California Weekly Roundup: Rural Health Fund Applications Shrouded In Mystery

Plus: Waitlists for ventilators; gun violence in Stockton; new HIV treatment; cancer care in Irvine; antibiotics research at Cal Poly; homeless housing funding cuts; ultraprocessed food; and more

Not a subscriber? Sign Up Wednesday, December 03, 2025 Visit KFF Health News for the latest California headlines California Weekly Roundup THIS WEEK'S FEATURE Feds Promised 'Radical Transparency' but Are Withholding Rural Health Fund Applications (KFF HEALTH NEWS) By Sarah Jane Tribble and Arielle Zionts   Medication-delivering drones and telehealth at local libraries are among the ideas state leaders revealed in November for spending their share of a $50 billion federal rural health program.   The Trump administration, which has promised "radical transparency," said in an FAQ that it plans to publish the "project summary" for states that win awards. Following the lead of federal regulators, many states are withholding their complete applications, and some have refused to release any details.   (California has released a summary document that could not be confirmed as part of the application. Click here to read it.)   "Let's be clear," said Alan Morgan, chief executive of the National Rural Health Association. "The hospital CEOs, the clinic administrators, the community leaders: They're going to want to know what their states are doing." The NRHA's members include struggling rural hospitals and clinics, which federal lawmakers promised would benefit from the Trump administration's Rural Health Transformation Program.   Morgan said his members are interested in what states propose, which of their ideas are approved or rejected, and their budget narratives, which detail how the money could be spent. Improving rural health care is an "insanely complicated and difficult task," Morgan said.   All 50 states submitted applications to federal regulators by the Nov. 5 deadline and awards will be announced by the end of the year, according to CMS.   Read the full story.  More From KFF Health News (LAUREN PETRACCA FOR KFF HEALTH NEWS) They Need a Ventilator To Stay Alive. Getting One Can Be a Nightmare. By Jordan Rau  Few nursing homes are set up to care for people needing help breathing with a ventilator. In California, some people on ventilators live in "congregate living health facilities." Medi-Cal is authorized to pay these kinds of facilities through its Home and Community-Based Alternatives waiver, but the program is at capacity and there is a waitlist of more than 5,000 people. Read the full story.  Follow us online for more KFF Health News coverage: Top Health Headlines From Around California Gun Violence Epidemic The Sacramento Bee: Hundreds Attend Vigil Following Stockton Mass Shooting, Call To End Gun Violence  Hundreds of people showed up for a vigil after 15 people were shot at a children's party Saturday just north of the Stockton city limits. Four people have died, three of them children. (Quinn and Womack, 11/30)   Los Angeles Times: San Bernardino Mass Shooting Still Shapes The National Conversation  A decade ago, 14 people were gunned down in San Bernardino. Survivors and family of the victims are still processing what happened, and the national impact. (Dolan, Branson-Potts and Winton, 12/2)   San Francisco Chronicle: Court Revives California Law Requiring Background Checks For Ammo California's requirement of background checks for buyers of firearms ammunition was revived Monday, at least for now, when a federal appeals court blocked an earlier ruling that the 2019 law was unconstitutional. (Egelko, 12/1) HIV and AIDS San Francisco Chronicle: UCSF Therapy Helps Control HIV Without Meds For Months Seven of 10 people controlled HIV for months after UCSF vaccine-antibody therapy, a Nature study shows; not a cure yet. (Allday, 12/1)   Desert Sun: Palm Springs AIDS Memorial Breaks Ground, Completion Eyed For Spring The Palm Springs AIDS Memorial moved one step closer to reality as a ceremonious groundbreaking was held Monday, Dec. 1, at its future home in Downtown Park in Palm Springs. (Sasic, 12/1)   The Willits News: Segment Of AIDS Memorial Quilt On Display In Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Medical Building Eight people who had ties to Sonoma County are memorialized on Block #4494 of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, considered the largest community arts project in American history. The quilt block is now on display in Santa Rosa as World AIDS Day arrived Monday. (Espinoza, 12/1) Health Industry and Mental Health Care The Orange County Register: City Of Hope's Cancer Specialty Hospital Opens Doors To First Patients In Irvine  The opening marks the completion of a seven-year expansion of its cancer care in Orange County. (Le, 12/1)   The War Horse: VA Sent Warning Letters To Veteran Disability Benefit Companies  Helping veterans get through the red tape of applying for VA disability benefits has become a multibillion-dollar industry over the past decade. Which might be surprising, because charging vets for such help may be against federal law. (Rosenbaum, 12/2)   Bay Area News Group: South Bay Cardiologist Disciplined For Sexual Misconduct Involving Patient A cardiologist practicing in San Jose and Gilroy lost his medical license for two months and is on probation until 2032 after the Medical Board of California found he had inappropriately touched a female patient seeking care for heart issues. (Stringer, 12/2)   Times-Standard: Sorrel Leaf Healing Center Sees Fundraising Successes, State Funding Delays  The Sorrel Leaf Healing Center, a youth mental health facility slated to open next year, is experiencing delays