Scientists and public health officials have long tracked the pollutants that cause smog, acid rain, and other environmental health hazards and shared them with the public through the local Air Quality Index. But the monitoring system misses hundreds of harmful chemicals released in urban fires.

Dairy and poultry workers have accounted for most cases of the bird flu in the U.S. — and preventing and detecting cases among them is key to averting a pandemic. But public health specialists say they’re struggling to reach farmworkers because many are terrified to talk with strangers or to leave home.

At least seven Fresno-area healthcare workers lost their jobs recently, with more challenges expected to emerge in the coming days.

A financial crisis forced the closure of Madera County's only acute-care hospital in January 2023. State regulators notified hospital officials on Monday that they had granted a license to reopen.

The closure of Madera Community Hospital in January 2023 created ripples that affected hospitals in neighboring Fresno and Merced counties. Its impending reopening is expected to ease the strain on access to care in the region.

The highly infectious disease was contracted by an adult who had recently traveled abroad. He later attended a Madera County event while infectious.

Average monthly premiums for families with employer-provided health coverage in California’s private sector nearly doubled over the last 15 years, from just over $1,000 in 2008 to almost $2,000 in 2023, a KFF Health News analysis of federal data shows. That’s more than twice the rate of inflation.

The Trump administration issued its first major set of proposed changes to the Affordable Care Act, intending to crack down on fraud in the program. Policy experts say they will make it harder for consumers to sign up for coverage, potentially reducing enrollment.

The bird flu virus is affecting people and dairy cattle in the Valley, but the biggest impact is among poultry flocks – and egg prices – as the avian flu outbreak enters its third year in the U.S.

The current strain of bird flu is spreading from wildlife and livestock to house cats. To keep pets healthy, many virologists and veterinarians say, house cats shouldn’t eat raw food and should be kept indoors.