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"content": "\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/santa-clara\">Santa Clara\u003c/a> County resident with an active measles infection may have exposed others while visiting a Burlingame restaurant this week, Santa Clara County public health officials said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Santa Clara County Public Health Department said in \u003ca href=\"https://publichealth.santaclaracounty.gov/diseases/measles\">a statement on Friday\u003c/a> that the adult measles patient had “recently returned from international travel,” and that their case was reported to the county late Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Officials said the possible exposures may have occurred at a \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Panda+Express/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xf0dbe274f0920e84?sa=X&ved=1t:2428&ictx=111\">Panda Express,\u003c/a> located at 1453 Burlingame Ave., in San Mateo County, on \u003ca href=\"https://publichealth.santaclaracounty.gov/diseases/measles\">either Monday or Tuesday\u003c/a> between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fast food restaurant is located in Burlingame’s Fox Mall Shopping Center, off El Camino Real.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003ca href=\"#Howcanvaccinatedpeoplegetmeasles\">How can vaccinated people get measles?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The measles patient “visited private work and healthcare locations” in addition to dining at the Panda Express location, according to a statement from the county.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074921\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074921\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/MeaslesGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1362\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/MeaslesGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/MeaslesGetty-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/MeaslesGetty-1536x1046.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Vials of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are displayed on a counter at a Walgreens Pharmacy on Jan. 26, 2015, in Mill Valley, California. \u003ccite>(Photo illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Santa Clara public health officials said they are working with neighboring San Mateo and the California Department of Public Health “to identify and contact all individuals who may have been exposed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The infected person was previously vaccinated against measles (more on this below), and “is now isolating at home,” according to the county.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What should I do if I think I was exposed to measles?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>According to the Santa Clara County Public Health Department, members of the public who “may have been exposed at the following location and times should stay home and contact their health provider immediately before seeking care.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What are the symptoms of measles?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose and pink eye, followed a few days later by a rash.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These symptoms can emerge between \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/\">seven and 21 days\u003c/a> after exposure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CDC has \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html\">a timeline \u003c/a>of how measles symptoms appear on the body and \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/photos.html\">how to recognize\u003c/a> a measles rash.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Howcanvaccinatedpeoplegetmeasles\">\u003c/a>How can a vaccinated person get measles?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Measles is preventable with the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, and vaccination against measles has for decades been part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/history.html\">routine childhood immunization\u003c/a>. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/questions.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/faqs.html\">CDC said\u003c/a> two doses of the measles vaccine are “about 97% effective” at preventing measles if you’re exposed, and one dose is “about 93% effective.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the CDC, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html\">92% of 2026 measles cases \u003c/a>nationwide have occurred in people who either aren’t vaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown, and 4% of patients report only having one MMR shot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the CDC’s 2026 data also show that 4% of measles cases are in people who’ve had both MMR doses — as is the case with the Santa Clara patient reported Friday.[aside postID=news_12073722 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/03/GettyImages-1718981175_qut-1020x681.jpg']So-called breakthrough cases in vaccinated measles patients are not unprecedented, according to Dr. Sarah Rudman, Santa Clara County’s health officer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rudman said that when “there’s this much measles spreading around, both around the country and internationally,” vaccinated people can still be infected, although it’s less common. Rudman clarified that the majority of cases still occur in unvaccinated people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rudman also echoed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070907/measles-san-francisco-bay-area-2026-is-there-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-booster\">the CDC’s guidance\u003c/a> that measles cases in vaccinated people tend to be less severe than in unvaccinated people. People with two MMR vaccine doses are likely to only be “moderately sick,” she said, and recovering “faster and are less infectious, which means the disease spreads less.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s one more reason why it’s so important for the community to have high rates of immunity against measles by being up to date on vaccination,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What if you have two vaccine doses but are now worried about being infected with measles? Rudman said that for most people who have a record of their vaccination or a childhood case of measles, “it’s not necessary to go \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073722/2026-measles-cases-mmr-vaccine-how-to-get-titer-test-immunity-antibodies-extra-dose\">check your measles immunity status\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, Rudman said, for those who are vulnerable due to their medical history, an upcoming travel plan or medical treatment, “it might make sense to talk to your doctor and check your immune status.” She said this can be done by verifying vaccination records or by a blood test for proof of immunity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Read more about how \u003c/strong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073722/2026-measles-cases-mmr-vaccine-how-to-get-titer-test-immunity-antibodies-extra-dose\">\u003cstrong>titer tests can assess your immunity\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong> against measles, and how to ask your provider about getting one.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What’s going on with measles in 2026?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Santa Clara case marks the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/measles.aspx\">22nd\u003c/a> measles case in California in 2026, with the county’s first confirmed measles case in a resident since May 2025. It’s believed to be the Bay Area’s fourth measles case in 2026, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070907/measles-san-francisco-bay-area-2026-is-there-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-booster\">previous cases reported by San Mateo and Napa counties.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html\">data\u003c/a>, 1,136 cases of the highly contagious disease have already been reported around the United States this year — with the majority of cases fueled by an outbreak in South Carolina. Last year saw \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html\">a total of 2,144 confirmed cases,\u003c/a> in contrast to just 285 cases in 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/vrancano\">\u003cem>Vanessa Rancaño \u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/santa-clara\">Santa Clara\u003c/a> County resident with an active measles infection may have exposed others while visiting a Burlingame restaurant this week, Santa Clara County public health officials said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Santa Clara County Public Health Department said in \u003ca href=\"https://publichealth.santaclaracounty.gov/diseases/measles\">a statement on Friday\u003c/a> that the adult measles patient had “recently returned from international travel,” and that their case was reported to the county late Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Officials said the possible exposures may have occurred at a \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/place/Panda+Express/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xf0dbe274f0920e84?sa=X&ved=1t:2428&ictx=111\">Panda Express,\u003c/a> located at 1453 Burlingame Ave., in San Mateo County, on \u003ca href=\"https://publichealth.santaclaracounty.gov/diseases/measles\">either Monday or Tuesday\u003c/a> between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fast food restaurant is located in Burlingame’s Fox Mall Shopping Center, off El Camino Real.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003ca href=\"#Howcanvaccinatedpeoplegetmeasles\">How can vaccinated people get measles?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The measles patient “visited private work and healthcare locations” in addition to dining at the Panda Express location, according to a statement from the county.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074921\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074921\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/MeaslesGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1362\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/MeaslesGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/MeaslesGetty-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/MeaslesGetty-1536x1046.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Vials of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are displayed on a counter at a Walgreens Pharmacy on Jan. 26, 2015, in Mill Valley, California. \u003ccite>(Photo illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Santa Clara public health officials said they are working with neighboring San Mateo and the California Department of Public Health “to identify and contact all individuals who may have been exposed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The infected person was previously vaccinated against measles (more on this below), and “is now isolating at home,” according to the county.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What should I do if I think I was exposed to measles?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>According to the Santa Clara County Public Health Department, members of the public who “may have been exposed at the following location and times should stay home and contact their health provider immediately before seeking care.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What are the symptoms of measles?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose and pink eye, followed a few days later by a rash.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These symptoms can emerge between \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/\">seven and 21 days\u003c/a> after exposure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CDC has \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html\">a timeline \u003c/a>of how measles symptoms appear on the body and \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/photos.html\">how to recognize\u003c/a> a measles rash.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Howcanvaccinatedpeoplegetmeasles\">\u003c/a>How can a vaccinated person get measles?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Measles is preventable with the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, and vaccination against measles has for decades been part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/history.html\">routine childhood immunization\u003c/a>. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/questions.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/faqs.html\">CDC said\u003c/a> two doses of the measles vaccine are “about 97% effective” at preventing measles if you’re exposed, and one dose is “about 93% effective.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the CDC, \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html\">92% of 2026 measles cases \u003c/a>nationwide have occurred in people who either aren’t vaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown, and 4% of patients report only having one MMR shot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the CDC’s 2026 data also show that 4% of measles cases are in people who’ve had both MMR doses — as is the case with the Santa Clara patient reported Friday.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>So-called breakthrough cases in vaccinated measles patients are not unprecedented, according to Dr. Sarah Rudman, Santa Clara County’s health officer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rudman said that when “there’s this much measles spreading around, both around the country and internationally,” vaccinated people can still be infected, although it’s less common. Rudman clarified that the majority of cases still occur in unvaccinated people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rudman also echoed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070907/measles-san-francisco-bay-area-2026-is-there-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-booster\">the CDC’s guidance\u003c/a> that measles cases in vaccinated people tend to be less severe than in unvaccinated people. People with two MMR vaccine doses are likely to only be “moderately sick,” she said, and recovering “faster and are less infectious, which means the disease spreads less.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s one more reason why it’s so important for the community to have high rates of immunity against measles by being up to date on vaccination,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What if you have two vaccine doses but are now worried about being infected with measles? Rudman said that for most people who have a record of their vaccination or a childhood case of measles, “it’s not necessary to go \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073722/2026-measles-cases-mmr-vaccine-how-to-get-titer-test-immunity-antibodies-extra-dose\">check your measles immunity status\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, Rudman said, for those who are vulnerable due to their medical history, an upcoming travel plan or medical treatment, “it might make sense to talk to your doctor and check your immune status.” She said this can be done by verifying vaccination records or by a blood test for proof of immunity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Read more about how \u003c/strong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073722/2026-measles-cases-mmr-vaccine-how-to-get-titer-test-immunity-antibodies-extra-dose\">\u003cstrong>titer tests can assess your immunity\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cstrong> against measles, and how to ask your provider about getting one.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What’s going on with measles in 2026?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Santa Clara case marks the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/measles.aspx\">22nd\u003c/a> measles case in California in 2026, with the county’s first confirmed measles case in a resident since May 2025. It’s believed to be the Bay Area’s fourth measles case in 2026, with \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070907/measles-san-francisco-bay-area-2026-is-there-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-booster\">previous cases reported by San Mateo and Napa counties.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html\">data\u003c/a>, 1,136 cases of the highly contagious disease have already been reported around the United States this year — with the majority of cases fueled by an outbreak in South Carolina. Last year saw \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html\">a total of 2,144 confirmed cases,\u003c/a> in contrast to just 285 cases in 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/vrancano\">\u003cem>Vanessa Rancaño \u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "alameda-county-officials-look-to-stave-off-mass-hospital-layoffs-as-medicaid-cuts-loom",
"title": "Alameda County Officials Look to Stave Off Mass Hospital Layoffs as Medicaid Cuts Loom",
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"headTitle": "Alameda County Officials Look to Stave Off Mass Hospital Layoffs as Medicaid Cuts Loom | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/alameda-county\">Alameda County\u003c/a> leaders are sounding cautiously optimistic about stopping mass layoffs at the East Bay’s public safety-net hospital system ahead of a hearing on the layoff plan on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.alamedahealthsystem.org/service-reductions/\">latest proposal\u003c/a> from Alameda Health System would cut 187 positions, down from earlier plans for close to 300, as executives brace for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997707/how-will-trumps-mega-bill-impact-health-care-in-california\">major reductions in Medicaid revenue\u003c/a> because of HR 1 — the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” signed into law by President Donald Trump last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 187 full-time-equivalent positions equate to 211 individuals, AHS said, some of them working part-time. Those 211 employees have already received layoff notices with a March 9 separation date, though that could change. The cuts would affect nurses, therapists, food workers and administrative assistants, among others, and would eliminate some programs completely, including two that provide outpatient behavioral health services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a rally outside Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus in Oakland on Tuesday, Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley urged health care workers to weigh in \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacounty.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=2&event_id=7805\">at the hearing\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Speak your mind, let us know how these reductions in force, the reduction in labor, is going to impact safety net services so that the Board of Supervisors can come to the rescue,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The layoff plans come as AHS expects to lose over $100 million a year by 2030 as a result of HR 1 and its Medicaid cuts, a spokesperson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12068383/alameda-health-system-to-lay-off-hundreds-in-january-after-massive-federal-cuts\">previously told KQED\u003c/a>. Medicaid payments make up about 60% of the health system’s revenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074475\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074475\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_015-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_015-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_015-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_015-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, who represents District 4, speaks during a resident physician “unity break” outside Highland Hospital in Oakland on Feb. 24, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Miley, who leads the Board of Supervisors’ health committee, said he met with AHS leaders last week and sees a path for the county to come up with funding to suspend the layoffs — at least in the short term.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The current estimate, he said, is that AHS needs between $44 million and $52 million to hold back layoffs for a year. AHS officials confirmed that they are in conversations with the county “about ways they can help us, given the extensive funding cuts we’re facing,” but wouldn’t confirm the figures Miley provided, saying it was “premature.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My hope is the county is going to be able to kick in at least the initial $11 [million] to $13 million so that we can suspend the layoffs for a period of time,” Miley said.[aside postID=news_12072837 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8137B-KQED.jpg']He aims to create a working group made up of labor leaders, county staff, supervisors and Alameda Health System administrators and trustees to develop a more long-term plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Miley suggested that revenue from \u003ca href=\"https://www.acgov.org/board/bos_calendar/documents/MeasureWAllocationPresentation.pdf\">Measures W\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://budget.alamedacountyca.gov/Content/pdf/FY24-25/FY2024-25ProposedBudget-7_10_24.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">and A\u003c/a> — sales taxes approved by voters to raise money for medical and essential services, among other things — could help offset some of the cuts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also floated the idea of the county easing up, at least temporarily, on repayment of what’s known as the “net negative balance,” essentially a county line of credit that Alameda Health System uses to cover expenses when bills come due before large state or federal reimbursements arrive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are avenues we can pursue,” he said, noting that cuts to non-safety-net services might be left standing. “There might be some things that are good to have but are not necessary.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas agreed that the county can likely stanch the bleeding in the near term, but she emphasized that the real solutions are systemic: “It’s about single payer. It’s about making sure that we close the loophole in Prop. 13 and really address how resources and wealth are distributed in our country, as well as our state and our communities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074473\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074473\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_007-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_007-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_007-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_007-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nikki Fortunato Bas, a member of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, speaks during a resident physician “unity break” outside Highland Hospital in Oakland on Feb. 24, 2026. Physicians cited layoffs, staffing shortages and contract negotiations with Alameda Health System. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the meantime, she said she would seek to hold AHS accountable for doing everything possible to raise revenue and ensure officials there are “very clear and thoughtful about what they’re looking at, and that they’re actually talking in good faith with our labor partners to make sure that we’re addressing all the potential impacts.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some AHS employees and their unions have criticized system executives for acting rashly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These layoffs are anticipatory,” said Dr. Elijah Lustig, a resident physician at Highland Hospital and union leader with the Committee of Interns and Residents, part of Service Employees International Union.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re not talking to our department heads before instituting cuts or proposing layoffs,” he said of the process. “The people who are deciding who gets fired, frankly, do not have a good grasp on how this hospital runs, on what services are crucial, on what services are impacted.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074474\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074474\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus is seen through flowering branches in Oakland on Feb. 24, 2026. The hospital is part of Alameda Health System. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a statement, AHS said it “must take a proactive approach” to reducing costs. “We do not approach this painful decision lightly,” it said. “However, AHS reasonably predicts that it will run out of funds within six months, by August of 2026, if it does not act now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wednesday’s hearing is required by law to give the public an opportunity to comment on the proposed cuts to health care services. Supervisors won’t take any action there, but Miley said he hopes the board will reach a decision on allocating funding to prevent layoffs as soon as March 3.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The hearing takes place at 3 p.m. at the Alameda County Administration Building, Board of Supervisors’ Chambers, Fifth Floor, Room 512, 1221 Oak St.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Alameda Health System, the East Bay’s public safety-net hospital system, is proposing about 200 layoffs as executives brace for major reductions in Medicaid revenue.",
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"title": "Alameda County Officials Look to Stave Off Mass Hospital Layoffs as Medicaid Cuts Loom | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/alameda-county\">Alameda County\u003c/a> leaders are sounding cautiously optimistic about stopping mass layoffs at the East Bay’s public safety-net hospital system ahead of a hearing on the layoff plan on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.alamedahealthsystem.org/service-reductions/\">latest proposal\u003c/a> from Alameda Health System would cut 187 positions, down from earlier plans for close to 300, as executives brace for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997707/how-will-trumps-mega-bill-impact-health-care-in-california\">major reductions in Medicaid revenue\u003c/a> because of HR 1 — the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” signed into law by President Donald Trump last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 187 full-time-equivalent positions equate to 211 individuals, AHS said, some of them working part-time. Those 211 employees have already received layoff notices with a March 9 separation date, though that could change. The cuts would affect nurses, therapists, food workers and administrative assistants, among others, and would eliminate some programs completely, including two that provide outpatient behavioral health services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a rally outside Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus in Oakland on Tuesday, Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley urged health care workers to weigh in \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacounty.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=2&event_id=7805\">at the hearing\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Speak your mind, let us know how these reductions in force, the reduction in labor, is going to impact safety net services so that the Board of Supervisors can come to the rescue,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The layoff plans come as AHS expects to lose over $100 million a year by 2030 as a result of HR 1 and its Medicaid cuts, a spokesperson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12068383/alameda-health-system-to-lay-off-hundreds-in-january-after-massive-federal-cuts\">previously told KQED\u003c/a>. Medicaid payments make up about 60% of the health system’s revenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074475\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074475\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_015-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_015-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_015-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_015-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, who represents District 4, speaks during a resident physician “unity break” outside Highland Hospital in Oakland on Feb. 24, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Miley, who leads the Board of Supervisors’ health committee, said he met with AHS leaders last week and sees a path for the county to come up with funding to suspend the layoffs — at least in the short term.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The current estimate, he said, is that AHS needs between $44 million and $52 million to hold back layoffs for a year. AHS officials confirmed that they are in conversations with the county “about ways they can help us, given the extensive funding cuts we’re facing,” but wouldn’t confirm the figures Miley provided, saying it was “premature.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My hope is the county is going to be able to kick in at least the initial $11 [million] to $13 million so that we can suspend the layoffs for a period of time,” Miley said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>He aims to create a working group made up of labor leaders, county staff, supervisors and Alameda Health System administrators and trustees to develop a more long-term plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Miley suggested that revenue from \u003ca href=\"https://www.acgov.org/board/bos_calendar/documents/MeasureWAllocationPresentation.pdf\">Measures W\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://budget.alamedacountyca.gov/Content/pdf/FY24-25/FY2024-25ProposedBudget-7_10_24.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">and A\u003c/a> — sales taxes approved by voters to raise money for medical and essential services, among other things — could help offset some of the cuts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also floated the idea of the county easing up, at least temporarily, on repayment of what’s known as the “net negative balance,” essentially a county line of credit that Alameda Health System uses to cover expenses when bills come due before large state or federal reimbursements arrive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are avenues we can pursue,” he said, noting that cuts to non-safety-net services might be left standing. “There might be some things that are good to have but are not necessary.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas agreed that the county can likely stanch the bleeding in the near term, but she emphasized that the real solutions are systemic: “It’s about single payer. It’s about making sure that we close the loophole in Prop. 13 and really address how resources and wealth are distributed in our country, as well as our state and our communities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074473\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074473\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_007-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_007-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_007-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_007-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nikki Fortunato Bas, a member of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, speaks during a resident physician “unity break” outside Highland Hospital in Oakland on Feb. 24, 2026. Physicians cited layoffs, staffing shortages and contract negotiations with Alameda Health System. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the meantime, she said she would seek to hold AHS accountable for doing everything possible to raise revenue and ensure officials there are “very clear and thoughtful about what they’re looking at, and that they’re actually talking in good faith with our labor partners to make sure that we’re addressing all the potential impacts.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some AHS employees and their unions have criticized system executives for acting rashly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These layoffs are anticipatory,” said Dr. Elijah Lustig, a resident physician at Highland Hospital and union leader with the Committee of Interns and Residents, part of Service Employees International Union.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re not talking to our department heads before instituting cuts or proposing layoffs,” he said of the process. “The people who are deciding who gets fired, frankly, do not have a good grasp on how this hospital runs, on what services are crucial, on what services are impacted.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074474\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074474\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus is seen through flowering branches in Oakland on Feb. 24, 2026. The hospital is part of Alameda Health System. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a statement, AHS said it “must take a proactive approach” to reducing costs. “We do not approach this painful decision lightly,” it said. “However, AHS reasonably predicts that it will run out of funds within six months, by August of 2026, if it does not act now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wednesday’s hearing is required by law to give the public an opportunity to comment on the proposed cuts to health care services. Supervisors won’t take any action there, but Miley said he hopes the board will reach a decision on allocating funding to prevent layoffs as soon as March 3.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The hearing takes place at 3 p.m. at the Alameda County Administration Building, Board of Supervisors’ Chambers, Fifth Floor, Room 512, 1221 Oak St.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "widespread-kaiser-strike-to-end-after-4-weeks-with-no-deal-yet",