in receiving state funding that would move the project forward. (Schaulis, 11/29)   The Sacramento Bee: As 988 Calls Rise Across California, The State Will Collect Less To Support It Starting in January, a surcharge on phone bills to fund the resource will be going from 8 cents to 5 cents. (Wolffe, 12/3) Pharma and Tech Visalia Times Delta: New Nonprofit Pharmacy To Hold Grand Opening In Three Rivers In addition to prescription medication, Main Fork Pharmacy will stock a large assortment of over-the-counter medications and health supplies. (Pastis, 12/2)   Sacramento Business Journal: Infinant Health Adds Liquid Drops To Probiotic Line, Relocates HQ To Sacramento Infinant Health Inc., the Sacramento-based maker of Evivo Infant Probiotics for immunity and gut health for newborns, has released new drop formulations in addition to its powder. (Anderson, 12/2)   The Mercury News: Is Theranos Fraudster Elizabeth Holmes Angling For A Pardon From President Trump? Convicted of four counts of felony fraud in 2022 for bilking investors out of hundreds of millions of dollars through her now-defunct Palo Alto blood-testing startup, Holmes lost an appeal earlier this year. Her remaining options include a presidential pardon. (Baron, 11/30)   Bay Area News Group: Trump Administration Science Assault Slams Major Bay Area Economic Engine, Threatens 'Amazing Innovations'  Veteran Bay Area biomedical CEO Paul Hastings had to lay off five dozen employees at his company earlier this year, thanks, he said, to what he described as the Trump administration's attacks on universities, science and medical-research funding, he said. (Baron, 11/30)   San Luis Obispo Tribune: Cal Poly SLO Studies Ancient Bacteria For Antibiotics  Cal Poly biochemistry Professor Katharine Watts and postdoctoral fellow Rachel Johnson are leading a team in studying microbes dating back tens of millions of years, using a unique collection of ancient samples donated by professor emeritus Raul Cano. (Dittenber, 12/3) Housing Crisis Bay Area News Group: Newsom Sues Trump Administration To Halt Homeless Housing Funding Cuts State officials warn tens of thousands of formerly homeless Californians could end up back on the street. (Varian, 11/27)   Bay Area News Group: This Nonprofit Creates Affordable Housing In The Bay Area For People With Special Needs Roughly 26,000 people in the Greater East Bay have intellectual and developmental disabilities. Sunflower Hill helps them live independently. (Metcalfe, 12/2)   The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: Jesika's Journey: Former Addict Now A Health Care 'Hero' For Vulnerable Sonoma County Residents After two decades of addiction and years of homelessness, a Sonoma woman is using her life experience to help others living on the street access health care with the Providence Mobile Clinic. (Benefield, 11/29) Immigrant Health CalMatters: CA Farmworkers Avoid Medical Clinics Over Immigration Fears  In a change since President Trump took office, fewer immigrant farmworkers are attending medical clinics in Fresno County that bring health care to remote places. (Valenzuela, 12/1)   Los Angeles Times: Pregnant Immigrants In Detention For Months Despite Rules Against It  With the immigration crackdown, more pregnant women are being detained. The ACLU alleges a woman was shackled while miscarrying and others were denied prenatal care. (Uranga, 12/3)   Los Angeles Times: Hard Lives In California's Fields: 'The American Dream Eats Us Alive' Immigrant farmworkers toil, season after season, in jobs that most Americans wouldn't endure for a week. It's a rough life that takes a heavy toll. (Meija, 11/30) Public Health NBC News: San Francisco Sues 10 Companies That Make Ultraprocessed Food The lawsuit argues that the foods have contributed to a public health crisis in San Francisco and across the nation, saddling cities and other governments with medical costs associated with the consequences of diets high in processed food. It's a first-of-its-kind attempt to hold food conglomerates accountable. (Bush, 12/2)   San Francisco Chronicle: CA Immunization Leader Blasts FDA Official's Child-Death Claim California's immunization leader blasted the FDA vaccine chief's unsupported claim of child deaths, calling it "reckless." (Cheang, 11/29)   The San Diego Union-Tribune: Fewer Than 25% Of San Diego County Residents Are Vaccinated  Experts warn that with a mutated virus expected to arrive this winter, going unprotected is particularly risky this time around. (Sisson, 12/1)   VC Star: Reports Of Bats With Rabies Rise Across Ventura County Ventura County Animal Services officials said 21 bats have tested positive so far in 2025 for the deadly disease, compared to six in 2024 and four in 2023. There have been no human cases in California since 2024. (Kisken, 12/1)   San Francisco Chronicle: Are New PFAS Pesticides Coming To California? Here's What To Know "Californians should be worried about this," said Nathan Donley, environmental health science director for the Center for Biological Diversity, by email. (Lee, 12/1) This Week's 'KFF Health News Minute' The Trump administration is making it easier for health care companies to merge, which can push patients' bills up, and air pollution from fuel exhaust and wildfire smoke can contribute to cognitive decline. Listen to Katheryn Houghton ▶️ KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.   (c) 2025 KFF. All rights reserved.   KFF 185 Berry St., Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA, 94107, United States Opt out of all KFF emails | Manage subscriptions KFF, 185 Berry Street, Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA 94107, United States Unsubscribe Manage preferences