Health
Heart Attack Survivor Spreads Important Message
Association Celebrates ‘Go Red’ Day With Annual Campaign
Julia Allen, with her husband and three sons, is helping to spread the word about the American Heart Association’s National Wear Red Day, which takes place on Friday, Feb. 6. (Courtesy of American Heart Association)
A website saved her life.
And Julia Allen, the national spokesperson for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign, said www.goredforwomen.org can save many more lives if everyone becomes aware of and makes good use of the website.
“If you say nothing else about me or about this cause, please just point everyone to the website,” said Allen, who survived two heart attacks in one day in 2013.
“There’s nothing like a heart attack that makes you change the way you eat and lose a little weight,” said Allen, who is also helping to spread the word about the American Heart Association’s National Wear Red Day, Friday, Feb. 6.
Heart disease is the leading killer of women and is more deadly than all forms of cancer, heart association officials said. Allen said the statistics are even more deadly for African-Americans and other minorities.
African-American women are less likely than white women to be aware that heart disease is the leading cause of death.
Diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, obesity and a family history of heart disease are all greatly prevalent among African-Americans and are major risk factors for heart disease and stroke, heart association officials said.
What’s more, African-American women have almost two times the risk of stroke as whites and are more likely to die at an earlier age as compared with women of other ethnicities. The unsettling statistics include the fact that cardiovascular diseases kill nearly 50,000 African-American women annually, and, of African-American women ages 20 and older, 49 percent have heart diseases and only one in five African-American women believes she is personally at risk.
Further, just 52 percent of African-American women are aware of the signs and symptoms of a heart attack, and as little as 36 percent of African-American women know that heart disease is their greatest health risk.
In Allen’s case, the married mother of three boys, ages 14, 11 and 7, she said she had always put her family and friends’ needs ahead of her own.
She worked a full-time job, helped each day to get her children off to school and participated in various activities while also preparing regular meals for the family.
Allen said she first felt a heart attack come on while at work.
Then, even as she felt pain in her chest, she went home to make an after-school snack for her boys before finally deciding to drive to the hospital.
“I didn’t want to believe I could be having a heart attack,” she said. “But I had at least two that day. And, really, I looked on the Internet and came across the American Heart Association’s website, and I was able to check my symptoms. And I found that I had six of the seven symptoms, and that’s when I knew that I was definitely having a heart attack.”
Allen had also ignored the red flags she said were present, such as being anemic and having a strong family history of heart disease.
Community
As Part of Your Back-to- School Checklist, Vaccinate
POST NEWS GROUP — Vaccines protect your household and also limit the spread of diseases such as measles and polio. The higher the vaccination rate in a community, the greater the protection for everyone – especially the most vulnerable.
Berkeley Public Health recommends families catch up on immunizations before the new school year begins
Parents, check that your children return to school up to date on vaccinations. If necessary, schedule a visit with your family’s doctor or with the City of Berkeley’s Immunization Clinic to catch up.
Vaccines protect your household and also limit the spread of diseases such as measles and polio. The higher the vaccination rate in a community, the greater the protection for everyone – especially the most vulnerable.
Families are encouraged to:
- Check their child’s vaccination records. Ask their health care provider or check California’s Digital Vaccine Record portal.
- Schedule a check-up with your child’s doctor.
If your child doesn’t have a health care provider, you may be able to access free vaccinations through the City of Berkeley’s Immunization Clinic. Make an appointment by calling (510) 981-5350, emailing phmailbox@berkeleyca.gov, or booking online.
See what shots are required for pre-kindergarten or TK-12th grade, and check that your kids have all their recommended vaccines.
FREE VACCINE CLINICS AUG. 4-13
Children without health insurance or whose insurance doesn’t cover vaccines can get them for free:
City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
West Berkeley Family Wellness Center
1900 Sixth St.
Hours: Tuesdays–Thursdays, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Closed 12 p.m.–1 p.m.
Make an appointment between Aug. 4–6 or Aug. 11–13 for back-to-school vaccine clinics:
- Call: (510) 981-5350
- Email: phmailbox@berkeleyca.gov
- Book online
Children 18 years and under are eligible for free City vaccines if they are:
- Medicaid-eligible
- Uninsured
- Underinsured (insurance does not cover vaccines)
- American Indian or Alaska Native
If you are unsure whether you or your child is up to date, the City of Berkeley Vaccination Clinic can help review records and provide recommended vaccines.