"title": "Widespread Kaiser Strike Ends After 4 Weeks With No Full Deal Yet",
"publishDate": 1771956175,
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"headTitle": "Widespread Kaiser Strike Ends After 4 Weeks With No Full Deal Yet | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>A four-week strike by thousands of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> health care workers in California and Hawaii ended Tuesday morning, even though no full contract deal has been reached.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The walkout \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071014/kaiser-strike-sees-thousands-walk-out-in-california-this-time-with-no-end-in-sight\">initially involved\u003c/a> up to 31,000 nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, optometrists and others. Following significant movement at the bargaining table over the weekend, according to the union, no picket lines were held Monday as return-to-work agreements were finalized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We decided to end this because we were making meaningful progress at the tables. And returning to work allows us to closely deal with the issues, the few that are still outstanding, while getting back to taking care of our patients,” said Elizabeth Hawkins, secretary of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nurses and other health care workers who walked picket lines several days a week are now expected to return to clinics and hospitals as early as Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser, which hired contingency staffers during the strike, said it was working to schedule returning employees over the coming days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Oakland-based health care organization said union leadership recently accepted an across-the-board 21.5% wage increase over four years that Kaiser had offered since October 2025. The union sought a 25% raise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073903\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073903\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. Kaiser workers on the picket lines have gone without their paychecks for four weeks, and many are facing financial and other difficulties. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We have remained committed to reaching agreements that recognize the vital contributions of our employees while ensuring excellent, affordable care for our members,” Kaiser’s statement said. “Importantly, the increase is higher than any other health care provider in the country and keeps our employees at above market pay and among the best paid caregivers in the country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the strike dragged on, the nation’s largest private nonprofit health care organization drew a hard line, maintaining that anything higher than a 21.5% raise would be unsustainable and lead it to increase premiums for its more than 9 million customers in California. The union said it acquiesced on wages because Kaiser agreed to additional improvements in safe staffing, recruitment and retention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both parties have been focused on completing contracts for each of dozens of local units forming UNAC/UHCP, Hawkins said. Kaiser walked away from bargaining on a long-standing national contract in December, a move the union calls unlawful and said partly led to the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pressure had been mounting on both parties to end the walkout, which began Jan. 26 and was dubbed the largest open-ended strike by nurses and other health care workers in the U.S. Top priorities in negotiations for Kaiser employees have been staffing levels and compensation, common concerns for health care workers nationwide.[aside postID=news_12073887 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01224_TV-KQED.jpg']The company reassigned non-picketing staffers, rescheduled non-urgent surgeries and modified other appointments at affected locations. But some patients were frustrated by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072837/kaiser-strike-delays-surgeries-disrupts-care-as-more-workers-walk-off-jobs\">delays\u003c/a> in their operations, especially in Southern California, where most striking union members are located.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the picket lines, several workers told KQED they were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073887/californias-striking-kaiser-workers-without-pay-for-weeks-feel-the-financial-pressure\">financially and emotionally stressed\u003c/a> by forgoing their paychecks for weeks, as the union did not offer assistance via a strike fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last week, Kaiser said about 40% of nurses and pharmacists across striking locations had returned to their jobs, though union officials countered that those figures were inflated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While they will keep negotiating, they are losing leverage by going back to work, which suggests that they didn’t feel they had the capacity to sustain the strike any longer,” said Rebecca Givan, an associate professor of labor studies and employment relations at Rutgers University who specializes in the health care industry. “This is a tough outcome for these workers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Givan contrasted the outcome in California and Hawaii with a weeks-long strike by about 15,000 nurses in New York City, which led to significant employer concessions, including maintenance of health care benefits and improvements to pay and staffing, before workers agreed to return to their jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife at Kaiser Oakland, said she would have preferred to end the strike with a contract deal in hand, but she’s cautiously optimistic about what’s left of the bargaining progress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073902\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073902\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife from Kaiser Oakland, poses for a portrait while on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser really saw how united we were and how strong we were, and even though we don’t have a contract in place now, I believe that my employer is negotiating in good faith and has been at the bargaining table,” said Baird, 53. ”I’m definitely feeling more like there’s a good chance of getting the things that we need in a contract, even if we don’t get everything we want.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baird said she was looking forward to seeing patients and regaining her income. She’s nervous about the strain that the long strike could have on her relationships with co-workers who pitched in more hours to continue caring for patients. Still, she feels the strike will likely lead to improvements for patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even with the disruptions in patient care, if we have a solid contract, we’ll have much more staff continuity. We’ll have people who are dedicated to being there, it will decrease the risks of turnover. And I think in the long run, it’s better for patients,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073905\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073905\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hawkins, the UNAC/UHCP secretary, said the union had not held a walkout at Kaiser for about 45 years prior to last year, when two much shorter strikes were held.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Labor experts said the company had a shining reputation as an employer with positive labor relations, but the recent walkout suggested a turning point for Kaiser, which has expanded to eight states and the District of Columbia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser, which has dismissed employee claims of chronic understaffing and long delays for patients, said its health care workers are already paid on average more than those at other companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health care workers in California often earn more money than in other states, which labor experts say is due to the state’s high cost of living and unionization in the industry. Registered nurses, for example, make an annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.bls.gov/oes/2019/may/oes291141.htm\">mean of $113,200\u003c/a> in California, significantly higher than the national mean of $77,500, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The large, open-ended strike had led to frustrations by some patients over delayed care as well as difficulties for workers who went weeks without a paycheck.",
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"title": "Widespread Kaiser Strike Ends After 4 Weeks With No Full Deal Yet | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A four-week strike by thousands of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> health care workers in California and Hawaii ended Tuesday morning, even though no full contract deal has been reached.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The walkout \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071014/kaiser-strike-sees-thousands-walk-out-in-california-this-time-with-no-end-in-sight\">initially involved\u003c/a> up to 31,000 nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, optometrists and others. Following significant movement at the bargaining table over the weekend, according to the union, no picket lines were held Monday as return-to-work agreements were finalized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We decided to end this because we were making meaningful progress at the tables. And returning to work allows us to closely deal with the issues, the few that are still outstanding, while getting back to taking care of our patients,” said Elizabeth Hawkins, secretary of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nurses and other health care workers who walked picket lines several days a week are now expected to return to clinics and hospitals as early as Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser, which hired contingency staffers during the strike, said it was working to schedule returning employees over the coming days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Oakland-based health care organization said union leadership recently accepted an across-the-board 21.5% wage increase over four years that Kaiser had offered since October 2025. The union sought a 25% raise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073903\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073903\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. Kaiser workers on the picket lines have gone without their paychecks for four weeks, and many are facing financial and other difficulties. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We have remained committed to reaching agreements that recognize the vital contributions of our employees while ensuring excellent, affordable care for our members,” Kaiser’s statement said. “Importantly, the increase is higher than any other health care provider in the country and keeps our employees at above market pay and among the best paid caregivers in the country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the strike dragged on, the nation’s largest private nonprofit health care organization drew a hard line, maintaining that anything higher than a 21.5% raise would be unsustainable and lead it to increase premiums for its more than 9 million customers in California. The union said it acquiesced on wages because Kaiser agreed to additional improvements in safe staffing, recruitment and retention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both parties have been focused on completing contracts for each of dozens of local units forming UNAC/UHCP, Hawkins said. Kaiser walked away from bargaining on a long-standing national contract in December, a move the union calls unlawful and said partly led to the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pressure had been mounting on both parties to end the walkout, which began Jan. 26 and was dubbed the largest open-ended strike by nurses and other health care workers in the U.S. Top priorities in negotiations for Kaiser employees have been staffing levels and compensation, common concerns for health care workers nationwide.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The company reassigned non-picketing staffers, rescheduled non-urgent surgeries and modified other appointments at affected locations. But some patients were frustrated by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072837/kaiser-strike-delays-surgeries-disrupts-care-as-more-workers-walk-off-jobs\">delays\u003c/a> in their operations, especially in Southern California, where most striking union members are located.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the picket lines, several workers told KQED they were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073887/californias-striking-kaiser-workers-without-pay-for-weeks-feel-the-financial-pressure\">financially and emotionally stressed\u003c/a> by forgoing their paychecks for weeks, as the union did not offer assistance via a strike fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last week, Kaiser said about 40% of nurses and pharmacists across striking locations had returned to their jobs, though union officials countered that those figures were inflated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While they will keep negotiating, they are losing leverage by going back to work, which suggests that they didn’t feel they had the capacity to sustain the strike any longer,” said Rebecca Givan, an associate professor of labor studies and employment relations at Rutgers University who specializes in the health care industry. “This is a tough outcome for these workers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Givan contrasted the outcome in California and Hawaii with a weeks-long strike by about 15,000 nurses in New York City, which led to significant employer concessions, including maintenance of health care benefits and improvements to pay and staffing, before workers agreed to return to their jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife at Kaiser Oakland, said she would have preferred to end the strike with a contract deal in hand, but she’s cautiously optimistic about what’s left of the bargaining progress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073902\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073902\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife from Kaiser Oakland, poses for a portrait while on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser really saw how united we were and how strong we were, and even though we don’t have a contract in place now, I believe that my employer is negotiating in good faith and has been at the bargaining table,” said Baird, 53. ”I’m definitely feeling more like there’s a good chance of getting the things that we need in a contract, even if we don’t get everything we want.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baird said she was looking forward to seeing patients and regaining her income. She’s nervous about the strain that the long strike could have on her relationships with co-workers who pitched in more hours to continue caring for patients. Still, she feels the strike will likely lead to improvements for patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even with the disruptions in patient care, if we have a solid contract, we’ll have much more staff continuity. We’ll have people who are dedicated to being there, it will decrease the risks of turnover. And I think in the long run, it’s better for patients,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073905\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073905\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hawkins, the UNAC/UHCP secretary, said the union had not held a walkout at Kaiser for about 45 years prior to last year, when two much shorter strikes were held.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Labor experts said the company had a shining reputation as an employer with positive labor relations, but the recent walkout suggested a turning point for Kaiser, which has expanded to eight states and the District of Columbia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser, which has dismissed employee claims of chronic understaffing and long delays for patients, said its health care workers are already paid on average more than those at other companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health care workers in California often earn more money than in other states, which labor experts say is due to the state’s high cost of living and unionization in the industry. Registered nurses, for example, make an annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.bls.gov/oes/2019/may/oes291141.htm\">mean of $113,200\u003c/a> in California, significantly higher than the national mean of $77,500, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "how-an-aging-california-is-turning-to-senior-centers-for-romance-community-and-health",
"title": "How an Aging California Is Turning to Senior Centers for Romance, Community and Health",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]A[/dropcap]lmeter Carroll sits alone on a couch inside the Watts Senior Citizen Community Center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s almost noon, but the place is nearly empty. Fitness mats and other workout gear lay stacked in a distant corner. No one shows up for a morning gym class except her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She points across the room to a wall covered with photos of smiling, well-dressed Black men and women gathered at events throughout the years. “They’re all gone. Everyone on that wall. Passed away.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s the same in her personal life. Widowed once, Almeter lost a second partner years later to COVID. For the most part, she likes being independent and taking care of herself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Of course, I get lonely,” she says. “I miss my husband. I miss my boyfriend.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074089\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074089\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-1-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"823\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-1-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-1-KQED-2000x658.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-1-KQED-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-1-KQED-1536x506.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-1-KQED-2048x674.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: A memorial wall honoring past members at the Watts Senior Center in Los Angeles. Right: Almeter Carroll, 87, sits at the Watts Senior Center in Los Angeles. “I like coming here, I like getting together with the group and playing cards,” said Ms. Carroll. “People come for fellowship. To talk.” She added, “The pandemic did a lot to this place and to my church.” \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CatchLight/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She speaks of these things matter-of-factly, but still holds a positive outlook and carries a knowing smile.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Quiet as it may be at the moment, the Watts Center will begin to buzz with activity come lunchtime. Almeter will be surrounded by friends soon enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074063\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074063\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/221326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-04.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/221326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-04.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/221326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-04-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/221326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-04-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shane Shabad, 90, sits at Palisades Park in Santa Monica. Shane has lived alone for over a decade and struggles with vision loss associated with macular degeneration. He became increasingly socially isolated during the pandemic. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/seniors\">Older adults\u003c/a> represent a significantly expanding portion of California’s population. By 2030, individuals over age 65 will begin to outnumber those under 18. But living longer also means people will see more loss, experience more grief and face more isolation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/mental-health/2026/02/look-inside-los-angeles-senior-centers/\">Neighborhood senior centers\u003c/a> may offer a good solution. They localize important resources and provide a safe, accessible space where older adults can go to find community and friendship.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re absolutely essential and critical and part of the backbone of older adult services in our state,” said California Department of Aging Director Susan DeMarois. “They’re integral to our communities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074090\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2021px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12074090 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2021\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-2-KQED.jpg 2021w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-2-KQED-2000x1484.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-2-KQED-160x119.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-2-KQED-1536x1140.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2021px) 100vw, 2021px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Beverlee Kelly, 70, spends time at Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area in Los Angeles. Ms. Kelly used to be active at a senior center near her home before the pandemic. She has not returned since the shutdown in 2020 due to health concerns, as she is unvaccinated. Right: Shane Shabad, 90, stands in his apartment in Santa Monica. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Under Gov. Gavin Newsom, the aging department drew up a 10-year master plan that lays out five “bold” goals essential for sustaining longevity — housing, health care, inclusion, caregiving and affordability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Senior centers can address the inclusion component, although how exactly remains unclear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/mental-health/2026/02/senior-centers-what-we-learned/\">No two senior centers are alike\u003c/a>. Local demographics and economic factors shape each center’s unique dynamics. With hardly any state oversight, most are largely left to themselves to figure out their own best practices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, no one can even say how many are operating in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074094\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12074094 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"823\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-3-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-3-KQED-2000x658.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-3-KQED-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-3-KQED-1536x506.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-3-KQED-2048x674.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Lewis Brown, 80, Director, sits in his office at the Tehachapi Senior Center. Right: Tony Kotch, 86, sits at a table for lunch at the Tehachapi Senior Center. The Tehachapi Senior Center is volunteer-run, and the older adults cover costs through donations. Older adults residing in rural areas are at an increased risk of social isolation. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Former Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy sounded an alarm in naming loneliness and social isolation a national epidemic in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf\">2023 report\u003c/a> — equating the long-term health effects with smoking 15 cigarettes a day. One in five older Californians like Almeter live alone, making it even more difficult for them to maintain social connections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Going to the senior center may benefit a person’s mental and physical health, according to a 2025 study by researchers from California State University, Northridge, and Kaiser Permanente. They distributed surveys at 23 Los Angeles-area senior centers to gauge how attendance affected the well-being of participants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People who attended frequently — several times a week — or over long periods of time had better mental health and felt less lonely. Frequent senior center attendance was associated with a greater reduction in loneliness among users under age 75, while the positive relationship between senior center attendance and physical health was more evident among users over age 75. Based on those findings, the authors encouraged local officials and doctors “to promote” senior centers as a healthy resource.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074062\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074062\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/3LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-09.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/3LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-09.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/3LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-09-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/3LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-09-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Residents of an affordable senior housing complex in Santa Monica stand in a hallway in 2020. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hit hard by the social distancing impacts of COVID, community-based centers faced significant challenges when things began to return to normal. Older adults stayed away for some time out of caution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But some returned to centers with a renewed focus on health and well-being. Rather than look for traditional recreation like bingo, post-COVID older adults wanted to see fitness classes and longevity training.