The county’s Tuberculosis Program was working with the Metropolitan Transit System Tuesday to notify riders of the trolley’s Blue Line that they were potentially exposed to and are at risk for tuberculosis.

The exposure happened between Jan. 27 and Feb. 29 of this year, and the specific impacted routes are:

• The Blue Line between 24th Street Transit Center and Barrio Logan Transit Center, on Monday to Friday, on an inconsistent schedule but typically between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the above time frame
• The Blue line between San Ysidro Transit Center and Old Town Transit Center roughly between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m., and from Old Town to San Ysidro between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 16

Since exposures occurred at inconsistent hours, the likelihood that any rider had long cumulative exposure times is low, according to the county. These exposures are not known to be associated with any previously reported exposures on the MTS system.

TB is an airborne disease that is transmitted from person-to-person through inhalation of the bacteria from the air. People with frequent and prolonged indoor exposure to a person who is sick with TB should get tested.

“Symptoms of active TB include persistent cough, fever, night sweats and unexplained weight loss,” Dr. Wilma Wooten, county public health officer, said in a statement.

“Most people who become infected after exposure to tuberculosis do not get sick right away. This is called latent TB infection. Some who become infected with tuberculosis will become ill in the future, sometimes even years later if their latent TB infection is not treated. Blood tests and skin tests are effective in determining whether someone has been infected.”

Taking medicines for latent TB infection can cure the infection and keep people from ever getting active TB disease.

According to the county, the chance of TB infection is highest for people with many hours of cumulative indoor exposure to a person who is sick with TB. Brief interactions with an ill rider are less likely to lead to TB infection than are prolonged or repeated exposures.

The County TB Control Program recorded 193 TB cases in the county in 2020, 201 people in 2021 and 208 people in 2022. In 2023, the county recorded 243 people with active TB disease.

An estimated 175,000 people in San Diego County have a latent TB infection and are at risk for developing active TB without preventive treatment, health officials said. People who test positive for TB, but who do not have symptoms of active TB, should get a chest X-ray and talk to a medical provider, as they may likely have a latent TB infection.

Anyone who would like more information on this potential exposure should call the county TB Control Program at 619-692-5565.

City News Service contributed to this article.

Most people are already familiar with the Mediterranean diet — known for being the gold standard of healthy eating. But the world of nutrition is ever evolving; and now there’s a new kid on the block: the Atlantic Diet.

Based on the traditional eating habits of people in northwest Spain and Portugal, the Atlantic Diet promotes a lifestyle that focuses on incorporating fresh, whole foods. New research suggests that this carb-inclusive and dairy-friendly eating plan may have similar health benefits to the Mediterranean diet in protecting metabolic health and preventing chronic disease.

What Is the Atlantic Diet?

The Mediterranean and Atlantic diets are very similar in their dietary patterns, which include a focus on enjoying nourishing meals and incorporating a variety of plants, grains and legumes.

Much like the Mediterranean diet — inspired by the cuisines of Greece and Italy — the Atlantic Diet focuses on fresh, seasonal and locally-sourced whole foods. This includes vegetables, fruits, seafood, nuts, whole grains and olive oil. The Atlantic Diet, however, leans a little heavier on fish, especially cod, the predominant fish in that region.

The Atlantic Diet also leaves room for more red meat and dairy, which the Mediterranean diet suggests limiting or avoiding. Another key difference can be found in the carbs. While the Mediterranean diet typically allows for more pasta, the Atlantic Diet embraces other starches, such as chestnuts, potatoes and bread.

In addition to boasting an array of longevity-boosting foods, the Atlantic Diet encourages mindful eating, socializing over meals, steady water consumption and daily physical activity. In fact, it’s more than a diet. It’s a lifestyle, where whole foods, simple cooking techniques, exercise and savoring the pleasure of eating with others are constants.

What Are the Health Benefits?

Although it hasn’t been studied as extensively as the Mediterranean diet, research shows following the Atlantic Diet has similar health perks.

A recent study found that those who followed the Atlantic Diet for a six-month period had a lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome — a group of conditions that occur together and raise the risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and other health problems.

Because it’s plant-rich and locally sourced, the Atlantic Diet also helps protect the planet by contributing to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, the study’s authors noted. Diets that include more plant-based foods and fewer animal products are healthy, sustainable and good for both people and planet.

Incorporating the Atlantic Diet in Your Lifestyle

One key aspect of the Atlantic Diet is its emphasis on seasonal, local foods, which differ from region to region. But even if you don’t have the same kinds of local foods in your area, the Atlantic Diet can guide you toward a dietary pattern with higher quality.