FAMILY WELLNESS RESOURCES
Vaccines are just one of the many public health services you can access at the West Berkeley Family Wellness Center. The center is home to the Women, Infants, and Children program, nutrition support, case management services, and a variety of family support services, plus free classes throughout the year.
Vaccinations aren’t just for kids. Throughout adult life, everyone should keep up with their vaccination needs. See recommended vaccines for adults.
Get a healthy start to the school year. Check your child’s vaccinations. Make an appointment with your doctor or get free vaccines at the City clinic.
VACCINE INFORMATION AND FAMILY RESOURCES
- City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
- TK–12 school vaccine requirements:
- Family support services:
Get trusted information about the City of Berkeley by bookmarking berkeleyca.gov, subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Bluesky and Instagram.
Community
As Part of Your Back-to- School Checklist, Vaccinate
POST NEWS GROUP — Vaccines protect your household and also limit the spread of diseases such as measles and polio. The higher the vaccination rate in a community, the greater the protection for everyone – especially the most vulnerable.
Berkeley Public Health recommends families catch up on immunizations before the new school year begins
Parents, check that your children return to school up to date on vaccinations. If necessary, schedule a visit with your family’s doctor or with the City of Berkeley’s Immunization Clinic to catch up.
Vaccines protect your household and also limit the spread of diseases such as measles and polio. The higher the vaccination rate in a community, the greater the protection for everyone – especially the most vulnerable.
Families are encouraged to:
- Check their child’s vaccination records. Ask their health care provider or check California’s Digital Vaccine Record portal.
- Schedule a check-up with your child’s doctor.
If your child doesn’t have a health care provider, you may be able to access free vaccinations through the City of Berkeley’s Immunization Clinic. Make an appointment by calling (510) 981-5350, emailing phmailbox@berkeleyca.gov, or booking online.
See what shots are required for pre-kindergarten or TK-12th grade, and check that your kids have all their recommended vaccines.
FREE VACCINE CLINICS AUG. 4-13
Children without health insurance or whose insurance doesn’t cover vaccines can get them for free:
City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
West Berkeley Family Wellness Center
1900 Sixth St.
Hours: Tuesdays–Thursdays, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Closed 12 p.m.–1 p.m.
Make an appointment between Aug. 4–6 or Aug. 11–13 for back-to-school vaccine clinics:
- Call: (510) 981-5350
- Email: phmailbox@berkeleyca.gov
- Book online
Children 18 years and under are eligible for free City vaccines if they are:
- Medicaid-eligible
- Uninsured
- Underinsured (insurance does not cover vaccines)
- American Indian or Alaska Native
If you are unsure whether you or your child is up to date, the City of Berkeley Vaccination Clinic can help review records and provide recommended vaccines.
FAMILY WELLNESS RESOURCES
Vaccines are just one of the many public health services you can access at the West Berkeley Family Wellness Center. The center is home to the Women, Infants, and Children program, nutrition support, case management services, and a variety of family support services, plus free classes throughout the year.
Vaccinations aren’t just for kids. Throughout adult life, everyone should keep up with their vaccination needs. See recommended vaccines for adults.
Get a healthy start to the school year. Check your child’s vaccinations. Make an appointment with your doctor or get free vaccines at the City clinic.
VACCINE INFORMATION AND FAMILY RESOURCES
- City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
- TK–12 school vaccine requirements:
- Family support services:
Get trusted information about the City of Berkeley by bookmarking berkeleyca.gov, subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Bluesky and Instagram.
Black History
Closing the Gap: What the Data and Frontline Experiences Reveal About Cancer in Black California
OAKLAND POST — According to a UC Davis study, “The Burden of Cancer Among Black/African Americans in California,” Black cancer patients were more likely than White patients to be diagnosed at a later stage and to have multiple health conditions, making treatment more difficult. They were also far more likely to live in low-income communities and rely on public insurance—evidence that economic inequality and barriers to care are helping drive disparities in the state’s cancer crisis.
Photo
Kris Benz, a disabled Black veteran, is no stranger to cancer. In 2012, he was diagnosed with salivary duct carcinoma, a cancer so rare it strikes only about 1 in a million people each year.” But he beat it after six weeks of radiation and removal of his right salivary gland.
“I was cancer-free after six months,” he said.
Now, a new concerning mass has appeared in his neck despite months of scans. His doctor suspects it is cancerous, but Benz, who lives near Palm Springs, will not know for certain until a biopsy.
Compounding that uncertainty is a gap in his coverage. Benz is two work credits short of qualifying for Medicare, but returning to work could jeopardize his Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability status and funding. Buying Medicare Part A would cost $568 a month, leaving him “winging it.”