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As the population changes, as the opportunities change, as the needs change — senior centers evolve with that,” said Dianne Stone of the National Council on Aging. “At the core of it, senior centers are highly social places. It’s all about creating opportunities for social engagement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That might be just sitting around having a cup of coffee. It might be taking a class and finding people that are interested in the same things you’re interested in. But all of it is an opportunity to come in and meet people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Karaoke, tai chi and romance\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Less than 20 miles from Watts, the Culver City Senior Center surges with energy and enthusiasm. Sunlight filters through large glass windows onto tables bustling with Mah Jong and other games. For $20 a year, participants get daily access to rooms filled with exercise classes, arts and crafts workshops and movie screenings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Members gather early to hit the gym as soon as doors open at 9 a.m. Billiards players bring their own cues to shoot pool. Twice a week, packed-house karaoke sessions involve not just free-spirited singing, but also plenty of dancing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074091\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2019px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12074091 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-4-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2019\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-4-KQED.jpg 2019w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-4-KQED-2000x1486.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-4-KQED-160x119.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-4-KQED-1536x1141.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2019px) 100vw, 2019px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Members dance during weekly karaoke at the Culver City Senior Center. Some older adults attend the center with their caregivers, who are also members. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On a sunny, gorgeous day in mid-November, the karaoke team brought microphones and speakers out into the fresh air of Culver’s spacious central courtyard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Selvee Provost bounced around and chatted knowingly with almost every person sitting under the verandas and shade umbrellas. As people took turns singing, she danced intermittently with different friends. Her simple social activity appeared to come naturally, but it was in the aftermath of loss and loneliness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074059\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074059\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/1-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-12.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/1-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-12.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/1-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-12-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/1-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-12-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Toni DiModica, 84, and Jim Diego, 82, dance during karaoke, as Verna Akwa, 77, sings, and Lee Karol, 69, and Stan Kamens, 78, manage the program at the Culver City Senior Center. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Selvee first came to the Culver Center with her husband, Jim, in 2018. When COVID hit, things shut down. Then Jim died, and Selvee felt utterly alone. She could feel herself spiraling down in isolation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I knew if I sit at home and keep thinking about Jim, I’m gonna get more and more depressed,” she said. “That’s what motivated me to come here and try a class or something — just try anything.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074092\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2019px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074092\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-5-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2019\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-5-KQED.jpg 2019w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-5-KQED-2000x1486.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-5-KQED-160x119.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-5-KQED-1536x1141.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2019px) 100vw, 2019px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Cristina Guevara, 78, embraces Julia Sedana, 82, at the Lincoln Heights Senior Center. Right: Selvee Provost, 67, bows during a Tai-Chi class at the Culver City Senior Center. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Tai chi became her pathway to community. “I didn’t know anybody, really. But by going to this class, I met people and learned they have a group about dealing with grief.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s where she met Daniel Kerson. He’d lost his wife at almost the same time as Selvee lost Jim. “Both of us really needed to find companionship to survive,” she said. They moved in together right away and now come to the center throughout the week for classes, events and to socialize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074060\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074060\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-15.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-15.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-15-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-15-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Steve Gelb, 78, brushes his hair while seated in the courtyard at the Culver City Senior Center. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CatchLight/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Louis Cangemi, a newcomer over the last few months, mingled with Selvee and made his own rounds amongst the outdoor karaoke singers and dancers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I heard about this place and came to meet more people,” said the energetic 80-year-old. “I’m still a bachelor, so I hope to hit it off here with more women.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he might encounter a bit of competition. Other men like Jim Diego, 82, have been dancing and courting at Culver for years ahead of Cangemi.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Find a public senior center in Los Angeles\" aria-label=\"Locator map\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-cMgPL\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/cMgPL/4/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" height=\"695\" data-external=\"1\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coffee, tea and art — “Cafe, te y arte” — are the kind of social opportunities that begin each weekday at the Lincoln Heights Senior Citizen Center, all gratis for the mostly Spanish-speaking older adults who make themselves at home here. In one large community room, they share galletas and pasteles along with the free coffee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As mid-morning hits, fitness classes like chair yoga and Latin dance entice a dozen or so participants — predominantly women — to move, smile and laugh together beside the room’s raised performance stage. The men mostly sit and watch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Twice a week, la lotería keeps the tables full for a couple of hours. Holiday dances draw crowds of over a hundred and feature DJs and live musicians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074064\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074064\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-16.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-16.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-16-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-16-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris Garcia, 78, dances with Eva De La Torre, 75, alongside other members of the Lincoln Heights Senior Center during a Halloween party in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood in Los Angeles. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s such a lovely community,” said the Lincoln Heights director and one-man staff, Anthony Montiel. “I’m really fortunate to be part of this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As director, he maintains the schedule of classes and fills in wherever necessary. People are asked to contribute a few dollars per class, if they can afford it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his backroom office, he logs in and accounts for handfuls of dog-eared $1 bills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A lone ping pong player looks for the director in the afternoons. If he’s not too busy with his other duties, he’ll take a break for a quick match. “We have practically a brand new table,” said Montiel. “It’s nice equipment, but the guy usually has no one to play with but me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Shared meals, shared space, shared community\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Putting a finger on the pulse of how senior centers maintain relevance, adapt and thrive is no easy task. Each center relies on a mix of different funding and resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Besides the classes and activities, subsidized lunch programs at all these centers play a crucial role in helping older adults stay healthy. The nutritionally balanced meals provide free or low-cost sustenance, but offering the food in a shared, congregate space might be equally just as vital.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074065\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074065\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-17.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-17.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-17-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-17-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Members gather at different tables in the afternoon at the Lincoln Heights Senior Center in Los Angeles. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“When people are able to go to a setting like a senior center to enjoy a meal in the company of others, possibly to have music and entertainment and activities, that can be really good for people’s mental health,” said DeMarois of the Department of Aging. “That’s a big part of it — just trying to foster that connection and engagement on the preventive side.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Congregate setting meal programs accounted for over 2.3 million older adult meals in the City of Los Angeles and in L.A. County in 2024, according to California Department of Aging records. But this data is not specific to senior centers, as it also includes meals in senior care facilities and other older adult group spaces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When it comes to senior centers, there is not good data,” said Stone. “There is not that central database of senior centers or community-based organizations, and there’s not even a shared definition of what they are.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074093\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12074093 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"823\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-6-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-6-KQED-2000x658.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-6-KQED-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-6-KQED-1536x506.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-6-KQED-2048x674.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Maudell Robinson, 95, at the Watts Senior Center in Los Angeles. Right: A member of the Watts Senior Center prepares to depart for the day in Los Angeles. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Senior centers are community responses to community aging. No two are the same because no two communities are the same.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Speaking anecdotally from her own experience, Stone sees the bulk of most senior center populations as being between 75 and 85 years old. But that age range is evolving as older adult communities expand.[aside postID=news_12050210 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/la-seniors-688a20454f1fc.jpg']DeMarois sees the same dynamics taking shape. “When we talk about people 60-plus, we’re experiencing the greatest longevity ever right now,” she said. “The fastest growing demographic in California is 85-plus. We’re talking about four decades of life for many people from 60 to 100, so their needs and preferences will change over time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back in Watts, Almeter’s not much interested in a free meal. “I eat my own food.” She sits around as other older adults filter into the center one by one. Many grab their subsidized lunch in styrofoam containers and soon walk right back out the door.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She waits patiently for her friends to arrive — women like Luretha Muckelroy, Maudell Robinson and Watts advisory board member Linda Cleveland. They gather here two or three times each week to play Spades or Bid Whist, card games that evoke plenty of smack talking and mirth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need more men around here,” said Linda, as she noted the all-female crowd. Older adult males show up for some functions and events, but women seem to comprise most of the Watts Center attendance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074066\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074066\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-20.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-20.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-20-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-20-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sharron Robinson, 80, Laura Shroder, 89, and Johnnie Devereaux, 86, hold hands and dance as other members sing karaoke at the Culver City Senior Center. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CatchLight/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For a few hours, the close-knit group makes the place come alive. Four players compete in two-person teams, while others keep tally. The losing team must vacate their seats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They laugh, point fingers and chastise one another — all in good fun. The games can sometimes get heated. In between hands and shuffles, they share snacks and pour sodas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked how she feels about aging alone, Almeter answers without hesitation. “Oh, I love being 87. It’s great to be alive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Joe Garcia is a California Local News fellow. \u003c/em>\u003cem>This story was produced jointly by CalMatters and CatchLight as part of our \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.catchlight.io/mental-health\">\u003cem>mental health initiative\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/mental-health/2026/02/senior-centers-aging-health/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "No two senior centers are alike. We visited three very different venues in L.A. to learn how they’re changing for California’s aging population.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">A\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>lmeter Carroll sits alone on a couch inside the Watts Senior Citizen Community Center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s almost noon, but the place is nearly empty. Fitness mats and other workout gear lay stacked in a distant corner. No one shows up for a morning gym class except her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She points across the room to a wall covered with photos of smiling, well-dressed Black men and women gathered at events throughout the years. “They’re all gone. Everyone on that wall. Passed away.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s the same in her personal life. Widowed once, Almeter lost a second partner years later to COVID. For the most part, she likes being independent and taking care of herself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Of course, I get lonely,” she says. “I miss my husband. I miss my boyfriend.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074089\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074089\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-1-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"823\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-1-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-1-KQED-2000x658.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-1-KQED-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-1-KQED-1536x506.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-1-KQED-2048x674.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: A memorial wall honoring past members at the Watts Senior Center in Los Angeles. Right: Almeter Carroll, 87, sits at the Watts Senior Center in Los Angeles. “I like coming here, I like getting together with the group and playing cards,” said Ms. Carroll. “People come for fellowship. To talk.” She added, “The pandemic did a lot to this place and to my church.” \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CatchLight/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She speaks of these things matter-of-factly, but still holds a positive outlook and carries a knowing smile.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Quiet as it may be at the moment, the Watts Center will begin to buzz with activity come lunchtime. Almeter will be surrounded by friends soon enough.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074063\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074063\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/221326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-04.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/221326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-04.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/221326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-04-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/221326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-04-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shane Shabad, 90, sits at Palisades Park in Santa Monica. Shane has lived alone for over a decade and struggles with vision loss associated with macular degeneration. He became increasingly socially isolated during the pandemic. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/seniors\">Older adults\u003c/a> represent a significantly expanding portion of California’s population. By 2030, individuals over age 65 will begin to outnumber those under 18. But living longer also means people will see more loss, experience more grief and face more isolation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/mental-health/2026/02/look-inside-los-angeles-senior-centers/\">Neighborhood senior centers\u003c/a> may offer a good solution. They localize important resources and provide a safe, accessible space where older adults can go to find community and friendship.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re absolutely essential and critical and part of the backbone of older adult services in our state,” said California Department of Aging Director Susan DeMarois. “They’re integral to our communities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074090\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2021px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12074090 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2021\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-2-KQED.jpg 2021w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-2-KQED-2000x1484.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-2-KQED-160x119.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-2-KQED-1536x1140.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2021px) 100vw, 2021px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Beverlee Kelly, 70, spends time at Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area in Los Angeles. Ms. Kelly used to be active at a senior center near her home before the pandemic. She has not returned since the shutdown in 2020 due to health concerns, as she is unvaccinated. Right: Shane Shabad, 90, stands in his apartment in Santa Monica. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Under Gov. Gavin Newsom, the aging department drew up a 10-year master plan that lays out five “bold” goals essential for sustaining longevity — housing, health care, inclusion, caregiving and affordability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Senior centers can address the inclusion component, although how exactly remains unclear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/mental-health/2026/02/senior-centers-what-we-learned/\">No two senior centers are alike\u003c/a>. Local demographics and economic factors shape each center’s unique dynamics. With hardly any state oversight, most are largely left to themselves to figure out their own best practices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, no one can even say how many are operating in the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074094\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12074094 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-3-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"823\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-3-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-3-KQED-2000x658.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-3-KQED-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-3-KQED-1536x506.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-3-KQED-2048x674.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Lewis Brown, 80, Director, sits in his office at the Tehachapi Senior Center. Right: Tony Kotch, 86, sits at a table for lunch at the Tehachapi Senior Center. The Tehachapi Senior Center is volunteer-run, and the older adults cover costs through donations. Older adults residing in rural areas are at an increased risk of social isolation. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Former Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy sounded an alarm in naming loneliness and social isolation a national epidemic in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf\">2023 report\u003c/a> — equating the long-term health effects with smoking 15 cigarettes a day. One in five older Californians like Almeter live alone, making it even more difficult for them to maintain social connections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Going to the senior center may benefit a person’s mental and physical health, according to a 2025 study by researchers from California State University, Northridge, and Kaiser Permanente. They distributed surveys at 23 Los Angeles-area senior centers to gauge how attendance affected the well-being of participants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People who attended frequently — several times a week — or over long periods of time had better mental health and felt less lonely. Frequent senior center attendance was associated with a greater reduction in loneliness among users under age 75, while the positive relationship between senior center attendance and physical health was more evident among users over age 75. Based on those findings, the authors encouraged local officials and doctors “to promote” senior centers as a healthy resource.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074062\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074062\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/3LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-09.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/3LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-09.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/3LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-09-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/3LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-09-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Residents of an affordable senior housing complex in Santa Monica stand in a hallway in 2020. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hit hard by the social distancing impacts of COVID, community-based centers faced significant challenges when things began to return to normal. Older adults stayed away for some time out of caution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But some returned to centers with a renewed focus on health and well-being. Rather than look for traditional recreation like bingo, post-COVID older adults wanted to see fitness classes and longevity training.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As the population changes, as the opportunities change, as the needs change — senior centers evolve with that,” said Dianne Stone of the National Council on Aging. “At the core of it, senior centers are highly social places. It’s all about creating opportunities for social engagement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That might be just sitting around having a cup of coffee. It might be taking a class and finding people that are interested in the same things you’re interested in. But all of it is an opportunity to come in and meet people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Karaoke, tai chi and romance\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Less than 20 miles from Watts, the Culver City Senior Center surges with energy and enthusiasm. Sunlight filters through large glass windows onto tables bustling with Mah Jong and other games. For $20 a year, participants get daily access to rooms filled with exercise classes, arts and crafts workshops and movie screenings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Members gather early to hit the gym as soon as doors open at 9 a.m. Billiards players bring their own cues to shoot pool. Twice a week, packed-house karaoke sessions involve not just free-spirited singing, but also plenty of dancing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074091\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2019px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12074091 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-4-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2019\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-4-KQED.jpg 2019w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-4-KQED-2000x1486.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-4-KQED-160x119.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-4-KQED-1536x1141.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2019px) 100vw, 2019px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Members dance during weekly karaoke at the Culver City Senior Center. Some older adults attend the center with their caregivers, who are also members. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On a sunny, gorgeous day in mid-November, the karaoke team brought microphones and speakers out into the fresh air of Culver’s spacious central courtyard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Selvee Provost bounced around and chatted knowingly with almost every person sitting under the verandas and shade umbrellas. As people took turns singing, she danced intermittently with different friends. Her simple social activity appeared to come naturally, but it was in the aftermath of loss and loneliness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074059\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074059\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/1-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-12.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/1-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-12.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/1-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-12-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/1-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-12-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Toni DiModica, 84, and Jim Diego, 82, dance during karaoke, as Verna Akwa, 77, sings, and Lee Karol, 69, and Stan Kamens, 78, manage the program at the Culver City Senior Center. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Selvee first came to the Culver Center with her husband, Jim, in 2018. When COVID hit, things shut down. Then Jim died, and Selvee felt utterly alone. She could feel herself spiraling down in isolation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I knew if I sit at home and keep thinking about Jim, I’m gonna get more and more depressed,” she said. “That’s what motivated me to come here and try a class or something — just try anything.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074092\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2019px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074092\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-5-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2019\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-5-KQED.jpg 2019w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-5-KQED-2000x1486.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-5-KQED-160x119.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-5-KQED-1536x1141.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2019px) 100vw, 2019px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Cristina Guevara, 78, embraces Julia Sedana, 82, at the Lincoln Heights Senior Center. Right: Selvee Provost, 67, bows during a Tai-Chi class at the Culver City Senior Center. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Tai chi became her pathway to community. “I didn’t know anybody, really. But by going to this class, I met people and learned they have a group about dealing with grief.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s where she met Daniel Kerson. He’d lost his wife at almost the same time as Selvee lost Jim. “Both of us really needed to find companionship to survive,” she said. They moved in together right away and now come to the center throughout the week for classes, events and to socialize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074060\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074060\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-15.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-15.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-15-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-15-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Steve Gelb, 78, brushes his hair while seated in the courtyard at the Culver City Senior Center. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CatchLight/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Louis Cangemi, a newcomer over the last few months, mingled with Selvee and made his own rounds amongst the outdoor karaoke singers and dancers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I heard about this place and came to meet more people,” said the energetic 80-year-old. “I’m still a bachelor, so I hope to hit it off here with more women.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he might encounter a bit of competition. Other men like Jim Diego, 82, have been dancing and courting at Culver for years ahead of Cangemi.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Find a public senior center in Los Angeles\" aria-label=\"Locator map\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-cMgPL\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/cMgPL/4/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" height=\"695\" data-external=\"1\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Coffee, tea and art — “Cafe, te y arte” — are the kind of social opportunities that begin each weekday at the Lincoln Heights Senior Citizen Center, all gratis for the mostly Spanish-speaking older adults who make themselves at home here. In one large community room, they share galletas and pasteles along with the free coffee.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As mid-morning hits, fitness classes like chair yoga and Latin dance entice a dozen or so participants — predominantly women — to move, smile and laugh together beside the room’s raised performance stage. The men mostly sit and watch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Twice a week, la lotería keeps the tables full for a couple of hours. Holiday dances draw crowds of over a hundred and feature DJs and live musicians.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074064\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074064\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-16.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-16.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-16-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-16-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris Garcia, 78, dances with Eva De La Torre, 75, alongside other members of the Lincoln Heights Senior Center during a Halloween party in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood in Los Angeles. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s such a lovely community,” said the Lincoln Heights director and one-man staff, Anthony Montiel. “I’m really fortunate to be part of this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As director, he maintains the schedule of classes and fills in wherever necessary. People are asked to contribute a few dollars per class, if they can afford it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In his backroom office, he logs in and accounts for handfuls of dog-eared $1 bills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A lone ping pong player looks for the director in the afternoons. If he’s not too busy with his other duties, he’ll take a break for a quick match. “We have practically a brand new table,” said Montiel. “It’s nice equipment, but the guy usually has no one to play with but me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Shared meals, shared space, shared community\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Putting a finger on the pulse of how senior centers maintain relevance, adapt and thrive is no easy task. Each center relies on a mix of different funding and resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Besides the classes and activities, subsidized lunch programs at all these centers play a crucial role in helping older adults stay healthy. The nutritionally balanced meals provide free or low-cost sustenance, but offering the food in a shared, congregate space might be equally just as vital.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074065\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074065\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-17.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-17.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-17-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-17-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Members gather at different tables in the afternoon at the Lincoln Heights Senior Center in Los Angeles. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“When people are able to go to a setting like a senior center to enjoy a meal in the company of others, possibly to have music and entertainment and activities, that can be really good for people’s mental health,” said DeMarois of the Department of Aging. “That’s a big part of it — just trying to foster that connection and engagement on the preventive side.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Congregate setting meal programs accounted for over 2.3 million older adult meals in the City of Los Angeles and in L.A. County in 2024, according to California Department of Aging records. But this data is not specific to senior centers, as it also includes meals in senior care facilities and other older adult group spaces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When it comes to senior centers, there is not good data,” said Stone. “There is not that central database of senior centers or community-based organizations, and there’s not even a shared definition of what they are.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074093\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12074093 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"823\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-6-KQED.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-6-KQED-2000x658.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-6-KQED-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-6-KQED-1536x506.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-01-DIP-6-KQED-2048x674.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Maudell Robinson, 95, at the Watts Senior Center in Los Angeles. Right: A member of the Watts Senior Center prepares to depart for the day in Los Angeles. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CalMatters/CatchLight)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Senior centers are community responses to community aging. No two are the same because no two communities are the same.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Speaking anecdotally from her own experience, Stone sees the bulk of most senior center populations as being between 75 and 85 years old. But that age range is evolving as older adult communities expand.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>DeMarois sees the same dynamics taking shape. “When we talk about people 60-plus, we’re experiencing the greatest longevity ever right now,” she said. “The fastest growing demographic in California is 85-plus. We’re talking about four decades of life for many people from 60 to 100, so their needs and preferences will change over time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back in Watts, Almeter’s not much interested in a free meal. “I eat my own food.” She sits around as other older adults filter into the center one by one. Many grab their subsidized lunch in styrofoam containers and soon walk right back out the door.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She waits patiently for her friends to arrive — women like Luretha Muckelroy, Maudell Robinson and Watts advisory board member Linda Cleveland. They gather here two or three times each week to play Spades or Bid Whist, card games that evoke plenty of smack talking and mirth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need more men around here,” said Linda, as she noted the all-female crowd. Older adult males show up for some functions and events, but women seem to comprise most of the Watts Center attendance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074066\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074066\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-20.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-20.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-20-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/NOT4FILE-021326-LA-Senior-Center-IK-CM-20-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sharron Robinson, 80, Laura Shroder, 89, and Johnnie Devereaux, 86, hold hands and dance as other members sing karaoke at the Culver City Senior Center. \u003ccite>(Isadora Kosofsky for CatchLight/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For a few hours, the close-knit group makes the place come alive. Four players compete in two-person teams, while others keep tally. The losing team must vacate their seats.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They laugh, point fingers and chastise one another — all in good fun. The games can sometimes get heated. In between hands and shuffles, they share snacks and pour sodas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked how she feels about aging alone, Almeter answers without hesitation. “Oh, I love being 87. It’s great to be alive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Joe Garcia is a California Local News fellow. \u003c/em>\u003cem>This story was produced jointly by CalMatters and CatchLight as part of our \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.catchlight.io/mental-health\">\u003cem>mental health initiative\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/mental-health/2026/02/senior-centers-aging-health/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "californias-striking-kaiser-workers-without-pay-for-weeks-feel-the-financial-pressure",
"title": "California’s Striking Kaiser Workers, Without Pay for Weeks, Feel the Financial Pressure",
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"content": "\u003cp>For the last month, Chris Pyper and his partner, a fellow \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> physician assistant, have gone without paychecks while walking picket lines outside the nonprofit health care giant’s facilities in Oakland, Santa Clara and south Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The couple is surviving on savings, but they’re not sure how much longer they can forgo both of their incomes and still pay the mortgage for the Oakland home they recently bought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of pressure,” said Pyper, 39, as rain drenched him and dozens of picketers outside Kaiser’s Oakland Medical Center this week. “It’s a sacrifice. Hoping that this is going to produce a good contract. And I’m willing to stay out as long as we need to get a fair contract.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As an estimated tens of thousands of Kaiser health care employees stretch \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071014/kaiser-strike-sees-thousands-walk-out-in-california-this-time-with-no-end-in-sight\">their open-ended strike\u003c/a> in California and Hawaii into a fourth week, several told KQED they worry about how they’ll afford rent, student loan payments, child care expenses and other bills if the union and employer fail to reach a deal soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their union, which led two much shorter walkouts at Kaiser last fall, is not offering financial assistance for the nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, pharmacists and others relinquishing wages to strike. Some said they are dipping into retirement accounts, increasing credit card debt or considering part-time jobs elsewhere to make ends meet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet, even with dwindling or depleted savings accounts, the strikers said they remain determined to hold the line for their livelihoods and job improvements they hope will benefit patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073902\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073902\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife from Kaiser Oakland, poses for a portrait while on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I am constantly in this state of low-grade panic,” said Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife who has delivered babies and cared for mothers since 2015 at Kaiser facilities in Oakland, Berkeley and Pinole. “I really am good at not sounding or looking panicked because the work I do needs calmness, but I don’t feel calm at all.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A self-described pessimist, the 53-year-old steeled herself early for the possibility that Kaiser could take months to make significant concessions in bargaining. In preparation, Baird worked as many shifts as she could before she and up to 31,000 health care professionals walked off their jobs on Jan. 26.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, Baird said her household in Berkeley has already canceled subscriptions, stopped online shopping and quit eating out at restaurants. She hopes she won’t have to borrow against her daughter’s college fund and is looking for a job that she could add to her schedule, even after the walkout ends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Really, it’s just tightening the belt, pinching pennies and worrying a lot,” said Baird, who added that her top priorities have been ensuring fair pay and keeping affordable health care benefits when she eventually retires.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘They’ve forgotten the health care workers’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The employees want Kaiser, the nation’s largest private nonprofit health care organization, to invest more revenues in its workforce and allow more worker input on staffing and scheduling, which they said would decrease wait times for patients and improve care. The company has largely dismissed claims of chronic understaffing or deteriorating services, and it said anything more than its offer for a 21.5% wage increase over four years would be unsustainable and force it to increase premiums for customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser, which has expanded operations to eight states and the District of Columbia, made a net income of \u003ca href=\"https://about.kaiserpermanente.org/news/press-release-archive/kaiser-permanente-risant-health-report-2025-financial-results\">$9.3 billion\u003c/a> last year, driven largely by investment gains, and nearly $13 billion in 2024, while holding reserves estimated at $66 billion or more. The Oakland-based company contends its reserves should pay for pensions, building maintenance and other long-term financial commitments, as well as serve as a rainy day fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073904\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073904\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris Pyper (left), a physician assistant from Kaiser San Leandro, marches while on strike outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But employees on the picket line doubt that argument. Pyper, who works in the orthopedic surgery department in San Leandro, said Kaiser has pushed hard to cut the retirement, health care and other benefits of newer union members like himself, leaving him no choice but to strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser is sitting on a lot of money they’ve made over the past few years,” said Pyper, who is paying monthly for student loans. “They’re expanding in the other states, and it just kind of feels like they’ve forgotten the health care workers who are doing a lot of the patient care.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser said its employees “deserve a fair contract that reflects their value.” The company, which stopped bargaining on a long-standing national contract including big-ticket issues such as across-the-board wage increases, said it’s making progress with the smaller, local units forming the United Nurses Association of California/Union of Healthcare Professionals.[aside postID=news_12073839 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/038_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-2.jpg']“Once we reach agreement at each of these respective local tables on the open issues from the national table, we will be ready to close each agreement and get the contracts signed,” Kaiser’s statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser has asked a federal court to declare it is not obligated to negotiate a national deal with UNAC/UHCP. The company argues that the union broke contractual commitments to work collaboratively, including by \u003ca href=\"https://www.unacuhcp.org/news/profits-over-patients-new-report-details-kaisers-financial-practices-and-patient-harm/\">issuing a report\u003c/a> last month alleging that Kaiser prioritizes profits over patient care and invests in private prison companies that run immigration detention centers. Kaiser also said the union withheld information it needed to reduce disruptions to patient care during the current strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UNAC/UHCP has called Kaiser’s move to walk away from months of national bargaining unlawful, and it opposes the company’s proposal to shift all of its bargaining to dozens of local units. Executive secretary Elizabeth Hawkins said the union is considering its options to resolve issues related to staffing levels, workflow and patient access that have left some Kaiser patients waiting months to get specialty medical care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve been looking at multiple avenues to settle this strike,” said Hawkins, a former registered nurse at Kaiser for 31 years. “It’s a very fluid, dynamic process that we’re going through. And right now, I’m not prepared to speculate on how this is going to unfold.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This month, Kaiser \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073484/kaiser-workers-say-patients-deserve-better-mental-health-care-after-31m-settlement\">agreed to pay\u003c/a> $31 million to resolve \u003ca href=\"https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/ebsa/ebsa20260210\">federal investigations\u003c/a> over long wait times and other problems for millions of California patients seeking mental health and substance use care. The deal comes two years after the company settled with the state for $200 million over similar issues. Kaiser therapists in Northern California with a separate union are about to finish voting on whether to authorize a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073839/kaiser-therapists-take-key-step-toward-1-day-strike\">one-day strike\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Problems mount as strike persists\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, pressure is growing on Kaiser and UNAC/UHCP to compromise as the current walkout drags on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser said more employees are crossing picket lines and returning to work, including more than 40% of nurses and pharmacists across striking locations. Hawkins called those figures inflated, adding that most members plan to keep withholding their labor as long as necessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser, which is likely spending millions of dollars on contingency workers to help cover staffing shortages left by striking workers, faces criticism from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072837/kaiser-strike-delays-surgeries-disrupts-care-as-more-workers-walk-off-jobs\">patients reporting delayed\u003c/a> surgeries and treatments due to the labor conflict. Physicians and other employees continuing to work inside hospitals and clinics have also been left picking up the slack for weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073905\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073905\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Maggie Burtch, a nurse midwife in Antioch and Walnut Creek, said that in addition to the financial stress her family faces to pay for their mortgage and child care, she’s concerned the long walkout will strain her relationships with obstetrics physicians and other co-workers who are not on strike and continue to attend to patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This has been really tough on our OB team, who also have kids at home, and I hear they’re working double the hours that they normally work to cover us, and that doesn’t feel great,” said Burtch, 41, the mother of two young children. “So I’m really worried about what that’s going to feel like when we reenter. What are the vibes going to be? I’m worried it’s going to feel different.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Burtch believes walking off her job was the right choice. She’s been frustrated by the pace of negotiations and disappointed by what she described as Kaiser’s hard-line stance during the strike and negotiations with midwives, who unionized to maintain their benefits.[aside postID=news_12072837 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8137B-KQED.jpg']\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>It’s really made me rethink whether or not this is the place that I want to continue to work, even though I love what I do,” said Burtch, who lives in Oakland. “But it’s hard to work a job where you just feel so undervalued.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Being away from patients also pains Brianca Hutchins, a pediatric occupational therapist who helps rehabilitate children with disabilities and special needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 32-year-old, who often refers to her patients as “kiddos,” said wait times for patients at Kaiser are a top concern. She has been stretched thin trying to see up to 11 patients with complex medical histories per shift, and communicate with their families and providers to follow up on their care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are drowning time-wise,” said Hutchins of her team at Kaiser San José. “We really want support with workload and staffing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all this time on picket lines, she appreciates getting to know other workers from different departments on strike, sharing camaraderie and mutual support. But her stress is ramping up, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m not sleeping. My anxiety is through the roof,” Hutchins said. “Now that we’re in week four, the guilt for leaving my patients is in full swing. And then money-wise, I finally looked at my bank account and cried.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "As the large strike by Kaiser Permanente health care workers stretches on, several said they are diving into savings, taking on debt and looking for side jobs.",
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"title": "California’s Striking Kaiser Workers, Without Pay for Weeks, Feel the Financial Pressure | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>For the last month, Chris Pyper and his partner, a fellow \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> physician assistant, have gone without paychecks while walking picket lines outside the nonprofit health care giant’s facilities in Oakland, Santa Clara and south Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The couple is surviving on savings, but they’re not sure how much longer they can forgo both of their incomes and still pay the mortgage for the Oakland home they recently bought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of pressure,” said Pyper, 39, as rain drenched him and dozens of picketers outside Kaiser’s Oakland Medical Center this week. “It’s a sacrifice. Hoping that this is going to produce a good contract. And I’m willing to stay out as long as we need to get a fair contract.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As an estimated tens of thousands of Kaiser health care employees stretch \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071014/kaiser-strike-sees-thousands-walk-out-in-california-this-time-with-no-end-in-sight\">their open-ended strike\u003c/a> in California and Hawaii into a fourth week, several told KQED they worry about how they’ll afford rent, student loan payments, child care expenses and other bills if the union and employer fail to reach a deal soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their union, which led two much shorter walkouts at Kaiser last fall, is not offering financial assistance for the nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, pharmacists and others relinquishing wages to strike. Some said they are dipping into retirement accounts, increasing credit card debt or considering part-time jobs elsewhere to make ends meet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet, even with dwindling or depleted savings accounts, the strikers said they remain determined to hold the line for their livelihoods and job improvements they hope will benefit patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073902\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073902\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife from Kaiser Oakland, poses for a portrait while on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I am constantly in this state of low-grade panic,” said Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife who has delivered babies and cared for mothers since 2015 at Kaiser facilities in Oakland, Berkeley and Pinole. “I really am good at not sounding or looking panicked because the work I do needs calmness, but I don’t feel calm at all.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A self-described pessimist, the 53-year-old steeled herself early for the possibility that Kaiser could take months to make significant concessions in bargaining. In preparation, Baird worked as many shifts as she could before she and up to 31,000 health care professionals walked off their jobs on Jan. 26.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, Baird said her household in Berkeley has already canceled subscriptions, stopped online shopping and quit eating out at restaurants. She hopes she won’t have to borrow against her daughter’s college fund and is looking for a job that she could add to her schedule, even after the walkout ends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Really, it’s just tightening the belt, pinching pennies and worrying a lot,” said Baird, who added that her top priorities have been ensuring fair pay and keeping affordable health care benefits when she eventually retires.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘They’ve forgotten the health care workers’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The employees want Kaiser, the nation’s largest private nonprofit health care organization, to invest more revenues in its workforce and allow more worker input on staffing and scheduling, which they said would decrease wait times for patients and improve care. The company has largely dismissed claims of chronic understaffing or deteriorating services, and it said anything more than its offer for a 21.5% wage increase over four years would be unsustainable and force it to increase premiums for customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser, which has expanded operations to eight states and the District of Columbia, made a net income of \u003ca href=\"https://about.kaiserpermanente.org/news/press-release-archive/kaiser-permanente-risant-health-report-2025-financial-results\">$9.3 billion\u003c/a> last year, driven largely by investment gains, and nearly $13 billion in 2024, while holding reserves estimated at $66 billion or more. The Oakland-based company contends its reserves should pay for pensions, building maintenance and other long-term financial commitments, as well as serve as a rainy day fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073904\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073904\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris Pyper (left), a physician assistant from Kaiser San Leandro, marches while on strike outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But employees on the picket line doubt that argument. Pyper, who works in the orthopedic surgery department in San Leandro, said Kaiser has pushed hard to cut the retirement, health care and other benefits of newer union members like himself, leaving him no choice but to strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser is sitting on a lot of money they’ve made over the past few years,” said Pyper, who is paying monthly for student loans. “They’re expanding in the other states, and it just kind of feels like they’ve forgotten the health care workers who are doing a lot of the patient care.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser said its employees “deserve a fair contract that reflects their value.” The company, which stopped bargaining on a long-standing national contract including big-ticket issues such as across-the-board wage increases, said it’s making progress with the smaller, local units forming the United Nurses Association of California/Union of Healthcare Professionals.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Once we reach agreement at each of these respective local tables on the open issues from the national table, we will be ready to close each agreement and get the contracts signed,” Kaiser’s statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser has asked a federal court to declare it is not obligated to negotiate a national deal with UNAC/UHCP. The company argues that the union broke contractual commitments to work collaboratively, including by \u003ca href=\"https://www.unacuhcp.org/news/profits-over-patients-new-report-details-kaisers-financial-practices-and-patient-harm/\">issuing a report\u003c/a> last month alleging that Kaiser prioritizes profits over patient care and invests in private prison companies that run immigration detention centers. Kaiser also said the union withheld information it needed to reduce disruptions to patient care during the current strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UNAC/UHCP has called Kaiser’s move to walk away from months of national bargaining unlawful, and it opposes the company’s proposal to shift all of its bargaining to dozens of local units. Executive secretary Elizabeth Hawkins said the union is considering its options to resolve issues related to staffing levels, workflow and patient access that have left some Kaiser patients waiting months to get specialty medical care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve been looking at multiple avenues to settle this strike,” said Hawkins, a former registered nurse at Kaiser for 31 years. “It’s a very fluid, dynamic process that we’re going through. And right now, I’m not prepared to speculate on how this is going to unfold.