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<p><strong>Julio Cesar Ortiz</strong>, a reporter for <strong>KMEX TV 34 (Univision)</strong> in Los Angeles, produced a three-part series that examined the effects of Alzheimer's disease on elderly Latinos. Titled "Thief of Memories," his Spanish-language series highlighted the various stages of the memory-destroying condition and presented options for families who are struggling to care for a loved one with Alzheimer's Disease.
<p>In order to serve its increasingly multi-lingual population, New York State requires interpretation services in all hospitals. But when caring for immigrants, the language barrier is just one of a myriad of issues health providers grapple with. Even though there is no statewide mandate for cultural sensitivity, many doctors say it's become a necessary instrument in providing medical care for the city's immigrant population.</p>
<p>One out of four New Yorkers doesn't speak or understand complex sentences in English. But at some point in their lives, every one of them will need to see a doctor. Language barriers can result in misdiagnoses, medication errors, and potentially fatal mistakes that are costly for both patients and providers. For this reason, hospitals in New York are required to provide "meaningful language access" to all patients. But in a city where more than 140 different languages are spoken, this is no easy task.</p>
<p>This traditional and culturally-linked cuisine remains popular to many but is moving to more healthy dishes and styles.</p>
<p>See photo and hear San Francisco artist Victor Zaballa tell how he received a kidney transplant, and what it means to him.</p>
<p>Mike Tharp is the executive editor of the <em>Merced Sun-Star</em>. He attended the Mar. 2010 seminar for the California Health Journalism Fellows as the editor of Fellow <a href="http://www.reportingonhealth.org/users/danielleegaines">Danielle Gaines</a>, where he met the subject of this column, Dr. Edward Newton, chair of Emergency Medicine at the Los Angeles County USC Hospital.</p>
<p>Much of inland California is rural and poor, a sharp contrast with hip, upscale coastal life. Residents in the rural regions sometimes live with a high degree of pollution. Producer Devin Robins visited three women who became activists over concerns for their communities' health.</p>
<p>This Wednesday, Florida's <a href="http://ahca.myflorida.com/PublicMeetingNotices.shtml">Agency for Health Care Administration</a> is expected to permanently ban Vaginal Birth after Cesarean (VBAC) in the state's birth centers. In response, <a href="http://www.birthgirlz.com/">BirthGirlz</a>, a national nonprofit based in Florida, is mounting a legal challenge, arguing that the ban is beyond the scope of the state health agency's role. See full story <a href="http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2010/03/19/florida-agency-vbac-state…;