Start with adding more whole plant food. Most Americans get less than 2.5 servings of fruits and vegetables, which is far from the five servings we should all be striving for.

Recognition of seasonality is also important. San Diego has many year-round farmers’ markets where you can find locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Embrace eating seasonally and locally — just as the Atlantic Diet encourages.

Lastly, remember to pair your meals with daily physical activity, plenty of water and good company! At the end of the day, the best diets aren’t really diets, but lifestyle behaviors that, over time, can deliver positive health benefits.

Dr. Angie Neison is a board-certified family, lifestyle, culinary and obesity medicine specialist with Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group.

San Diego County health officials have released an updated water contact closure and advisory list for county beaches in effect Monday.

Water contact closures have been issued for the following locations due to bacteria levels exceeding health standards:

• Coronado, Avenida Lunar
• Coronado, Coronado Lifeguard Tower
• Silver Strand Shoreline, ocean shoreline from Carnation to Avenida Lunar
• Imperial Beach Shorelines, ocean shoreline from south end of Seacoast Drive to Carnation Avenue
• Tijuana Slough Shoreline, ocean shoreline from U.S./Mexico border, including Border Field State Park and the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge

Additionally, water contact advisories have been issued for the following locations due to bacteria levels exceeding health standards:

• La Jolla, Children’s Pool
• La Jolla, Cove Beachline
• Coronado, North Beach
• San Diego Bay, Tidelands Park Shoreline
• Oceanside, San Luis Rey River outlet to 300′ south
• Mission Bay, Campland Beachline
• Mission Bay, Fanuel Park — 150′ east and west
• Mission Bay, Fiesta Island — Northwest Shoreline
• Mission Bay, North Bonita Cove — 150′ on either side of the restroom complex
• Mission Bay, South Crown Point — 150′ north and south of drain near restrooms

More information on water contamination in San Diego County can be found at www.sdbeachinfo.com.

The single largest cut in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest budget proposal threatens to undo a multibillion-dollar deal he made with health care industry leaders last year to shore up the state’s expansive public insurance program with a new tax. 

Newsom wants to take $6.7 billion that had been earmarked for increased Medi-Cal payments to health care providers and instead use it to help plug the ballooning state deficit. Providers last year agreed to be taxed to generate that money with the stipulation that it be invested in Medi-Cal, the state’s insurance program for lower-income households.

Newsom said his budget proposal preserves core services for programs like Medi-Cal and emphasized that his administration has expanded services “like no other state in U.S. history has ever expanded.”

“We are maintaining that,” Newsom said during a recent budget presentation.

Groups representing doctors, hospitals and patients warn the cut would weaken an already overburdened health care system that serves one-third of the state’s population. Industry groups have gathered signatures to place a measure on the November ballot that would overrule any cuts made in the state budget and to prevent Newsom and future governors from repurposing Medi-Cal funds.

“We are deeply disappointed that the governor’s proposal jeopardizes access to health care for millions of Californians,” the Coalition to Protect Access to Care, the group supporting the ballot measure, said in a statement.

The coalition is the same group that brokered last year’s deal — known as the Managed Care Organization, or MCO, tax — and is primarily supported by the California Medical Association, California Hospital Association, ambulance operators, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California and health insurers. 

Under the original deal, the health insurance plans serving Medi-Cal patients would get taxed in order for the state to claim a dollar-for-dollar matching amount of money from the federal government. The promise was that the money generated — upwards of $35 billion for the state over four years — would be invested in the Medi-Cal system to increase reimbursement rates and attract doctors and other providers who otherwise say they don’t get paid enough. 

Instead, Newsom’s new proposal increases the tax on health plans, uses the new money to alleviate the deficit, and cancels planned Medi-Cal rate increases for emergency room doctors, specialists and certain other providers. Increased payments that started in January for primary care, obstetrics and mental health would not be touched.

“This is mind-boggling for the public, but really the story is about equality,” said John Baackes, chief executive of L.A. Care Health Plan, the largest publicly operated health plan in the country. 

For the past decade, California lawmakers have steadily restored Medi-Cal services cut during the Great Recession, added new ones, and expanded eligibility to include all low-income Californians regardless of citizenship. Today Medi-Cal covers things like dental exams, hearing aids, doula services and acupuncture. It is one of the most comprehensive public insurance plans in the country.

Expanding Medi-Cal access

L.A. Care serves more than 3 million Medi-Cal members in Southern California. Between January and March, more than 164,000 new members were enrolled when California granted Medi-Cal to working-age, undocumented immigrants. But increasing enrollment and benefits without providing more incentives to providers has strained the health system to a breaking point, Baackes said.

