angeles County. Some of the funding will be used to expand community outreach efforts. KPCC's "KPCC News," UCLA release.
04/04/2013
In California, dental health advocates are calling on school districts to offer dental health care services for low-income children. However, many school districts say they do not have the resources or time to maintain dental health programs. KQED's "State of Health."
04/02/2013
Experts say oral health plays a role in student achievement and school attendance rates. As a result, several California school districts -- such as Oakland Unified -- have launched programs to provide no-cost dental care to students. EdSource Today/Contra Costa Times.
04/02/2013
A network of school-based health care clinics in San Diego's City Heights neighborhood aims to serve as a safety net for the area's children. The clinics provide primary and preventive medical care services for every child in the area, from birth through age 17. The network is part of a partnership between The California Endowment, Price Charities and local community clinics. KQED's "State of Health."
02/27/2013
No-cost dental health providers like Christina's Smile Children's Dental Clinic are seeking to boost access to treatment for low-income and uninsured children in California and other states. The traveling clinic follows the PGA tour each year to visit low-income communities. HealthyCal.
02/08/2013
Kaiser Permanente has seen promising results from its multi-million dollar effort to reduce obesity rates among school-age children in Northern California by encouraging increased physical activity, according to a recently published study in the American Journal of Evaluation. The study found that at least 20% of such children reached the initiatives' targets in four of the nine programs that were examined. Payers & Providers.
02/06/2013
In a Sacramento Bee opinion piece, Barbara Aved -- former chief of the California Department of Health Services Managed Care Operations Branch -- argues that a lack of access to dental care "is one of the most overlooked problems of California's health care system." Aved writes that the state "needs to partner with the dental profession and other stakeholders to put all options on the table and implement solutions to the challenges facing the system." Sacramento Bee.
02/05/2013
A telehealth initiative seeks to provide preventive dental care to more than 2,000 state residents. For the project, dental hygienists use imaging equipment and an online dental record system to communicate with dentists about patient care. HealthyCal.
01/23/2013
A Kaiser Permanente report finds that the rate of California children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder has increased by 24% since 2001. Researchers say growing awareness of ADHD likely has contributed to the higher rate of diagnoses. USA Today, Reuters.
01/23/2013
A California study finds that Asian and Latino parents are less likely than other parents to seek mental health treatment for their children. Experts cite a shortage of bilingual mental health providers as one reason for the disparity. Riverside Press-Enterprise.
01/18/2013
California ranks 46th among states in effective coordination of medical care for children with special health care needs and 50th for referrals to specialty care, according to an analysis by the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health. The report also found that more than 40% of the roughly one million children with special needs in California have difficulty finding physicians and scheduling appointments. Los Angeles Times' "Booster Shots."