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This month, Kaiser \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073484/kaiser-workers-say-patients-deserve-better-mental-health-care-after-31m-settlement\">agreed to pay\u003c/a> $31 million to resolve \u003ca href=\"https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/ebsa/ebsa20260210\">federal investigations\u003c/a> over long wait times and other problems for millions of California patients seeking mental health and substance use care. The deal comes two years after the company settled with the state for $200 million over similar issues. Kaiser therapists in Northern California with a separate union are about to finish voting on whether to authorize a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073839/kaiser-therapists-take-key-step-toward-1-day-strike\">one-day strike\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Problems mount as strike persists\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, pressure is growing on Kaiser and UNAC/UHCP to compromise as the current walkout drags on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser said more employees are crossing picket lines and returning to work, including more than 40% of nurses and pharmacists across striking locations. Hawkins called those figures inflated, adding that most members plan to keep withholding their labor as long as necessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser, which is likely spending millions of dollars on contingency workers to help cover staffing shortages left by striking workers, faces criticism from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072837/kaiser-strike-delays-surgeries-disrupts-care-as-more-workers-walk-off-jobs\">patients reporting delayed\u003c/a> surgeries and treatments due to the labor conflict. Physicians and other employees continuing to work inside hospitals and clinics have also been left picking up the slack for weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073905\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073905\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Maggie Burtch, a nurse midwife in Antioch and Walnut Creek, said that in addition to the financial stress her family faces to pay for their mortgage and child care, she’s concerned the long walkout will strain her relationships with obstetrics physicians and other co-workers who are not on strike and continue to attend to patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This has been really tough on our OB team, who also have kids at home, and I hear they’re working double the hours that they normally work to cover us, and that doesn’t feel great,” said Burtch, 41, the mother of two young children. “So I’m really worried about what that’s going to feel like when we reenter. What are the vibes going to be? I’m worried it’s going to feel different.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Burtch believes walking off her job was the right choice. She’s been frustrated by the pace of negotiations and disappointed by what she described as Kaiser’s hard-line stance during the strike and negotiations with midwives, who unionized to maintain their benefits.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>It’s really made me rethink whether or not this is the place that I want to continue to work, even though I love what I do,” said Burtch, who lives in Oakland. “But it’s hard to work a job where you just feel so undervalued.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Being away from patients also pains Brianca Hutchins, a pediatric occupational therapist who helps rehabilitate children with disabilities and special needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 32-year-old, who often refers to her patients as “kiddos,” said wait times for patients at Kaiser are a top concern. She has been stretched thin trying to see up to 11 patients with complex medical histories per shift, and communicate with their families and providers to follow up on their care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are drowning time-wise,” said Hutchins of her team at Kaiser San José. “We really want support with workload and staffing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all this time on picket lines, she appreciates getting to know other workers from different departments on strike, sharing camaraderie and mutual support. But her stress is ramping up, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m not sleeping. My anxiety is through the roof,” Hutchins said. “Now that we’re in week four, the guilt for leaving my patients is in full swing. And then money-wise, I finally looked at my bank account and cried.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Mental health clinicians at Kaiser locations throughout Northern California are voting through Saturday to decide whether to hold a one-day strike this spring over \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999553/will-ai-replace-your-therapist-kaiser-wont-say-no\">proposed changes\u003c/a> to care protocols they say will diminish their working conditions or harm patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 2,400 therapists and social workers, represented by the\u003ca href=\"https://home.nuhw.org/\"> National Union of Health Care Workers\u003c/a>, have been negotiating their next contract since June, with talks reaching an impasse in recent months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We all find ourselves confronting a Kaiser that no longer seeks input from its caregivers,” said Shay Loftus, a psychologist at Kaiser in Fairfield. “Kaiser management wants us to be cogs in their machine, but that’s not how health care, especially mental health care, works best for patients.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The small but mighty union has a track record of forcing improvements to working conditions and patient care through its advocacy. This has included backing laws that\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11891049/california-bill-would-reduce-wait-times-for-mental-health-appointments\"> mandate shorter wait times\u003c/a> for individual therapy at Kaiser and going on strike for 10 weeks in 2022 to secure more time in their schedules for administrative work, like calling patients or reviewing charts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They say Kaiser is now trying to claw back both of those wins in the current contract, in addition to setting the stage for laying off therapists or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073484/kaiser-workers-say-patients-deserve-better-mental-health-care-after-31m-settlement\">replacing them with artificial intelligence\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073919\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073919 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kaiser mental health care workers and supporters march from Oakland Kaiser Medical Center to Kaiser’s corporate headquarters on Friday, Aug. 19, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But the union’s top complaint centers on a new system Kaiser rolled out for triaging mental health patients in 2024 that replaces intake clinicians with unlicensed phone operators or an e-visit, where an algorithm determines the level of care based on questions the patient answers in an app or online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Therapists say patients are funneled into non-urgent therapy when they should have been directed to intensive services or the hospital.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Telephone service reps book people in completely inappropriate slots,” said Molly Parsons, an individual and couples therapist at Kaiser’s Pleasanton clinic. “It delays care and potentially harms patients who need immediate interventions.”[aside postID=science_1999553 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/251126-AI-KAISER-KQED_1.jpg']The two sides are not yet aligned on wage increases, which are typically negotiated last, but the union said this strike is about seeking agreement on the non-economic issues first. A spokesperson said the union is still engaged in sporadic bargaining sessions with Kaiser and is set to meet with the company for another session next week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser said that AI tools are designed to “support — not replace — human judgment and care,” and that technology is evaluated for performance, safety, clinical usability, accuracy, equitability and satisfaction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We believe AI has the potential to help clinicians and employees spend more time focused on patient care, improve the patient experience, and enhance fairness and quality in health outcomes,” spokesperson Lena Howland said via email. “Human assessment and clinical expertise always guide care delivery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union will finalize voting to authorize the strike over the weekend and said as of Thursday, about 70% of the membership had cast votes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If it garners member support, the union plans to schedule the work stoppage for later in March. They must give 10 days’ advance notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073923\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073923 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kaiser mental health care workers and supporters march from Oakland Kaiser Medical Center to Kaiser’s corporate headquarters on Friday, Aug. 19, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After striking for 10 weeks without pay over their last contract, then seeing their \u003ca href=\"https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/kaiser-permanente-mental-health-workers-contract-southern-california/747638/\">sister union\u003c/a> in Southern California call an open-ended strike that lasted more than six months, appetite for anything more than a one-day walkout was low this time around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It doesn’t seem like members are that jazzed about an ongoing, open-ended strike,” Parsons said. “There’s a fear, not only for how that would impact us as clinicians, but a fear of how it would impact our clients and patient care. And so, a one-day strike, we’re hoping to get more people involved.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That will have less negative impact on patients, she added, “but it will show Kaiser that we’re serious about this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/kdebenedetti\">\u003cem>Katie DeBenedetti\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Mental health clinicians at Kaiser locations throughout Northern California are voting through Saturday to decide whether to hold a one-day strike this spring over \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999553/will-ai-replace-your-therapist-kaiser-wont-say-no\">proposed changes\u003c/a> to care protocols they say will diminish their working conditions or harm patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 2,400 therapists and social workers, represented by the\u003ca href=\"https://home.nuhw.org/\"> National Union of Health Care Workers\u003c/a>, have been negotiating their next contract since June, with talks reaching an impasse in recent months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We all find ourselves confronting a Kaiser that no longer seeks input from its caregivers,” said Shay Loftus, a psychologist at Kaiser in Fairfield. “Kaiser management wants us to be cogs in their machine, but that’s not how health care, especially mental health care, works best for patients.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The small but mighty union has a track record of forcing improvements to working conditions and patient care through its advocacy. This has included backing laws that\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11891049/california-bill-would-reduce-wait-times-for-mental-health-appointments\"> mandate shorter wait times\u003c/a> for individual therapy at Kaiser and going on strike for 10 weeks in 2022 to secure more time in their schedules for administrative work, like calling patients or reviewing charts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They say Kaiser is now trying to claw back both of those wins in the current contract, in addition to setting the stage for laying off therapists or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073484/kaiser-workers-say-patients-deserve-better-mental-health-care-after-31m-settlement\">replacing them with artificial intelligence\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073919\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073919 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kaiser mental health care workers and supporters march from Oakland Kaiser Medical Center to Kaiser’s corporate headquarters on Friday, Aug. 19, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But the union’s top complaint centers on a new system Kaiser rolled out for triaging mental health patients in 2024 that replaces intake clinicians with unlicensed phone operators or an e-visit, where an algorithm determines the level of care based on questions the patient answers in an app or online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Therapists say patients are funneled into non-urgent therapy when they should have been directed to intensive services or the hospital.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Telephone service reps book people in completely inappropriate slots,” said Molly Parsons, an individual and couples therapist at Kaiser’s Pleasanton clinic. “It delays care and potentially harms patients who need immediate interventions.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The two sides are not yet aligned on wage increases, which are typically negotiated last, but the union said this strike is about seeking agreement on the non-economic issues first. A spokesperson said the union is still engaged in sporadic bargaining sessions with Kaiser and is set to meet with the company for another session next week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser said that AI tools are designed to “support — not replace — human judgment and care,” and that technology is evaluated for performance, safety, clinical usability, accuracy, equitability and satisfaction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We believe AI has the potential to help clinicians and employees spend more time focused on patient care, improve the patient experience, and enhance fairness and quality in health outcomes,” spokesperson Lena Howland said via email. “Human assessment and clinical expertise always guide care delivery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union will finalize voting to authorize the strike over the weekend and said as of Thursday, about 70% of the membership had cast votes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If it garners member support, the union plans to schedule the work stoppage for later in March. They must give 10 days’ advance notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073923\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073923 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kaiser mental health care workers and supporters march from Oakland Kaiser Medical Center to Kaiser’s corporate headquarters on Friday, Aug. 19, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After striking for 10 weeks without pay over their last contract, then seeing their \u003ca href=\"https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/kaiser-permanente-mental-health-workers-contract-southern-california/747638/\">sister union\u003c/a> in Southern California call an open-ended strike that lasted more than six months, appetite for anything more than a one-day walkout was low this time around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It doesn’t seem like members are that jazzed about an ongoing, open-ended strike,” Parsons said. “There’s a fear, not only for how that would impact us as clinicians, but a fear of how it would impact our clients and patient care. And so, a one-day strike, we’re hoping to get more people involved.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That will have less negative impact on patients, she added, “but it will show Kaiser that we’re serious about this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/kdebenedetti\">\u003cem>Katie DeBenedetti\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "I’m Vaccinated Against Measles. How Can I Check if I’m Still Fully Immune?",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/measles\">Measles\u003c/a> cases have soared nationwide in the first two months of 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html\">data\u003c/a>, 982 cases of the highly contagious disease have already been reported around the United States this year — with around 70% of cases fueled by an outbreak in South Carolina. Last year saw \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html\">a total of 2,144 confirmed cases,\u003c/a> in contrast to just 285 cases in 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has not escaped either, and the state’s first three measles cases in 2026 were\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070907/measles-san-francisco-bay-area-2026-is-there-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-booster#booster\"> all in Bay Area residents\u003c/a>. But in the past weeks, more cases have been reported in Southern California and Shasta County, totaling \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/measles.aspx\">21 cases statewide\u003c/a> this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Measles is preventable with the combined Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine, and vaccination against measles has been part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/history.html\">routine childhood immunization\u003c/a> for decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Most Americans who went to school in America will have both MMR vaccines completed, and then should be protected against the measles,” Napa public health officer Dr. Christine Wu told KQED in January after the county reported its first measles case since 2012.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A way to test for measles immunity\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>According to the CDC, 94% of 2026 measles cases nationwide are in people who either aren’t vaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But given that measles can be fatal to some people — and serious impacts from an infection can appear\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/03/17/nx-s1-5328765/measles-outbreak-health-risk\"> years later \u003c/a>— even those who’ve had their MMR vaccine may be concerned about how protected they still are against the disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12041432\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12041432\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/npr.brightspotcdn-1-copy-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1065\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/npr.brightspotcdn-1-copy-1.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/npr.brightspotcdn-1-copy-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/npr.brightspotcdn-1-copy-1-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/npr.brightspotcdn-1-copy-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/npr.brightspotcdn-1-copy-1-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A measles advisory is shown tacked to a bulletin board outside Gaines County Courthouse in Seminole, Texas, on April 9. The Texas Department of State Health Services has confirmed hundreds of measles cases. \u003ccite>(Brandon Bell/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A simple blood test — known as a “titer test” — is a way medical professionals can see how much immunity a person still has against a disease like measles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Now people are worried, they’re getting tested,” said Dr. Abraar Karan, an infectious disease expert at Stanford University School of Medicine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KQED spoke to Karan about how the titer test works, how to get one, the risk of measles to vaccinated people and how immunity can change over time.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What is a titer test?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A\u003ca href=\"https://www.ucsfhealth.org/medical-tests/antibody-titer-blood-test\"> “titer”\u003c/a> means the antibody level in the blood, and a titer test is a simple blood test “to see if your body can mount an immune response — or does mount an immune response — to the pathogen in question,” Karan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These antibodies being present “basically tell you if you’ve either been exposed by infection or by vaccination to the pathogens at hand,” Karan said. So when it comes to measles, a titer test that shows low or negative antibodies can therefore indicate you might be at greater risk of infection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To receive this blood test, Karan recommends you first chat with your regular health care provider, who can order it. The test is given just like other kinds of lab work you might receive.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Hold on — I’m vaccinated, so how could my immunity to measles go down?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the U.S., measles was \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html#cdc_data_surveillance_section_6-history-of-measles-cases\">officially eliminated\u003c/a> — meaning that new cases stem only from international travel and not continuing circulation — in 2000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This lack of measles circulating means you’re not continuously reexposed to the virus, Karan said: So even if you get the “quite durable immunity” of the MMR vaccine, without that exposure over time, a person’s immune response and their antibodies “can wane.”[aside postID=science_1996377 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2015/05/41314-thumb.jpg']If this is the case, why haven’t providers recommended that \u003cem>everybody \u003c/em>take a titer test in the last few decades?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because even if the antibody immunity that a vaccine offers starts to wane, that doesn’t actually mean you have \u003cem>no \u003c/em>protection from measles, stressed Karan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is because a person’s immune system “is more than just antibodies,” he said. “You also have T cells, other components of your immune system, that are there to fight off the virus.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So even if a titer test shows negative antibodies for measles, “It could actually still be that you’re protected through other mechanisms of your immune system, like \u003ca href=\"https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-a-cell-remember/\">your cellular memory.\u003c/a>”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, now that measles is circulating once again in the U.S., waning immunity unfortunately presents an issue. And increased measles circulation also poses a particular infection risk to immunocompromised people, those who don’t know their MMR status and babies who haven’t been able to get their two shots yet, stressed Karan.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Does my risk of waning immunity increase with age?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Yes, Karan said — an older person has a higher chance of lower titers, compared to someone whose MMR vaccine was more recent. While the length of time since you got your shots can play a factor, your immune system can also potentially weaken over time, Karan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An additional risk factor for older people is their birth year. Given how prevalent measles was in the U.S. before widespread vaccination, people born before 1957 aren’t routinely offered the MMR vaccine because they’re presumed to already have\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/mmr/hcp/recommendations.html#immunity\"> immunity from measles \u003c/a>from a previous infection. The flipside of this: someone who’s 69 or older might not have actually \u003cem>had \u003c/em>measles back then, so they’re lacking both infection-based immunity and the vaccine itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070907/measles-san-francisco-bay-area-2026-is-there-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-booster#booster\">people born between 1957 and 1969\u003c/a> may not have received two full MMR doses and should talk to their health care provider about possibly getting another vaccination.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>If my blood test shows my measles immunity has waned, what then?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The most likely outcome of a titer test that shows low immunity to measles is that your provider will recommend you get another dose of the MMR vaccine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Getting another dose of the MMR vaccine is safe even if you \u003cem>do \u003c/em>have remaining immunity. “There is no harm in \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/questions.html\">getting another dose \u003c/a>of MMR vaccine if you may already be immune to measles (or mumps or rubella),” according to the CDC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What’s more, “some providers may just give you another dose without doing the [titer] test,” Karan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12070909\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12070909\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GettyImages-2242752228-scaled-e1769196948121.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A vial of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccination for children is displayed during an immunization event at the L.A. Care and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan Community Resource Center in the Panorama City neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on Oct. 24, 2025. \u003ccite>(Patrick T. Fallon/AFP Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Karan noted that the titer test isn’t the only way to measure immunity, but it’s unlikely that a provider would suggest you undergo \u003cem>another \u003c/em>test after getting your titers checked — and would most likely just recommend an additional MMR dose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Most people are not going to be able to order tests that are going to look at other kinds of immune response to measles besides just this antibody test,” he said. “So what they’ll do is they’ll just give you a dose of the vaccine. There’s no health risks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One situation in which a provider might \u003cem>not \u003c/em>recommend an extra MMR dose: “If you’re immunocompromised to a significant degree, this might be something to discuss with your provider,” Karan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are scenarios when you don’t give people a live virus vaccine,” he said. “So that’s going to be an individual decision — and this is why the conversation has to be had with your provider before you go and do it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Does insurance cover a titer test?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As with all things related to health insurance in the United States, there’s no clear answer to this question.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One thing’s for sure: It’ll help if your provider can show the test is medically necessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While it would depend on your individual insurance, “I think the case could be made that if somebody was in a high measles area — an area that has a measles outbreak, for instance — typical public health guidance is that if you’re in an outbreak zone, either you just get another dose of MMR or you get tested,” Karan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among the groups Karan said are frequently offered titer tests by providers: health care workers who’ll be treating measles patients, older and immunocompromised people and those who will be traveling to areas with measles outbreaks. “So in that sense, I would suspect that you can make the argument … that if it wasn’t covered, that it should be,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If in doubt, check with your insurer before getting the test to make sure it’ll be covered — to avoid getting stung with an unexpected bill.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Isn’t the MMR vaccine supposed to prevent measles infections altogether?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Six years of living with COVID-19 have taught us that being vaccinated against a virus doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t get infected with that virus. The COVID-19 vaccine, for example, does \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/ncird/whats-new/5-things-you-should-know.html\">somewhat reduce \u003c/a>your chances of being infected, but it also means you’re much less likely to get severely ill if you do get infected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, the measles vaccine \u003cem>is \u003c/em>incredibly effective at protecting against infections, the\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/questions.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/faqs.html\"> CDC said\u003c/a>, and two doses of measles vaccine are “about 97% effective” at preventing measles if you’re exposed. (One dose is “about 93% effective.”)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11637594\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11637594 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/cdc2-56d6541a1f7f207304cbeeb9e43447a980db708a-e1513449017120.jpg\" alt=\"A report from the Washington Post said the health agency was issued a list of prohibited words from the Trump administration.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the measles vaccine is highly effective — two doses are about 97% effective at preventing measles after exposure, while one dose is about 93% effective. \u003ccite>(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>These percentages mean that “about three out of 100” people vaccinated against measles \u003cem>will \u003c/em>still get measles after exposure, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/questions.