Plan your Potato Chip Rock hike in winter for cooler weather, lighter crowds, and stunning Southern California views. There are few and far between hikes in the great state of Southern California
It’s the time of year for hearts, flowers and love to fill the Santa Clarita Valley with sunshine, rainbow and unicorns. Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, will be on a Saturday this year, so expect restaurants
By Jack Phillips Contributing Writer The Food and Drug Administration said in multiple notices that numerous over-the-counter medications, including Bayer aspirin, Tylenol, Advil, Alka Seltzer, and more, are under recall by the agency
By Zachary Stieber Contributing Writer The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a health alert warning about parasitic flies migrating closer to the United States. An outbreak caused by New World
By Zachary Stieber Contributing Writer More than half of U.S. states are rejecting recent changes made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to its child vaccine schedule. Twenty-seven states
News release Southern California’s first responders are swapping sirens for sleeves — and inviting the community to join them in a lifesaving mission: The 20th annual Battle of the Badges blood drive is
The Department of Justice announced a more than half-billion-dollar settlement with Kaiser Permanente over claims the health care provider submitted false diagnosis codes for Medicare Advantage Plan customers in order
By Jeff Louderback Contributing Writer Upon unveiling the new food pyramid and dietary guidelines for Americans last week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. admonished the health policy
By Jack Phillips Contributing Writer Subsidies that were offered under the Affordable Care Act expired at the end of 2025, meaning some Americans may have to pay higher health insurance premiums.
By Jack Phillips Contributing Writer Multiple lots of weight-loss medication Wegovy were recalled by pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk because hair was found in a prefilled syringe, according to two notices published by the
A local nonprofit organization is seeking donations and volunteers to help rebuild animal enclosures destroyed during the recent rainstorm that hit the Santa Clarita Valley last week. Press Paws Ranch Retreat, an animal
News release Kaiser Permanente has awarded a $12,000 Community Health Grant to Bridge to Home to help address homelessness in the Santa Clarita Valley, the health care organization announced in a
The goldspotted oak borer, an invasive insect known for targeting oak trees, has been found in Placerita Canyon and other areas of the Santa Clarita Valley, becoming a growing threat that officials are attempting to mitigate.
By Marisa Kendall Contributing Writer In 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom launched a new program intended to revolutionize the way counties provide mental health care to some of their most vulnerable residents.
By Naveen Athrappully Contributing Writer An outbreak of salmonella bacteria has infected 64 people across 22 states, with affected individuals reporting they consumed raw oysters, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a Dec. 23 report. Illnesses began being reported from June 21 through Nov. 28, the CDC said. “Of 44 people with information available, 20 have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported,” the agency said. “The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with
By Naveen Athrappully Contributing Writer Using tanning beds is linked to a nearly threefold jump in the risk of melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer, according to a Dec. 12 peer-reviewed study published in
By Zachary Stieber Contributing Writer Two new conditions are now recommended for newborn screening, federal officials said last week. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. approved adding Duchenne muscular dystrophy and metachromatic leukodystrophy, or DMD and MLD,
News release Every holiday season, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital employees provide support to local families through the William S. Hart Union High School District’s annual Helping Families Program. This year, Henry Mayo
By Jack Phillips Contributing Writer Nearly 100,000 bottles of a type of drug used to treat chronic kidney disease and other conditions are being recalled due to possible carcinogens, according to a notice
By Zachary Stieber Contributing Writer The new chair of the committee that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was fired, then rehired, by his employer, according to his wife. Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Texas terminated Dr. Kirk Milhoan, chair of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, “because of the overwhelming number of calls to their organization demanding his firing for his role on ACIP,” Dr. Kimberly Milhoan wrote on Substack on Thursday. The termination came after Kirk Milhoan was part of a majority of ACIP members who voted to advise the CDC to stop recommending universal hepatitis B vaccination for newborns. “My husband has been fired because of public outrage that he would choose to participate in scientific medical debate (in service to his country, I’d add) and make recommendations based on the best available evidence, even if that required a modification of previous practice, in support of principles of medical ethics,” Kimberly Milhoan stated. Kirk Milhoan, who did not return requests for comment, shared the post on X. Driscoll Children’s Hospital, which has received $4.3 million in research payments in recent years from pharmaceutical companies such as Merck, which manufactures a hepatitis B vaccine, did not respond to requests for information on the termination. The Department of Health and Human Services, the parent agency of the CDC, did not return an inquiry by publication time. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., head of the department, in September named Kirk Milhoan to ACIP. Kirk Milhoan became chair earlier this month when Martin Kulldorff, who had been chair, joined the department. Dr. Robert Malone and Retsef Levi, two other ACIP members, were among those decrying the development. “Disgraceful!” Levi wrote on X. Dr. Joseph Varon, a professor at the University of Houston College of Medicine and president and chief medical officer of the Independent Medical Alliance, where Kirk Milhoan is a senior fellow, said in a statement that the hospital “removed a man of extraordinary compassion and scientific rigor because he chose to guide public health with honesty rather than ideology.” Kimberly Milhoan said on Friday that her husband had been “unfired,” citing a phone call with an official at Driscoll. She and her husband had been in Hong Kong for a medical conference. “I am updating this status during a layover,” she wrote on Substack on Friday. “We are truly humbled by all who came to Kirk’s defense.” ACIP Member Named Louisiana’s Surgeon General Another member of ACIP, Dr. Evelyn Griffin, was appointed on Dec. 8 as the surgeon general of Louisiana. “Dr. Evelyn Griffin embodies the expertise and commitment that the people of Louisiana deserve in a surgeon general,” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said in a statement. “Her clinical experience, her leadership in advancing maternal health, and her dedication to strengthening the doctor-patient relationship make her the exact right choice for this role.” Griffin, an obstetrician-gynecologist, also voted in favor of removing the universal hepatitis B vaccine recommendation. “I am committed to safeguarding the integrity of the patient-doctor relationship by upholding informed consent and respecting individual rights,” Griffin said in a statement. “I am grateful to Gov. Landry for the appointment of surgeon general and for his leadership in prioritizing healthcare.” Griffin replaces Dr. Ralph Abraham, who recently became the CDC’s principal deputy director. Jim O’Neill, the deputy health secretary, is currently the CDC’s acting director. President Donald Trump fired the only Senate-confirmed CDC director, Susan Monarez, during his second term, after she and Kennedy disagreed over how to handle advice from ACIP.