A law shortening the waiting period for medical aid in dying has led to a 47% jump in prescriptions for the medication - according to a new report from the California Department of Public Health. In 2021, lawmakers amended the End of Life Option Act to cut the mandatory waiting period between the two required oral requests for the medication from 15 days down to 48 hours. Samantha Trad, national director of advocacy with the group Compassion & Choices, said the change provided relief to hundreds more patients. .
August is National Breastfeeding Month, focused on the benefits of breastfeeding for mothers and babies as well as the restrictions some encounter. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends at least six months of exclusive breastfeeding, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the country s relatively low breastfeeding rate results in about $3 billion a year in extra medical costs. Stephanie Bradley, who chairs the Nebraska Breastfeeding Coalition, said her organization seeks to "normalize" the practice for every Nebraska family. .
Mental health is a major issue for young people of Generation Z, people who were born after 1996, and research has found they report feeling emotionally distressed at more than three times the rate of Baby Boomers. Deidra Burke, youth and young adult program manager for the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Washington, said stigma around mental health issues is the biggest barrier to getting help, although conversations about it are becoming more prevalent. "Now after the pandemic, it sort of normalized it," Burke observed. " .
Events across the country are marking this as National Health Center Week, including in Oregon. Community health centers provide affordable health care options to more than 30 million Americans, regardless of their ability to pay. Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center operates in Yamhill and Washington counties and emphasizes care for seasonal and migrant workers in the area. .