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/faqs.html\">the CDC\u003c/a>. Karan noted that health officials are already seeing this in the South Carolina outbreak: “It’s a minority, but there are still a double-digit number of cases that were fully vaccinated.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CDC said that experts “aren’t sure why” breakthrough cases happen, but they suspect this could be due to the responsiveness of an individual’s immune system to the vaccine. It’s also possible that these vaccinated people are getting “a much higher dose of virus when they were exposed,” Karan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>So what happens when a vaccinated person gets measles?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Regardless of why it happens, there’s at least some good news about these rare cases: “Fully vaccinated people who get measles seem more likely to have a milder illness,” the CDC said — and fully vaccinated people “seem also less likely to spread the disease to other people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In practice, this means that if you were vaccinated and were infected with measles, theoretically, “you would either not show symptoms at all, or you may have very mild symptoms,” Karan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You would not expect someone to have a full-blown measles infection the way someone that’s not vaccinated — or who doesn’t have — immunity would have.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>All this is making me paranoid about if I even got my MMR shots. How can I check?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There’s no national organization that maintains Americans’\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-adults/recommended-vaccines/keeping-vaccine-records-up-to-date.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/vaccination-records.html\"> vaccination records\u003c/a>. Ways that the CDC suggests to track down your own records include:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Ask your parents or caregivers for \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-children/records/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/records/keeping-track.html\">records \u003c/a>of your childhood immunizations (or look in saved documents from your childhood, like baby books).\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Consult a state immunization registry like the California Department of Public Health’s \u003ca href=\"https://myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov/\">Digital Vaccine Record \u003c/a>portal.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Ask your doctor or public health clinic, but remember that these records may only be stored for a limited time.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The CDC\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-adults/recommended-vaccines/keeping-vaccine-records-up-to-date.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/vaccination-records.html\"> has a guide \u003c/a>to tracking down your vaccination records.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/measles\">Measles\u003c/a> cases have soared nationwide in the first two months of 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html\">data\u003c/a>, 982 cases of the highly contagious disease have already been reported around the United States this year — with around 70% of cases fueled by an outbreak in South Carolina. Last year saw \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html\">a total of 2,144 confirmed cases,\u003c/a> in contrast to just 285 cases in 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has not escaped either, and the state’s first three measles cases in 2026 were\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070907/measles-san-francisco-bay-area-2026-is-there-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-booster#booster\"> all in Bay Area residents\u003c/a>. But in the past weeks, more cases have been reported in Southern California and Shasta County, totaling \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/measles.aspx\">21 cases statewide\u003c/a> this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Measles is preventable with the combined Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine, and vaccination against measles has been part of \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/history.html\">routine childhood immunization\u003c/a> for decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Most Americans who went to school in America will have both MMR vaccines completed, and then should be protected against the measles,” Napa public health officer Dr. Christine Wu told KQED in January after the county reported its first measles case since 2012.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A way to test for measles immunity\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>According to the CDC, 94% of 2026 measles cases nationwide are in people who either aren’t vaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But given that measles can be fatal to some people — and serious impacts from an infection can appear\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/03/17/nx-s1-5328765/measles-outbreak-health-risk\"> years later \u003c/a>— even those who’ve had their MMR vaccine may be concerned about how protected they still are against the disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12041432\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12041432\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/npr.brightspotcdn-1-copy-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1065\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/npr.brightspotcdn-1-copy-1.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/npr.brightspotcdn-1-copy-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/npr.brightspotcdn-1-copy-1-1020x679.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/npr.brightspotcdn-1-copy-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/npr.brightspotcdn-1-copy-1-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A measles advisory is shown tacked to a bulletin board outside Gaines County Courthouse in Seminole, Texas, on April 9. The Texas Department of State Health Services has confirmed hundreds of measles cases. \u003ccite>(Brandon Bell/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A simple blood test — known as a “titer test” — is a way medical professionals can see how much immunity a person still has against a disease like measles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Now people are worried, they’re getting tested,” said Dr. Abraar Karan, an infectious disease expert at Stanford University School of Medicine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>KQED spoke to Karan about how the titer test works, how to get one, the risk of measles to vaccinated people and how immunity can change over time.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What is a titer test?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>A\u003ca href=\"https://www.ucsfhealth.org/medical-tests/antibody-titer-blood-test\"> “titer”\u003c/a> means the antibody level in the blood, and a titer test is a simple blood test “to see if your body can mount an immune response — or does mount an immune response — to the pathogen in question,” Karan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These antibodies being present “basically tell you if you’ve either been exposed by infection or by vaccination to the pathogens at hand,” Karan said. So when it comes to measles, a titer test that shows low or negative antibodies can therefore indicate you might be at greater risk of infection.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To receive this blood test, Karan recommends you first chat with your regular health care provider, who can order it. The test is given just like other kinds of lab work you might receive.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Hold on — I’m vaccinated, so how could my immunity to measles go down?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the U.S., measles was \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html#cdc_data_surveillance_section_6-history-of-measles-cases\">officially eliminated\u003c/a> — meaning that new cases stem only from international travel and not continuing circulation — in 2000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This lack of measles circulating means you’re not continuously reexposed to the virus, Karan said: So even if you get the “quite durable immunity” of the MMR vaccine, without that exposure over time, a person’s immune response and their antibodies “can wane.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>If this is the case, why haven’t providers recommended that \u003cem>everybody \u003c/em>take a titer test in the last few decades?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because even if the antibody immunity that a vaccine offers starts to wane, that doesn’t actually mean you have \u003cem>no \u003c/em>protection from measles, stressed Karan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is because a person’s immune system “is more than just antibodies,” he said. “You also have T cells, other components of your immune system, that are there to fight off the virus.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So even if a titer test shows negative antibodies for measles, “It could actually still be that you’re protected through other mechanisms of your immune system, like \u003ca href=\"https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-a-cell-remember/\">your cellular memory.\u003c/a>”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, now that measles is circulating once again in the U.S., waning immunity unfortunately presents an issue. And increased measles circulation also poses a particular infection risk to immunocompromised people, those who don’t know their MMR status and babies who haven’t been able to get their two shots yet, stressed Karan.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Does my risk of waning immunity increase with age?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Yes, Karan said — an older person has a higher chance of lower titers, compared to someone whose MMR vaccine was more recent. While the length of time since you got your shots can play a factor, your immune system can also potentially weaken over time, Karan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An additional risk factor for older people is their birth year. Given how prevalent measles was in the U.S. before widespread vaccination, people born before 1957 aren’t routinely offered the MMR vaccine because they’re presumed to already have\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/mmr/hcp/recommendations.html#immunity\"> immunity from measles \u003c/a>from a previous infection. The flipside of this: someone who’s 69 or older might not have actually \u003cem>had \u003c/em>measles back then, so they’re lacking both infection-based immunity and the vaccine itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070907/measles-san-francisco-bay-area-2026-is-there-outbreak-mmr-vaccine-booster#booster\">people born between 1957 and 1969\u003c/a> may not have received two full MMR doses and should talk to their health care provider about possibly getting another vaccination.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>If my blood test shows my measles immunity has waned, what then?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The most likely outcome of a titer test that shows low immunity to measles is that your provider will recommend you get another dose of the MMR vaccine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Getting another dose of the MMR vaccine is safe even if you \u003cem>do \u003c/em>have remaining immunity. “There is no harm in \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/questions.html\">getting another dose \u003c/a>of MMR vaccine if you may already be immune to measles (or mumps or rubella),” according to the CDC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What’s more, “some providers may just give you another dose without doing the [titer] test,” Karan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12070909\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12070909\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GettyImages-2242752228-scaled-e1769196948121.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A vial of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccination for children is displayed during an immunization event at the L.A. Care and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan Community Resource Center in the Panorama City neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on Oct. 24, 2025. \u003ccite>(Patrick T. Fallon/AFP Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Karan noted that the titer test isn’t the only way to measure immunity, but it’s unlikely that a provider would suggest you undergo \u003cem>another \u003c/em>test after getting your titers checked — and would most likely just recommend an additional MMR dose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Most people are not going to be able to order tests that are going to look at other kinds of immune response to measles besides just this antibody test,” he said. “So what they’ll do is they’ll just give you a dose of the vaccine. There’s no health risks.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One situation in which a provider might \u003cem>not \u003c/em>recommend an extra MMR dose: “If you’re immunocompromised to a significant degree, this might be something to discuss with your provider,” Karan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are scenarios when you don’t give people a live virus vaccine,” he said. “So that’s going to be an individual decision — and this is why the conversation has to be had with your provider before you go and do it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Does insurance cover a titer test?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As with all things related to health insurance in the United States, there’s no clear answer to this question.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One thing’s for sure: It’ll help if your provider can show the test is medically necessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While it would depend on your individual insurance, “I think the case could be made that if somebody was in a high measles area — an area that has a measles outbreak, for instance — typical public health guidance is that if you’re in an outbreak zone, either you just get another dose of MMR or you get tested,” Karan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among the groups Karan said are frequently offered titer tests by providers: health care workers who’ll be treating measles patients, older and immunocompromised people and those who will be traveling to areas with measles outbreaks. “So in that sense, I would suspect that you can make the argument … that if it wasn’t covered, that it should be,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If in doubt, check with your insurer before getting the test to make sure it’ll be covered — to avoid getting stung with an unexpected bill.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Isn’t the MMR vaccine supposed to prevent measles infections altogether?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Six years of living with COVID-19 have taught us that being vaccinated against a virus doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t get infected with that virus. The COVID-19 vaccine, for example, does \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/ncird/whats-new/5-things-you-should-know.html\">somewhat reduce \u003c/a>your chances of being infected, but it also means you’re much less likely to get severely ill if you do get infected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, the measles vaccine \u003cem>is \u003c/em>incredibly effective at protecting against infections, the\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/questions.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/faqs.html\"> CDC said\u003c/a>, and two doses of measles vaccine are “about 97% effective” at preventing measles if you’re exposed. (One dose is “about 93% effective.”)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11637594\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11637594 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/12/cdc2-56d6541a1f7f207304cbeeb9e43447a980db708a-e1513449017120.jpg\" alt=\"A report from the Washington Post said the health agency was issued a list of prohibited words from the Trump administration.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the measles vaccine is highly effective — two doses are about 97% effective at preventing measles after exposure, while one dose is about 93% effective. \u003ccite>(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>These percentages mean that “about three out of 100” people vaccinated against measles \u003cem>will \u003c/em>still get measles after exposure, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/questions.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/faqs.html\">the CDC\u003c/a>. Karan noted that health officials are already seeing this in the South Carolina outbreak: “It’s a minority, but there are still a double-digit number of cases that were fully vaccinated.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CDC said that experts “aren’t sure why” breakthrough cases happen, but they suspect this could be due to the responsiveness of an individual’s immune system to the vaccine. It’s also possible that these vaccinated people are getting “a much higher dose of virus when they were exposed,” Karan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>So what happens when a vaccinated person gets measles?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Regardless of why it happens, there’s at least some good news about these rare cases: “Fully vaccinated people who get measles seem more likely to have a milder illness,” the CDC said — and fully vaccinated people “seem also less likely to spread the disease to other people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In practice, this means that if you were vaccinated and were infected with measles, theoretically, “you would either not show symptoms at all, or you may have very mild symptoms,” Karan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You would not expect someone to have a full-blown measles infection the way someone that’s not vaccinated — or who doesn’t have — immunity would have.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>All this is making me paranoid about if I even got my MMR shots. How can I check?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There’s no national organization that maintains Americans’\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-adults/recommended-vaccines/keeping-vaccine-records-up-to-date.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/vaccination-records.html\"> vaccination records\u003c/a>. Ways that the CDC suggests to track down your own records include:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Ask your parents or caregivers for \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-children/records/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/records/keeping-track.html\">records \u003c/a>of your childhood immunizations (or look in saved documents from your childhood, like baby books).\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Consult a state immunization registry like the California Department of Public Health’s \u003ca href=\"https://myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov/\">Digital Vaccine Record \u003c/a>portal.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Ask your doctor or public health clinic, but remember that these records may only be stored for a limited time.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>The CDC\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-adults/recommended-vaccines/keeping-vaccine-records-up-to-date.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/vaccination-records.html\"> has a guide \u003c/a>to tracking down your vaccination records.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> will pay a $31 million settlement with the federal government over the company’s mental health care practices, according to an agreement reached this week that followed an investigation into the company’s compliance with mental health laws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the therapists and other mental health workers employed by the health care provider said they remain concerned that patients in California are still struggling to get the timely help they need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Labor \u003ca href=\"https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/ebsa/ebsa20260210\">announced\u003c/a> it ordered the Oakland-based health care giant to reimburse Kaiser members in the Golden State for more than $28 million in costs incurred when seeking out-of-network mental health and substance use disorder treatment — saying in a statement that the company failed “to provide timely and appropriate access” to those services between January 2021 and September 2024. Kaiser will also pay a $2.8 million penalty to the federal government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics for years have alleged that Kaiser has not maintained adequate provider networks for mental health and substance use disorder care, forcing many patients to pay for health care services out of pocket. Mental health care workers said they first took their concerns to Kaiser management, where they were not addressed, then brought them to the attention of the federal labor agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser attributed the lack of consistent access to care to surges in demand for mental health care treatment over the past six years, triggered by the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These challenges made it very difficult for our members to get consistent access to the care they needed when they needed it,” spokesperson Lena Howland said. “We are committed to reimbursing those members who tried but may have been unable to get timely care from Kaiser Permanente in that time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12059848\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12059848\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers strike outside of the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the midst of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/mental-health/about/what-cdc-is-doing.html\">national\u003c/a> mental health crisis, finding a therapist, especially one who accepts insurance,\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/stateofhealth/series/state-of-mind\"> has become notoriously difficult\u003c/a> as the field struggles with workforce shortages and low reimbursement rates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser has grappled with these industry-wide challenges for\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/stateofhealth/21358/kaiser-agrees-to-pay-4-million-fine-over-mental-health-care-drops-lawsuit\"> over a decade\u003c/a>. California regulators have\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11791527/kaiser-therapists-strike-again-over-long-wait-times\"> repeatedly cited the company\u003c/a> for making patients wait\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11891049/california-bill-would-reduce-wait-times-for-mental-health-appointments\"> too long\u003c/a> for mental health appointments, ordering Kaiser to address persistent issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents Kaiser Permanente’s 4,800 mental health professionals in California and Hawaii, said Friday that the health care giant’s proposals in ongoing contract negotiations indicate that patients hoping for shorter wait times and greater access to therapists may expect business as usual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of our therapists still can’t see patients for weeks at a time,” said Matthew Artz, a union spokesperson. “Some of them can’t ‘refer out’ to outside providers. And even if Kaiser is increasing its network, it’s doing other things to diminish care.”[aside postID=news_12072837 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8137B-KQED.jpg']One of the major points of contention is Kaiser’s use of telephone operators and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999553/will-ai-replace-your-therapist-kaiser-wont-say-no\">artificial intelligence to triage\u003c/a> and treat mental health patients. Kaiser uses those intermediaries, the union said, to determine how quickly a patient needs care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In contract negotiations with therapists in Northern California, the union said Kaiser is seeking free rein to push patients into AI-based therapy protocols that Artz argued would diminish the quality of care. However, the company has said its AI tools don’t make medical decisions or replace human care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser is not acting like a health care provider that has seen the errors of its ways and wants to provide better mental health care,” Artz said. “It’s really acting like an insurance company that still wants to spend as little money as possible on mental health and just try to avoid getting in trouble.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The settlement comes less than three years after Kaiser agreed to pay a $200 million penalty, including a historic $50 million fine, as part of a settlement related to California’s 2021 parity law, designed to provide equal access to mental and physical health. As part of \u003ca href=\"https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/zMY5CADmygFGn4yOs9iRIGs93S?domain=wpso.dmhc.ca.gov\">that agreement\u003c/a>, Kaiser acknowledged at that time that it lacked “sufficient behavioral health providers” and that “this lack of clinical staff has resulted in excessive wait times for enrollee individual therapy appointments.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente nurses, pharmacists and other physical health care workers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072837/kaiser-strike-delays-surgeries-disrupts-care-as-more-workers-walk-off-jobs\">are on strike\u003c/a> across the state over stalled contract talks, staffing levels and pay. NUHW members, who went on a 10-week strike in 2022, are voting on whether to join their colleagues on the picket lines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser therapists have been very willing to go on strike in order to advocate for better patient care and better working conditions,” Artz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Desmond Meagley contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> will pay a $31 million settlement with the federal government over the company’s mental health care practices, according to an agreement reached this week that followed an investigation into the company’s compliance with mental health laws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the therapists and other mental health workers employed by the health care provider said they remain concerned that patients in California are still struggling to get the timely help they need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Labor \u003ca href=\"https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/ebsa/ebsa20260210\">announced\u003c/a> it ordered the Oakland-based health care giant to reimburse Kaiser members in the Golden State for more than $28 million in costs incurred when seeking out-of-network mental health and substance use disorder treatment — saying in a statement that the company failed “to provide timely and appropriate access” to those services between January 2021 and September 2024. Kaiser will also pay a $2.8 million penalty to the federal government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics for years have alleged that Kaiser has not maintained adequate provider networks for mental health and substance use disorder care, forcing many patients to pay for health care services out of pocket. Mental health care workers said they first took their concerns to Kaiser management, where they were not addressed, then brought them to the attention of the federal labor agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser attributed the lack of consistent access to care to surges in demand for mental health care treatment over the past six years, triggered by the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These challenges made it very difficult for our members to get consistent access to the care they needed when they needed it,” spokesperson Lena Howland said. “We are committed to reimbursing those members who tried but may have been unable to get timely care from Kaiser Permanente in that time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12059848\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12059848\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers strike outside of the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the midst of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/mental-health/about/what-cdc-is-doing.html\">national\u003c/a> mental health crisis, finding a therapist, especially one who accepts insurance,\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/stateofhealth/series/state-of-mind\"> has become notoriously difficult\u003c/a> as the field struggles with workforce shortages and low reimbursement rates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser has grappled with these industry-wide challenges for\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/stateofhealth/21358/kaiser-agrees-to-pay-4-million-fine-over-mental-health-care-drops-lawsuit\"> over a decade\u003c/a>. California regulators have\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11791527/kaiser-therapists-strike-again-over-long-wait-times\"> repeatedly cited the company\u003c/a> for making patients wait\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11891049/california-bill-would-reduce-wait-times-for-mental-health-appointments\"> too long\u003c/a> for mental health appointments, ordering Kaiser to address persistent issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents Kaiser Permanente’s 4,800 mental health professionals in California and Hawaii, said Friday that the health care giant’s proposals in ongoing contract negotiations indicate that patients hoping for shorter wait times and greater access to therapists may expect business as usual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of our therapists still can’t see patients for weeks at a time,” said Matthew Artz, a union spokesperson. “Some of them can’t ‘refer out’ to outside providers. And even if Kaiser is increasing its network, it’s doing other things to diminish care.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>One of the major points of contention is Kaiser’s use of telephone operators and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999553/will-ai-replace-your-therapist-kaiser-wont-say-no\">artificial intelligence to triage\u003c/a> and treat mental health patients. Kaiser uses those intermediaries, the union said, to determine how quickly a patient needs care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In contract negotiations with therapists in Northern California, the union said Kaiser is seeking free rein to push patients into AI-based therapy protocols that Artz argued would diminish the quality of care. However, the company has said its AI tools don’t make medical decisions or replace human care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser is not acting like a health care provider that has seen the errors of its ways and wants to provide better mental health care,” Artz said. “It’s really acting like an insurance company that still wants to spend as little money as possible on mental health and just try to avoid getting in trouble.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The settlement comes less than three years after Kaiser agreed to pay a $200 million penalty, including a historic $50 million fine, as part of a settlement related to California’s 2021 parity law, designed to provide equal access to mental and physical health. As part of \u003ca href=\"https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/zMY5CADmygFGn4yOs9iRIGs93S?domain=wpso.dmhc.ca.gov\">that agreement\u003c/a>, Kaiser acknowledged at that time that it lacked “sufficient behavioral health providers” and that “this lack of clinical staff has resulted in excessive wait times for enrollee individual therapy appointments.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente nurses, pharmacists and other physical health care workers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072837/kaiser-strike-delays-surgeries-disrupts-care-as-more-workers-walk-off-jobs\">are on strike\u003c/a> across the state over stalled contract talks, staffing levels and pay. NUHW members, who went on a 10-week strike in 2022, are voting on whether to join their colleagues on the picket lines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser therapists have been very willing to go on strike in order to advocate for better patient care and better working conditions,” Artz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Desmond Meagley contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "texas-trump-immigration-pregnant-migrants-shelter",