“Nobody is saying that the state doesn’t have a (budget) problem. We know they have a problem, but the cost that’s going to be paid by the people who benefit from the Medi-Cal program is very difficult for the providers to accept,” Baackes said.

In recent budget hearings, representatives from the Newsom administration said they were trying to protect Medi-Cal’s core services while balancing a $27.6 billion deficit.

“These decisions and proposals are difficult and not put forward lightly,” said Michelle Baass, director of the Department of Health Care Services, which oversees Medi-Cal, during a recent Assembly budget hearing.

At that hearing, lawmakers who approved the tax deal last year accused the administration of not being honest about how the money would be used. 

“I’m just wondering if any of the discussions we’ve had about the shortages, the closures, the issues that we have on the ground, the workforce shortages, if any of those things came into thought as you were trying to preserve core services, which is important, but if you don’t have providers to go to, what have we done?” said Assemblymember Akilah Weber, a Democrat and obstetrician from La Mesa, in the hearing. 

Looking to California’s November election

Jarrod DePriest, president of Maxim Healthcare Services, said he was shocked to learn the “dollars meant to protect Medi-Cal” could be diverted. DePriest’s company provides home health services, such as nurses for people who would otherwise be confined in a hospital. A majority of its clients are children with complex health needs like cerebral palsy or severe respiratory problems, DePriest said. 

Between 2018 and 2024, the number of nurses his company employs dropped by half because Medi-Cal reimbursement rates haven’t kept up with salaries and inflation, DePriest said. Consequently his company serves nearly 10,000 fewer patients.

“Down the road things will get worse and worse,” DePriest said.

His group and others, like air ambulance operators, were not included in the original Medi-Cal rate deal and are fighting for some of the tax revenue — but it’s unlikely with the current deficit. The proposed cuts signal to them that the state is unwilling to invest in Medi-Cal, which is exactly what ballot measure proponents hoped to avoid.

Dustin Corcoran, president of the California Medical Association and leader of the ballot coalition, said providers will only accept more Medi-Cal patients if they are confident the state will fund the program permanently.

“Medi-Cal has been underfunded for so long, one of the things we were trying to accomplish was the predictability and stability of rates,” Corcoran said. “You can’t have providers in situations where they don’t believe in consistency in the rates, and they have to choose between bankruptcy and patient abandonment. That shouldn’t be a choice that a provider ever has to make.”

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters.

San Diego County health officials have released an updated water contact closure and advisory list for county beaches in effect Saturday.

Water contact closures have been issued for the following locations due to bacteria levels exceeding health standards:

— Coronado Shoreline, ocean shoreline from Avenida Lunar to North Beach;

— Silver Strand Shoreline, ocean shoreline from Carnation to Avenida Lunar;

— Imperial Beach Shorelines, ocean shoreline from south end of Seacoast Drive to Carnation Avenue;

— Tijuana Slough Shoreline, ocean shoreline from U.S./Mexico border, including Border Field State Park and the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge.

Additionally, water contact advisories have been issued for the following locations due to bacteria levels exceeding health standards:

— La Jolla, Children’s Pool;

— La Jolla, Cove Beachline;

— San Diego Bay, Tidelands Park Shoreline;

— Oceanside, San Luis Rey River outlet to 300′ south;

— Mission Bay, Campland Beachline;

— Mission Bay, Fanuel Park — 150′ east and west;

— Mission Bay, Fiesta Island — Northwest Shoreline;

— Mission Bay, North Bonita Cove — 150′ on either side of the restroom complex;

— Mission Bay, South Crown Point — 150′ north and south of drain near restrooms.

More information on water contamination in San Diego County can be found at www.sdbeachinfo.com.

–City News Service

As the legal battles in Arizona rage on over abortion, California has stepped in to protect abortion rights for residents of its neighbor state.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 233 Thursday to allow Arizona abortion care providers in good standing to register to provide abortion care on a temporary basis in California to patients from Arizona, effective immediately through November 30th if an absolute ban goes into effect, even temporarily.

The law also intends to facilitate continued access to care when Arizona’s 15-week abortion ban goes into effect.

“We live in a post-Roe world where women live without access to basic reproductive care and even face criminalization for seeking an abortion while the men who impregnate them face no scrutiny nor negative legislative consequences,” Newsom said in a statement.

“California will remain a safe harbor, ready to defend abortion access because we value women’s health and trust women to make the most intimate decision about their bodies, health, and futures.”

