Michelle Kwik's son, Evan, showed signs of mental illness when he was 12 years old. This past February, he shot and killed himself after a 10-hour standoff with San Diego Sheriff's Deputies. Kwik agreed to share her personal experience trying to get help for her son.
More than 41,000 adults get mental health services from San Diego County. Still, as many as 10,000 in need of help may be falling through the cracks.
People suffering from serious mental illness such as schizophrenia often refuse treatment because they don't know they're sick. The San Diengo County is reviewing the mental health services available to thousands of people who are resistant to treatment.
Nearly every day, Arleen Hernandez battles an aging septic tank that backs up into her toilet and shower. Upon moving to Parklawn in 1986, she didn’t realize her new neighborhood lacks basic public services.
A tuberculosis prevention program that crosses borders, slashing Medicaid, Germany's E. coli outbreak and more from our Daily Briefing.
Pureza Bacor recalls the Filipino father, a single parent, who called at 4:55 p.m. on a Friday afternoon. He spoke in hushed tones and in near tears. “Do you speak Tagalog? I can speak in English but what I need to say, I can’t express myself right in English. I need to speak to someone who speaks to Tagalog,” pleaded the father.
The worldwide diabetes epidemic threatens to make today's children the first generation to live shorter lives than their parents.
We continue our 5-part series on the high cost of health care in America.
Journalists - particularly those in rural areas - will definitely want to follow the epidemiological investigation of swine flu that struck a nine-year-old Imperial County girl and a 10-year-old boy in adjacent San Diego County.The kids are fine now, but public health officials have never before seen this strain of swine flu in the United States. Here is the AP story.
Dr. Robert K. Ross is president and CEO of The California Endowment, a $3.7 billion, private grant-making foundation established in 1996 to address the health needs of Californians. Prior to his appointment in September 2000, Ross served as director of San Diego County's Health and Human Services Agency. Ross has an extensive background as a clinician and public health administrator.