"title": "Trump Administration Sends Pregnant Unaccompanied Minors to Texas Shelter Flagged as Medically Inadequate",
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"headTitle": "Trump Administration Sends Pregnant Unaccompanied Minors to Texas Shelter Flagged as Medically Inadequate | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">Trump\u003c/a> administration is sending all pregnant unaccompanied minors apprehended by immigration enforcement to a single group shelter in South Texas. The decision was made over urgent objections from the government’s own health and child welfare officials, who say both the facility and the region lack the specialized care the girls need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s according to seven sources who work at the Office of Refugee Resettlement within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which handles the custody and care of children who cross the border without a parent or legal guardian, or are separated from family by immigration authorities. All of the sources declined to be named for fear of retaliation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since late July, more than a dozen pregnant minors have been placed at the Texas facility, which is located in the small border city of San Benito. Some were as young as 13, and at least half of those taken in so far became pregnant as a result of rape, sources said. Their pregnancies are considered\u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877575625000722\"> high risk\u003c/a> by definition, particularly for the\u003ca href=\"https://utswmed.org/medblog/early-teen-pregnancy-health-risks/\"> youngest\u003c/a> girls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This group of kids is clearly recognized as our most vulnerable,” one of the sources said. Rank-and-file staff, the source said, are “losing sleep over it, wondering if kids are going to be placed in programs where they’re not going to have access to the care they need.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The move marks a sharp departure from longstanding federal practice, which placed pregnant, unaccompanied migrant children in ORR shelters or foster homes around the country that are equipped to handle high-risk pregnancies. ORR sources, along with more than a dozen former government officials, health care professionals, migrant advocates and civil rights attorneys, said they worry the Trump administration is putting children in danger at the San Benito shelter to advance an ideological goal: denying them access to abortion by placing them in a state where it’s virtually banned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073141\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073141 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251104_GlobalX_PL_03.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251104_GlobalX_PL_03.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251104_GlobalX_PL_03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251104_GlobalX_PL_03-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Global X plane sits on a runway near Valley International Airport in Harlington, Texas, on Nov. 4, 2025. The Charter airline operates most deportation flights for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, transporting migrants across the country and abroad. \u003ccite>(Patricia Lim/KUT News)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This is 100% and exclusively about abortion,” said Jonathan White, a longtime federal health official who ran ORR’s unaccompanied children program for part of President Donald Trump’s first term. White, who recently retired from the government, said the administration tried and failed to restrict abortion access for unaccompanied minors in 2017. “Now they casually roll out what they brutally fought to accomplish last time and didn’t.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Asked via email why the administration is sending pregnant children to San Benito, an HHS spokesperson who asked not to be named wrote that “ORR’s placement decisions are guided by child welfare best practices and are designed to ensure each child is housed in the safest, most developmentally appropriate setting, including for children who are pregnant or parenting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But several of the ORR officials took issue with the agency’s statement. “ORR is supposed to be a child welfare organization,” one of them said. “Putting pregnant kids in San Benito is not a decision you make when you care about children’s safety.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ORR’s acting director, Angie Salazar, instructed agency staff to send “any pregnant children” to San Benito beginning July 22, 2025, according to an internal email obtained as part of a six-month investigation by The California Newsroom and The Texas Newsroom, public media collaboratives that worked together to produce this story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073165\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073165\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/KQED-Email-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"700\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/KQED-Email-2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/KQED-Email-2-160x58.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/KQED-Email-2-1536x560.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A screenshot of a July 22, 2025, email notifying ORR supervisors of a directive to send pregnant unaccompanied minors to a single shelter in San Benito, Texas, despite objections from the government’s own health and child welfare officials.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Several sources said a handful of pregnant girls have mistakenly been placed in other shelters because immigration authorities didn’t know they were pregnant when they were transferred to ORR custody.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since the July order, none of the pregnant girls at the San Benito facility have experienced major medical problems, according to ORR sources and Aimee Korolev, deputy director of ProBAR, an organization that provides legal services to children there. They said several of the girls have given birth and are detained with their infants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But officials interviewed for this story said they worry the shelter is only one high-risk pregnancy away from catastrophe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel like we’re just waiting for something terrible to happen,” one of the ORR sources said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Blown away by the level of risk’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There are dozens of ORR shelters or foster homes across the country that are designated to care for pregnant unaccompanied children, according to ORR officials, with 14 in California alone. None of the officials could recall a time when all of the pregnant minors in the agency’s custody were concentrated in one shelter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Detaining them in San Benito, Texas, doctors and public health experts said, is a dangerous gambit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073147\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073147 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_UrbanStrategy_PL_06.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_UrbanStrategy_PL_06.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_UrbanStrategy_PL_06-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_UrbanStrategy_PL_06-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Parked white vans inside a gated building at Urban Strategies, a facility that holds unaccompanied minor immigrants under contract with the US Office of Refugee Resettlement, in San Benito, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2025. Refugio San Benito is a facility operated by the group Urban Strategies. \u003ccite>(Patricia Lim/KUT News)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s not good to be a pregnant person in Texas, no matter who you are,” said Annie Leone, a nurse midwife who recently spent five years caring for pregnant and postpartum migrant women and girls at a large family shelter not far from San Benito. “So, to put pregnant migrant kids in Texas, and then in one of the worst health care regions of Texas, is not good at all.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The specialized obstetric care that exists in Texas is mostly available \u003ca href=\"https://www.smfm.org/find-an-mfm?MapView=true&Address=San%20Benito%2C%20TX%2C%20USA&Latitude=26.132576&Longitude=-97.6311006&Radius=100\">in its larger cities\u003c/a>, hours from San Benito. And several factors, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/09/16/nx-s1-5542408/health-insurance-obbba-texas-uninsurance-rates\">the high number of uninsured patients\u003c/a>, have eroded the availability of \u003ca href=\"https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/scorecard/2024/jul/2024-state-scorecard-womens-health-and-reproductive-care\">health care across the state\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Furthermore, Texas’ near-ban on abortion has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/high-risk-pregnancies-chronic-conditions-abortion-bans\">especially devastating to obstetric care\u003c/a>. The law allows an exception in cases where the mother’s life is in danger or one of her bodily functions is at risk, but doctors have been confused as to what that means.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many doctors have \u003ca href=\"https://19thnews.org/2023/06/abortion-gender-affirming-care-bans-doctors-leaving-texas/\">left to practice elsewhere\u003c/a>, and those who’ve stayed are often \u003ca href=\"https://assets-us-01.kc-usercontent.com/9fd8e81d-74db-00ef-d0b1-5d17c12fdda9/34392fc8-1c9a-48a2-be8f-3f79d8a4a7d5/FINAL-TX-OBGYN-Workforce-Study_2024-10_f.pdf\">scared\u003c/a> to perform procedures they worry could come with criminal charges. While Texas passed a law \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/07/19/nx-s1-5445143/texas-abortion-life-of-mother\">clarifying the exceptions\u003c/a> last year, experts \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/texas-medical-board-abortion-training-doctors\">have said\u003c/a> it may not be enough to assuage doctors’ fears.[aside postID=news_12067561 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/MexicoBorderChildrenGetty.jpg']Several maternal health experts described a sobering list of dangers for the girls at the San Benito shelter: If one of them develops an \u003ca href=\"https://www.acog.org/advocacy/facts-are-important/understanding-ectopic-pregnancy\">ectopic pregnancy\u003c/a> (where the fertilized egg implants outside the uterus), if she \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/search/research-news/16798/\">miscarries\u003c/a> or if her \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/article/fact-check/termination-of-pregnancy-can-be-necessary-to-save-a-womans-life-experts-say-idUSL1N2TC0VD/\">water breaks too early\u003c/a> and she gets an infection, the\u003ca href=\"https://www.acog.org/news/news-releases/2019/09/abortion-can-be-medically-necessary\"> emergency care she needs\u003c/a> could be \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/series/life-of-the-mother\">delayed or denied by doctors\u003c/a> wary of the abortion ban.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Getting the care that is available could take too long to save her life or the baby’s, they added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adolescents are also more likely to give birth early, which can be life-threatening for both mother and baby. The youngest face complications during labor and delivery because their pelvises aren’t fully developed, said Dr. Anne-Marie Amies Oelschlager, an obstetrician in Washington state who specializes in adolescent pregnancy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These are young adolescents who are still going through puberty,” she said. “Their bodies are still changing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pregnant girls who recently endured the often harrowing journey to the U.S. face even more risk, obstetrics experts said. Many \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6752644/\">have been raped\u003c/a> along the way and have sexually transmitted infections that can be dangerous during pregnancy. Add to that \u003ca href=\"https://www.projecthope.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Project-Hope-Mexico-NEW-FINAL-1_19_23.pdf\">little to no access to prenatal care\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://www.borderreport.com/hot-topics/immigration/many-migrants-arriving-at-border-malnourished-health-experts-say/\">proper nourishment\u003c/a>, and then the trauma of \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8570101/\">being detained\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You couldn’t set up a worse scenario,” said Dr. Blair Cushing, who runs a women’s health clinic in McAllen, about 45 minutes from San Benito. “I’m kind of blown away by the level of risk that they’re concentrating in this facility.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A history of problems\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The San Benito shelter is owned and operated by Urban Strategies, a for-profit company that has contracted with the federal government to care for unaccompanied children for more than a decade, according to \u003ca href=\"http://usaspending.gov\">USAspending.gov\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The main building, an old tan brick Baptist Church, occupies a city block in downtown San Benito, a quiet town of about 25,000. The church was converted to a migrant shelter in 2015 and was managed by two other contractors before Urban Strategies \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/11/30/2021-25971/announcement-of-intent-to-issue-replacement-award-to-provide-residential-services-shelter\">took it over in 2021\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a fall day last year, there were no signs of activity at the facility, though children’s lawn toys and playground equipment were visible behind a wooden fence. A guard was stationed at one of the entrances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073070\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073070\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251104_MELIZA_PL_01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251104_MELIZA_PL_01-KQED.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251104_MELIZA_PL_01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251104_MELIZA_PL_01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Meliza Fonseca lives across the street from the San Benito shelter. She said she occasionally sees children in the yard on weekends, “but for the most part, you don’t see them.” \u003ccite>(Patricia Lim/KUT)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s pretty quiet, just like it is today,” said Meliza Fonseca, who lives nearby. “That’s the way it is every day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said she occasionally sees kids playing in the yard on weekends, “but for the most part, you don’t see them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reached by email, the founder and president of Urban Strategies, Lisa Cummins, wrote that the company is “deeply committed to the care and well-being of the children we serve,” but directed any questions about ORR-contracted shelters to the federal agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked about the San Benito facility, the ORR spokesperson wrote that “Urban Strategies has a long-standing record of delivering high-quality care to pregnant unaccompanied minors, with a consistently low staff turnover.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073142\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073142\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_UrbanStrategy_PL_04.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_UrbanStrategy_PL_04.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_UrbanStrategy_PL_04-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_UrbanStrategy_PL_04-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A gated building at Urban Strategies, a facility that holds unaccompanied minor immigrants under contract with the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement, in San Benito, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Patricia Lim/KUT News)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But agency sources who spoke with the newsrooms said that as recently as 2024, staff members at the shelter failed to arrange timely medical appointments for pregnant girls or immediately share critical health information with the federal agency and discharged them without arrangements to continue their medical care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ORR temporarily barred the shelter from receiving pregnant girls while Urban Strategies implemented a remediation plan, but the plan did not add staff or enhance their qualifications, the sources said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several sources inside the agency said its leadership was provided with a list of shelters that are better prepared to handle children with high-risk pregnancies. All of those shelters are located outside of Texas, in regions where the full range of necessary medical care is available. Yet the directive to place them at San Benito remains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s cruel, it’s just cruel,” one of the officials said. “They don’t care about any of these kids. They’re playing politics with children’s health.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘A dress rehearsal’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Jonathan White, who ran ORR’s unaccompanied children program from January of 2017 to March of 2018, said he wasn’t surprised to learn that the new administration is moving pregnant unaccompanied children to Texas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve been expecting this since Trump returned to office,” White said in an interview.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said he views the San Benito order as a continuation of an anti-abortion policy shift that began in 2017, which “ultimately proved to be a dress rehearsal for the current administration.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073151\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073151 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_RioGrande_PL_02.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_RioGrande_PL_02.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_RioGrande_PL_02-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_RioGrande_PL_02-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Rio Grande is seen near the Old Hidalgo Pumphouse Museum in Hidalgo, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2025. Migrants often cross the river en route to the United States. \u003ccite>(Patricia Lim/KUT News)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Scott Lloyd, the agency’s director at the time, denied girls in ORR custody permission to end their pregnancies, \u003ca href=\"https://www.acludc.org/cases/jd-v-azar-formerly-garza-v-azar-and-garza-v-hargan-challenging-trump-administrations-refusal/\">court records show\u003c/a>. Lloyd also required the girls to get counseling about the benefits of motherhood and the harms of abortion and personally pleaded with some of them to reconsider.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I worked to treat all of the children in ORR care with dignity, including the unborn children,” Lloyd told the newsrooms in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the fall of 2017, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.aclu.org/cases/garza-v-hargan-challenge-trump-administrations-attempts-block-abortions-young-immigrant-women\">class action lawsuit\u003c/a> against Lloyd and the Trump administration on behalf of pregnant girls in ORR custody. The ACLU argued that denying the girls abortions violated their constitutional rights, established by the Supreme Court in its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.[aside postID=news_12071297 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/AP26020826398216-KQED.jpg']Not long after the lawsuit was filed, White said he received a late-night phone call from Lloyd, who had a request. He wanted White to transfer an unaccompanied pregnant girl who was seeking an abortion to a migrant shelter in Texas, where, under state law, it would have been too late for her to terminate her pregnancy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>White believed following the order would have been unlawful because it might have denied the girl access to legal relief under the lawsuit, so he refused. The girl was not transferred.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lloyd, who has since left the government, told the newsrooms he didn’t believe his request was illegal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The class action lawsuit was \u003ca href=\"https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/result-aclu-litigation-trump-administration-ends-policy-prohibiting-immigrant-minors\">settled in 2020\u003c/a>; the first Trump administration agreed not to interfere with abortion access for migrant youth in federal custody going forward. Four years later, the Biden administration cemented the deal in official\u003ca href=\"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-04-30/pdf/2024-08329.pdf#page=219\"> regulations\u003c/a>: If a child who wanted to terminate her pregnancy was detained in a state where it was not legal, ORR had to move them to a state where it was.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That rule remains in place, and the agency appears to be following it; ORR has transferred two pregnant girls out of Texas since July, though agency sources said one of them chose not to terminate her pregnancy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But now that Trump is back in office, his administration is working to kill the policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Elegant and simple’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Even before Trump won reelection, policymakers in his circle were planning a renewed attempt to restrict abortion rights for unaccompanied minors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s blueprint for a politically conservative overhaul of the federal government, \u003ca href=\"https://static.heritage.org/project2025/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf#page=510\">called for\u003c/a> ORR to stop facilitating abortions for children in its care. The plan advised the government not to detain unaccompanied children in states where abortion is available.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Such a change is now possible, Project 2025 argued, because Roe v. Wade is no longer an obstacle. Since the Supreme Court overturned the landmark decision in 2022, there is no longer a federal right to abortion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11918029\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11918029\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/06/gettyimages-1241510158_wide-618b2eab892ca9097bca6e83bd698df2d7f47782-scaled-e1770775479336.jpg\" alt=\"A sign that reads 'We Dissent' is held up in the foreground. The Supreme Court can be seen in the background.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Abortion rights activists rally outside of the U.S. Supreme Court after the overturning of Roe Vs. Wade, in Washington, D.C., on June 24, 2022. \u003ccite>(Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Upon returning to office, Trump signed an \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/enforcing-the-hyde-amendment/\">executive order\u003c/a> “to end the forced use of Federal taxpayer dollars to fund or promote elective abortion.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, in early July, the Department of Justice \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/olc/media/1408241/dl\">reconsidered a longstanding federal law\u003c/a> governing the use of taxpayer money for abortion. The DOJ concluded that the government cannot pay to transport detainees from one state to another to facilitate abortion access, except in cases of rape or incest or to save the life of the mother.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And now, ORR is working to rescind the Biden-era requirement that pregnant girls requesting an abortion be moved to states where it’s available. On Jan. 23, the agency \u003ca href=\"https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eoDetails?rrid=1252114\">submitted the proposed change\u003c/a> for government approval, though it has not yet published the details.[aside postID=news_12071206 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260122-STEVE-HILTON-ON-PB-MD-04-KQED-1.jpg']Several of the ORR officials who spoke with the newsrooms said it’s unclear whether children in the agency’s custody who have been raped or need emergency medical care will still be allowed to get abortions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“HHS does not comment on pending or pre-decisional rulemaking,” the agency’s spokesperson wrote when asked for details of the regulatory change. “ORR will continue to comply with all applicable federal laws, including requirements for providing necessary medical care to children in ORR custody.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the day the change was submitted, an unnamed Health and Human Services spokesperson told \u003ca href=\"https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/01/23/exclusive-hhs-advances-rule-ending-taxpayer-funded-abortion-travel-for-alien-children/\">\u003cem>The Daily Signal\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, a conservative news site, “Our goal is to save lives both for these young children that are coming across the border, that are pregnant, and to save the lives of their unborn babies.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like other experts who spoke with the newsrooms, White, the former head of ORR’s unaccompanied children program, said he thinks the San Benito directive and the anti-abortion rule change are meant to work hand in hand: Once pregnant children are placed at the San Benito shelter, the new regulations could mean they cannot be moved out of Texas to get abortions — even if keeping them there puts them at risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s so elegant and simple,” White said. “All they have to do is send them to Texas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Mose Buchele with The Texas Newsroom contributed reporting.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was produced by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">\u003cem>The California Newsroom\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kut.org/texasnewsroom\">\u003cem>The Texas Newsroom\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. The California Newsroom is a collaboration of public media outlets that includes NPR, CalMatters, KQED (San Francisco), LAist and KCRW (Los Angeles), KPBS (San Diego) and other stations across the state. The Texas Newsroom is a public radio journalism collaboration that includes NPR, KERA (North Texas), Houston Public Media, KUT (Austin), Texas Public Radio (San Antonio) and other stations across the state.