Gov. Newsom signed the bill, which was authored last month by Democratic Sen. Nancy Skinner of Oakland and Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry of the Legislative Women’s Caucus, against the backdrop of Arizona’s Supreme Court voting in early April to restore an archaic abortion ban from 1864.

That law provided no exceptions for rape or incest and allows abortions only if the mother’s life is in jeopardy. The majority opinion also suggested that doctors could be prosecuted and sentenced to up to five years in prison if convicted

The ban was quickly repealed by Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbes, but the legislation remains in a bureaucratic thicket, leaving the immediate future of abortion rights in the state uncertain.

California shares a roughly 200-mile-long border with Arizona.

The waters off Imperial Beach did not once meet state health standards in 2023, according to the Surfrider Foundation’s 2023 Clean Water Report released Wednesday.

The South Bay city has been dealing with the consequences of failed infrastructure in the Tijuana River Valley, leading to tons of sewage being pumped directly into the river, flows into the Pacific Ocean.

But Imperial Beach is not alone, as the report finds.

“Years of neglect and underfunding have also left America’s outdated wastewater infrastructure in disrepair, threatening coastal water quality by discharging raw and undertreated sewage into our local waterways and ocean at a rate of over 900 billion gallons every year,” the authors of the report write.

However, the only other high priority beach where volunteers regularly took samples from and didn’t once find waters meeting state health standards was Nawiliwili Stream at Kalapaki Bay on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. This leaves the two in rarified — and polluted — air.

Other California beaches on the Priority Blue Water Task Force list include Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica and San Luis Creek Mouth in San Luis Obispo.

Since the Surfrider Foundation was founded in 1984, improving coastal water quality has been one of the organization’s top priorities.

“Everyone deserves access to clean water to surf, swim, and play in. That’s why Surfrider advocates for strong laws and sufficient funding to monitor and protect water quality,” said Mara Dias, Surfrider’s water quality initiative senior manager. “We ensure that people have access to the information they need to protect themselves and the health of their families when recreating at the beach and in our coastal waterways.”

According to the foundation, nearly 10 trillion gallons of untreated stormwater runoff flow into U.S. waterways every year, carrying a cocktail of pollutants including road dust, oil, animal waste, fertilizers, and other chemicals.

The untreated sewage and stormwater can contain bacteria, viruses and parasites that make people sick, as well as pollute waterways with excess nutrients, wreaking havoc on coastal ecosystems.

In April, the Tijuana River was named one of the country’s “most endangered,” according to a report released by environmentally focused nonprofit American Rivers.

The 120-mile long intermittent river was ranked No. 9 on that report. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 44% of waterways in the United States are too polluted for swimming or fishing, and freshwater species are going extinct faster than ocean or land species.

The Tijuana estuary, the largest remaining natural coastal wetland in Southern California and one of the few remaining salt marshes, is home to more than 370 types of birds and multiple endangered species.

However, transboundary flows of toxic waste and sewage can measure 35-50 million gallons per day and the beaches of Imperial Beach have been shut down for more than 800 consecutive days as a result.

San Diego’s congressional delegation secured significant funding intended to make improvements to the treatment plant. This funding includes $156 million for the U.S. International Boundary Water Commission allocated in March and $300 million in 2019 to expand the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant from 25 million gallons per day to 50 million gallons per day.

But action needs to be taken more urgently, the Surfrider report reads.

“The growing threats from climate change to our coasts, including sea level rise and more frequent extreme weather events that generate massive amounts of stormwater, are already causing water infrastructure failures and sewage spills with increasing frequency,” the authors write. “Significant investments need to be made now to prepare our coastal communities to become more resilient and to better manage our water resources.”

City News Service contributed to this article.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors has approved spending $26 million to renovate a drug treatment facility in National City.

Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of upgrading the Substance Use Residential and Treatment Services facility located at 2300 East Seventh St.

Constructed in the 1960s and 1980s, the two empty buildings comprise 33,000 square feet and were recently used for a 120-bed substance use treatment facility, according to Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer’s office.

The county plans to use the facility for “an array of substance use treatment services,” Lawson-Remer said. “Drug addiction is ruining too many lives, and this facility will help us make progress on this crisis, particularly as it relates to illicit opioids that are sweeping through our communities.”

“People suffering from addiction shouldn’t be left to die in the street,” she added. “This is a vote to get people the care we need and improve our neighborhoods for everyone.”

Because of their condition, the buildings will need significant repairs, improvements and code upgrades, Lawson-Remer added.

The project will include renovating electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems, updating dormitory rooms and office spaces and building a kitchen and laundry facility.

In September 2022, supervisors approved the purchase of the properties, and county officials in February 2023 awarded a contract for architectural and engineering services.

According to Lawson-Remer’s office, the project’s design phase, including construction planning, is almost done. Construction is expected to start next April, with projected completion in 2026.

City News Service contributed to this article.

The county Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously advanced a proposed agreement with UC San Diego Health to provide acute psychiatric care, along with 30 to 45 additional beds, for eligible Medi-Cal patients at the university’s East Campus Medical Center.

As put forward by Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe, the board directed Sarah Aghassi, interim chief administrative officer, to negotiate with UC San Diego Health officials. Aghassi will update the board within 120 days before any formal agreement is approved, according to Montgomery Steppe’s office.

Before the vote Tuesday, Montgomery Steppe said the shortage of psychiatric care services for homeless or low-income people is one of the many pressing issues the county is facing.

She added that according to a recent study, one in 20 county residents are living with a serious mental illness, and that increases to one in 13 for those in low-income households.

A partnership would be a unique opportunity for the county to address vulnerable residents’ needs, and establish a hub that would “bolster the county’s behavioral health system for decades to come,” Montgomery Steppe said.

According to Montgomery Steppe’s office, the state of California is facing a shortfall of 1,971 acute-care beds, while San Diego County needs more than 8,000 behavioral health workers to meet demand.

“The exploration of a partnership with UCSD Health offers an opportunity to address both shortfalls by strengthening the behavioral health workforce and decreasing the gap in available psychiatric beds,” the supervisor said.

Montgomery Steppe’s colleague Joel Anderson described the proposal as “a long time coming,” and a big step for the East County.

In a statement after the vote, Vice Chair Terra Lawson Remer said a partnership with UC San Diego would be “another example of how we are making fundamental changes to fix a system that was neglected for decades.”

“This partnership means more beds to treat people experiencing psychiatric challenges, instead of spending the night on the streets,” she said.

During a public comment period, eight people — most of them health care professionals —  urged supervisors to make the partnership a reality.

Patty Maysent, CEO of UC San Diego Health, said her organization is ready to work with the county, after such an arrangement was first suggested eight years ago.

“It has been a long journey to get here today, and we have a good deal of work ahead of us,” Maysent said.

Dr. Steve Koh, a psychiatrist at UC San Diego Health, said if the partnership is successful, it could be a model for California and the United States.

“We’re at the precipice of something great,” Koh added. “This will allow us to put the full spectrum of behavioral health care in one central site.”

One woman told supervisors that families are begging for help for their loved ones dealing with behavioral health or neurological illness. She said society is watching those with mental illness decay on the streets or die in jail.

She asked the board, “Have you had to call the morgue every day? I have.”

The woman added that she’s thankful her family member got the help he needed.

City News Service contributed to this article.

The Prebys Foundation Monday announced $6 million in grants to 23 local organizations dealing with the mental and emotional well-being of youth and young adults, timed to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Month.

The grants are intended for nonprofits and organizations focused on preventative care strategies and addressing the needs of a diverse array of groups — including Native Americans, the LGBTQ+ community, African refugees, Girl Scouts, homeless youth, Boys and Girls Clubs around the county, military families, the Latino population and Middle Eastern refugees, among others.

“San Diego can become a national model by consistently supporting youth well-being,” said Grant Oliphant, CEO of the Prebys Foundation. “The health and vitality of our youth are crucial for a vibrant future. Our investment aims to ensure that San Diego’s young individuals are thriving and empowered to explore who they are and build meaningful community ties.”

Oliphant said the timing of the grants is fitting, as mental health challenges among young people in the United States remains a constant, exacerbated by lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The work of these organizations strengthens the community fabric,” he said. “Their commitment to delivering innovative and relevant solutions allows young individuals to nurture and protect their emotional and mental health, significantly enhancing the well-being of San Diego County.”

The 23 groups granted funds are: ‘ataaxum Pomkwaan, Bayside Community Services, Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos, Boys & Girls Clubs of East County, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego, Boys to Men Mentoring Network, California State San Marcos University Foundation, Center for Community Solutions, Champions for Health, Father Joe’s Villages, Girl Scouts San Diego, Institute for Public Strategies, Julian Pathways, Kupanda, License to Freedom, NAMI San Diego, North County Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Questioning Resource Center, Rady Children’s Hospital, Social Advocates for Youth San Diego, Southern Sudanese Community Center of San Diego, The San Diego LGBT Community Center and transcenDANCE.

City News Service contributed to this article.