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/donald-trump\">Trump\u003c/a> administration is sending all pregnant unaccompanied minors apprehended by immigration enforcement to a single group shelter in South Texas. The decision was made over urgent objections from the government’s own health and child welfare officials, who say both the facility and the region lack the specialized care the girls need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s according to seven sources who work at the Office of Refugee Resettlement within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which handles the custody and care of children who cross the border without a parent or legal guardian, or are separated from family by immigration authorities. All of the sources declined to be named for fear of retaliation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since late July, more than a dozen pregnant minors have been placed at the Texas facility, which is located in the small border city of San Benito. Some were as young as 13, and at least half of those taken in so far became pregnant as a result of rape, sources said. Their pregnancies are considered\u003ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877575625000722\"> high risk\u003c/a> by definition, particularly for the\u003ca href=\"https://utswmed.org/medblog/early-teen-pregnancy-health-risks/\"> youngest\u003c/a> girls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This group of kids is clearly recognized as our most vulnerable,” one of the sources said. Rank-and-file staff, the source said, are “losing sleep over it, wondering if kids are going to be placed in programs where they’re not going to have access to the care they need.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The move marks a sharp departure from longstanding federal practice, which placed pregnant, unaccompanied migrant children in ORR shelters or foster homes around the country that are equipped to handle high-risk pregnancies. ORR sources, along with more than a dozen former government officials, health care professionals, migrant advocates and civil rights attorneys, said they worry the Trump administration is putting children in danger at the San Benito shelter to advance an ideological goal: denying them access to abortion by placing them in a state where it’s virtually banned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073141\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073141 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251104_GlobalX_PL_03.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251104_GlobalX_PL_03.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251104_GlobalX_PL_03-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251104_GlobalX_PL_03-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Global X plane sits on a runway near Valley International Airport in Harlington, Texas, on Nov. 4, 2025. The Charter airline operates most deportation flights for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, transporting migrants across the country and abroad. \u003ccite>(Patricia Lim/KUT News)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This is 100% and exclusively about abortion,” said Jonathan White, a longtime federal health official who ran ORR’s unaccompanied children program for part of President Donald Trump’s first term. White, who recently retired from the government, said the administration tried and failed to restrict abortion access for unaccompanied minors in 2017. “Now they casually roll out what they brutally fought to accomplish last time and didn’t.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Asked via email why the administration is sending pregnant children to San Benito, an HHS spokesperson who asked not to be named wrote that “ORR’s placement decisions are guided by child welfare best practices and are designed to ensure each child is housed in the safest, most developmentally appropriate setting, including for children who are pregnant or parenting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But several of the ORR officials took issue with the agency’s statement. “ORR is supposed to be a child welfare organization,” one of them said. “Putting pregnant kids in San Benito is not a decision you make when you care about children’s safety.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ORR’s acting director, Angie Salazar, instructed agency staff to send “any pregnant children” to San Benito beginning July 22, 2025, according to an internal email obtained as part of a six-month investigation by The California Newsroom and The Texas Newsroom, public media collaboratives that worked together to produce this story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073165\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073165\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/KQED-Email-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"700\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/KQED-Email-2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/KQED-Email-2-160x58.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/KQED-Email-2-1536x560.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A screenshot of a July 22, 2025, email notifying ORR supervisors of a directive to send pregnant unaccompanied minors to a single shelter in San Benito, Texas, despite objections from the government’s own health and child welfare officials.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Several sources said a handful of pregnant girls have mistakenly been placed in other shelters because immigration authorities didn’t know they were pregnant when they were transferred to ORR custody.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since the July order, none of the pregnant girls at the San Benito facility have experienced major medical problems, according to ORR sources and Aimee Korolev, deputy director of ProBAR, an organization that provides legal services to children there. They said several of the girls have given birth and are detained with their infants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But officials interviewed for this story said they worry the shelter is only one high-risk pregnancy away from catastrophe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel like we’re just waiting for something terrible to happen,” one of the ORR sources said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Blown away by the level of risk’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There are dozens of ORR shelters or foster homes across the country that are designated to care for pregnant unaccompanied children, according to ORR officials, with 14 in California alone. None of the officials could recall a time when all of the pregnant minors in the agency’s custody were concentrated in one shelter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Detaining them in San Benito, Texas, doctors and public health experts said, is a dangerous gambit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073147\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073147 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_UrbanStrategy_PL_06.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_UrbanStrategy_PL_06.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_UrbanStrategy_PL_06-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_UrbanStrategy_PL_06-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Parked white vans inside a gated building at Urban Strategies, a facility that holds unaccompanied minor immigrants under contract with the US Office of Refugee Resettlement, in San Benito, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2025. Refugio San Benito is a facility operated by the group Urban Strategies. \u003ccite>(Patricia Lim/KUT News)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s not good to be a pregnant person in Texas, no matter who you are,” said Annie Leone, a nurse midwife who recently spent five years caring for pregnant and postpartum migrant women and girls at a large family shelter not far from San Benito. “So, to put pregnant migrant kids in Texas, and then in one of the worst health care regions of Texas, is not good at all.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The specialized obstetric care that exists in Texas is mostly available \u003ca href=\"https://www.smfm.org/find-an-mfm?MapView=true&Address=San%20Benito%2C%20TX%2C%20USA&Latitude=26.132576&Longitude=-97.6311006&Radius=100\">in its larger cities\u003c/a>, hours from San Benito. And several factors, including \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/09/16/nx-s1-5542408/health-insurance-obbba-texas-uninsurance-rates\">the high number of uninsured patients\u003c/a>, have eroded the availability of \u003ca href=\"https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/scorecard/2024/jul/2024-state-scorecard-womens-health-and-reproductive-care\">health care across the state\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Furthermore, Texas’ near-ban on abortion has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/high-risk-pregnancies-chronic-conditions-abortion-bans\">especially devastating to obstetric care\u003c/a>. The law allows an exception in cases where the mother’s life is in danger or one of her bodily functions is at risk, but doctors have been confused as to what that means.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many doctors have \u003ca href=\"https://19thnews.org/2023/06/abortion-gender-affirming-care-bans-doctors-leaving-texas/\">left to practice elsewhere\u003c/a>, and those who’ve stayed are often \u003ca href=\"https://assets-us-01.kc-usercontent.com/9fd8e81d-74db-00ef-d0b1-5d17c12fdda9/34392fc8-1c9a-48a2-be8f-3f79d8a4a7d5/FINAL-TX-OBGYN-Workforce-Study_2024-10_f.pdf\">scared\u003c/a> to perform procedures they worry could come with criminal charges. While Texas passed a law \u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/07/19/nx-s1-5445143/texas-abortion-life-of-mother\">clarifying the exceptions\u003c/a> last year, experts \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/article/texas-medical-board-abortion-training-doctors\">have said\u003c/a> it may not be enough to assuage doctors’ fears.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Several maternal health experts described a sobering list of dangers for the girls at the San Benito shelter: If one of them develops an \u003ca href=\"https://www.acog.org/advocacy/facts-are-important/understanding-ectopic-pregnancy\">ectopic pregnancy\u003c/a> (where the fertilized egg implants outside the uterus), if she \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/search/research-news/16798/\">miscarries\u003c/a> or if her \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/article/fact-check/termination-of-pregnancy-can-be-necessary-to-save-a-womans-life-experts-say-idUSL1N2TC0VD/\">water breaks too early\u003c/a> and she gets an infection, the\u003ca href=\"https://www.acog.org/news/news-releases/2019/09/abortion-can-be-medically-necessary\"> emergency care she needs\u003c/a> could be \u003ca href=\"https://www.propublica.org/series/life-of-the-mother\">delayed or denied by doctors\u003c/a> wary of the abortion ban.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Getting the care that is available could take too long to save her life or the baby’s, they added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Adolescents are also more likely to give birth early, which can be life-threatening for both mother and baby. The youngest face complications during labor and delivery because their pelvises aren’t fully developed, said Dr. Anne-Marie Amies Oelschlager, an obstetrician in Washington state who specializes in adolescent pregnancy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These are young adolescents who are still going through puberty,” she said. “Their bodies are still changing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pregnant girls who recently endured the often harrowing journey to the U.S. face even more risk, obstetrics experts said. Many \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6752644/\">have been raped\u003c/a> along the way and have sexually transmitted infections that can be dangerous during pregnancy. Add to that \u003ca href=\"https://www.projecthope.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Project-Hope-Mexico-NEW-FINAL-1_19_23.pdf\">little to no access to prenatal care\u003c/a> or \u003ca href=\"https://www.borderreport.com/hot-topics/immigration/many-migrants-arriving-at-border-malnourished-health-experts-say/\">proper nourishment\u003c/a>, and then the trauma of \u003ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8570101/\">being detained\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You couldn’t set up a worse scenario,” said Dr. Blair Cushing, who runs a women’s health clinic in McAllen, about 45 minutes from San Benito. “I’m kind of blown away by the level of risk that they’re concentrating in this facility.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A history of problems\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The San Benito shelter is owned and operated by Urban Strategies, a for-profit company that has contracted with the federal government to care for unaccompanied children for more than a decade, according to \u003ca href=\"http://usaspending.gov\">USAspending.gov\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The main building, an old tan brick Baptist Church, occupies a city block in downtown San Benito, a quiet town of about 25,000. The church was converted to a migrant shelter in 2015 and was managed by two other contractors before Urban Strategies \u003ca href=\"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/11/30/2021-25971/announcement-of-intent-to-issue-replacement-award-to-provide-residential-services-shelter\">took it over in 2021\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a fall day last year, there were no signs of activity at the facility, though children’s lawn toys and playground equipment were visible behind a wooden fence. A guard was stationed at one of the entrances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073070\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073070\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251104_MELIZA_PL_01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251104_MELIZA_PL_01-KQED.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251104_MELIZA_PL_01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251104_MELIZA_PL_01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Meliza Fonseca lives across the street from the San Benito shelter. She said she occasionally sees children in the yard on weekends, “but for the most part, you don’t see them.” \u003ccite>(Patricia Lim/KUT)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s pretty quiet, just like it is today,” said Meliza Fonseca, who lives nearby. “That’s the way it is every day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said she occasionally sees kids playing in the yard on weekends, “but for the most part, you don’t see them.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reached by email, the founder and president of Urban Strategies, Lisa Cummins, wrote that the company is “deeply committed to the care and well-being of the children we serve,” but directed any questions about ORR-contracted shelters to the federal agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked about the San Benito facility, the ORR spokesperson wrote that “Urban Strategies has a long-standing record of delivering high-quality care to pregnant unaccompanied minors, with a consistently low staff turnover.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073142\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073142\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_UrbanStrategy_PL_04.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_UrbanStrategy_PL_04.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_UrbanStrategy_PL_04-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_UrbanStrategy_PL_04-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A gated building at Urban Strategies, a facility that holds unaccompanied minor immigrants under contract with the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement, in San Benito, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Patricia Lim/KUT News)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But agency sources who spoke with the newsrooms said that as recently as 2024, staff members at the shelter failed to arrange timely medical appointments for pregnant girls or immediately share critical health information with the federal agency and discharged them without arrangements to continue their medical care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>ORR temporarily barred the shelter from receiving pregnant girls while Urban Strategies implemented a remediation plan, but the plan did not add staff or enhance their qualifications, the sources said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several sources inside the agency said its leadership was provided with a list of shelters that are better prepared to handle children with high-risk pregnancies. All of those shelters are located outside of Texas, in regions where the full range of necessary medical care is available. Yet the directive to place them at San Benito remains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s cruel, it’s just cruel,” one of the officials said. “They don’t care about any of these kids. They’re playing politics with children’s health.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘A dress rehearsal’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Jonathan White, who ran ORR’s unaccompanied children program from January of 2017 to March of 2018, said he wasn’t surprised to learn that the new administration is moving pregnant unaccompanied children to Texas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve been expecting this since Trump returned to office,” White said in an interview.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said he views the San Benito order as a continuation of an anti-abortion policy shift that began in 2017, which “ultimately proved to be a dress rehearsal for the current administration.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073151\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1600px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073151 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_RioGrande_PL_02.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_RioGrande_PL_02.jpg 1600w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_RioGrande_PL_02-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/20251105_RioGrande_PL_02-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Rio Grande is seen near the Old Hidalgo Pumphouse Museum in Hidalgo, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2025. Migrants often cross the river en route to the United States. \u003ccite>(Patricia Lim/KUT News)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Scott Lloyd, the agency’s director at the time, denied girls in ORR custody permission to end their pregnancies, \u003ca href=\"https://www.acludc.org/cases/jd-v-azar-formerly-garza-v-azar-and-garza-v-hargan-challenging-trump-administrations-refusal/\">court records show\u003c/a>. Lloyd also required the girls to get counseling about the benefits of motherhood and the harms of abortion and personally pleaded with some of them to reconsider.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I worked to treat all of the children in ORR care with dignity, including the unborn children,” Lloyd told the newsrooms in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the fall of 2017, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.aclu.org/cases/garza-v-hargan-challenge-trump-administrations-attempts-block-abortions-young-immigrant-women\">class action lawsuit\u003c/a> against Lloyd and the Trump administration on behalf of pregnant girls in ORR custody. The ACLU argued that denying the girls abortions violated their constitutional rights, established by the Supreme Court in its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Not long after the lawsuit was filed, White said he received a late-night phone call from Lloyd, who had a request. He wanted White to transfer an unaccompanied pregnant girl who was seeking an abortion to a migrant shelter in Texas, where, under state law, it would have been too late for her to terminate her pregnancy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>White believed following the order would have been unlawful because it might have denied the girl access to legal relief under the lawsuit, so he refused. The girl was not transferred.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lloyd, who has since left the government, told the newsrooms he didn’t believe his request was illegal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The class action lawsuit was \u003ca href=\"https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/result-aclu-litigation-trump-administration-ends-policy-prohibiting-immigrant-minors\">settled in 2020\u003c/a>; the first Trump administration agreed not to interfere with abortion access for migrant youth in federal custody going forward. Four years later, the Biden administration cemented the deal in official\u003ca href=\"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-04-30/pdf/2024-08329.pdf#page=219\"> regulations\u003c/a>: If a child who wanted to terminate her pregnancy was detained in a state where it was not legal, ORR had to move them to a state where it was.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That rule remains in place, and the agency appears to be following it; ORR has transferred two pregnant girls out of Texas since July, though agency sources said one of them chose not to terminate her pregnancy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But now that Trump is back in office, his administration is working to kill the policy.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Elegant and simple’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Even before Trump won reelection, policymakers in his circle were planning a renewed attempt to restrict abortion rights for unaccompanied minors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s blueprint for a politically conservative overhaul of the federal government, \u003ca href=\"https://static.heritage.org/project2025/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf#page=510\">called for\u003c/a> ORR to stop facilitating abortions for children in its care. The plan advised the government not to detain unaccompanied children in states where abortion is available.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Such a change is now possible, Project 2025 argued, because Roe v. Wade is no longer an obstacle. Since the Supreme Court overturned the landmark decision in 2022, there is no longer a federal right to abortion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11918029\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11918029\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/06/gettyimages-1241510158_wide-618b2eab892ca9097bca6e83bd698df2d7f47782-scaled-e1770775479336.jpg\" alt=\"A sign that reads 'We Dissent' is held up in the foreground. The Supreme Court can be seen in the background.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1125\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Abortion rights activists rally outside of the U.S. Supreme Court after the overturning of Roe Vs. Wade, in Washington, D.C., on June 24, 2022. \u003ccite>(Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Upon returning to office, Trump signed an \u003ca href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/enforcing-the-hyde-amendment/\">executive order\u003c/a> “to end the forced use of Federal taxpayer dollars to fund or promote elective abortion.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, in early July, the Department of Justice \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/olc/media/1408241/dl\">reconsidered a longstanding federal law\u003c/a> governing the use of taxpayer money for abortion. The DOJ concluded that the government cannot pay to transport detainees from one state to another to facilitate abortion access, except in cases of rape or incest or to save the life of the mother.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And now, ORR is working to rescind the Biden-era requirement that pregnant girls requesting an abortion be moved to states where it’s available. On Jan. 23, the agency \u003ca href=\"https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eoDetails?rrid=1252114\">submitted the proposed change\u003c/a> for government approval, though it has not yet published the details.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Several of the ORR officials who spoke with the newsrooms said it’s unclear whether children in the agency’s custody who have been raped or need emergency medical care will still be allowed to get abortions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“HHS does not comment on pending or pre-decisional rulemaking,” the agency’s spokesperson wrote when asked for details of the regulatory change. “ORR will continue to comply with all applicable federal laws, including requirements for providing necessary medical care to children in ORR custody.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the day the change was submitted, an unnamed Health and Human Services spokesperson told \u003ca href=\"https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/01/23/exclusive-hhs-advances-rule-ending-taxpayer-funded-abortion-travel-for-alien-children/\">\u003cem>The Daily Signal\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, a conservative news site, “Our goal is to save lives both for these young children that are coming across the border, that are pregnant, and to save the lives of their unborn babies.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like other experts who spoke with the newsrooms, White, the former head of ORR’s unaccompanied children program, said he thinks the San Benito directive and the anti-abortion rule change are meant to work hand in hand: Once pregnant children are placed at the San Benito shelter, the new regulations could mean they cannot be moved out of Texas to get abortions — even if keeping them there puts them at risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s so elegant and simple,” White said. “All they have to do is send them to Texas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Mose Buchele with The Texas Newsroom contributed reporting.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was produced by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californianewsroom\">\u003cem>The California Newsroom\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> and \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kut.org/texasnewsroom\">\u003cem>The Texas Newsroom\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. The California Newsroom is a collaboration of public media outlets that includes NPR, CalMatters, KQED (San Francisco), LAist and KCRW (Los Angeles), KPBS (San Diego) and other stations across the state. The Texas Newsroom is a public radio journalism collaboration that includes NPR, KERA (North Texas), Houston Public Media, KUT (Austin), Texas Public Radio (San Antonio) and other stations across the state.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
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"order": 10
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
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},
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"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
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"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
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"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
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"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
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"order": 1
},
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"code-switch-life-kit": {
"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
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"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
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"id": "freakonomics-radio",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
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},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
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},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
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},
"how-i-built-this": {
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"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
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"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
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"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
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},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
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"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
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"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
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},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/54C1dmuyFyKMFttY6X2j6r?si=K8SgRCoISNK6ZbjpXrX5-w",
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}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
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"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
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},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
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"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
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}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
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"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
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},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
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"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
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"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
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