Benz is also frustrated that the VA will not schedule his scan and biopsy before his consultation, which will require another round of appointments afterward.
“It’s about money,” he said. “Doctor’s appointments, they get the money. There’s no preventive medicine here anymore.”
Although he calls the VA “a great organization,” he believes it is hampered by bureaucracy. For now, he remains “in limbo” waiting to complete his appointments.
His experience reflects one of the most persistent health equity challenges facing Black communities: access to care.
According to a UC Davis study, “The Burden of Cancer Among Black/African Americans in California,” Black cancer patients were more likely than White patients to be diagnosed at a later stage and to have multiple health conditions, making treatment more difficult. They were also far more likely to live in low-income communities and rely on public insurance—evidence that economic inequality and barriers to care are helping drive disparities in the state’s cancer crisis.
That same study reports that between 2014 and 2018, the ten cancers most frequently diagnosed among Black/African American women in California were, from one to ten, breast, lung, colorectal, uterine, pancreatic, kidney, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, thyroid, myeloma, and ovarian cancers. During the same period, the ten most commonly occurring cancers among Black/African American men in California were, from one to ten, prostate, lung, colorectal, kidney, bladder, liver, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, pancreatic, myeloma, and oropharyngeal cancers.
Researchers attribute the gaps not to biology but to social and economic inequality connected to structural racism. An American Cancer Society analysis found educational attainment was a stronger predictor of the mortality gap than race alone.
“These disparities are not because Black people are inherently less healthy,” said Rhonda Smith, executive director of the California Black Health Network. “They are the result of decades of inequitable policies, structural racism, unequal access to quality care, and chronic underinvestment in our communities.”
Dr. Flojaune Cofer, an epidemiologist and public health policy expert, said health outcomes are shaped as much by circumstances as by biology. She traced her understanding of disparities to her father’s death from heart disease at age 47. He began smoking as a child when tobacco companies marketed cigarettes aggressively and disproportionately to Black communities.
“My father’s story is not about individual choices,” Cofer said. “My father’s story speaks to institutional and systemic harm.”
“Health is not just what happens in the doctor’s office,” she added. Social determinants include neighborhood conditions, housing stability, nutritious food, transportation, and the ability to take time off work for care.
At federally qualified health centers, tight appointment schedules can make it difficult for medical providers to detect cancer early and earn the trust patients need to discuss troubling symptoms.
“We have only 15 minutes when you are working in a federally qualified health center — you have 15 minutes to assess, diagnose, treat, and write your note per patient,” said Jamie Garcia, a registered nurse who has been certified in oncology nursing for more than a decade and works at AdventHealth White Memorial in East Los Angeles.
Garcia said the rushed pace, driven partly by billing requirements tied to federal funding, leaves little time for providers to build relationships with patients. It can also allow health care professionals’ implicit biases to go unrecognized and unchallenged.
For Garcia’s patients, who are predominantly Black and Latino residents of surrounding communities, the consequences can be immediate and alarming. Many arrive with visibly advanced tumors after going without insurance, adequate coverage, a primary care physician or routine screenings.
Garcia recalled treating one patient whose tumor had grown large enough to be visible through the skin.
“The fact that I even got to see that is a failure and an atrocity,” she said.
Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) sought to reduce another barrier through Assembly Bill 1570, which would have eliminated out-of-pocket costs for medically necessary diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging. It passed the Assembly Health Committee 16-0 but died in the Appropriations Committee. Wilson plans to reintroduce it during the next legislative session without biopsy coverage.
Wilson announced her breast cancer diagnosis in April 2023. She received timely, quality care but “saw others with similar diagnoses face different outcomes.”
“Some people who got diagnosed at the same time as me — their timing of their surgeries and treatment was delayed in comparison to my own,” she said. “Watching people go through and suffering unnecessarily was heartbreaking to me.”
Her follow-up imaging required only a $10 copay. “I’ve had friends have to pay $1,000 to get that secondary screening,” Wilson said.
Smith warned that policy changes could further erode access. California’s Every Woman Counts screening program is losing funding and being scaled back, she said. About one in three Black Californians relies on Medi-Cal, according to the state.
Smith also cited federal Medi-Cal work requirements projected to cause 1.1 million Californians to lose coverage by 2029-30. “Health equity is no longer simply about improving outcomes,” she said. “It’s about protecting access.”
Californians seeking low-cost cancer screening can contact a local federally qualified health center or the California Department of Public Health’s Every Woman Counts program. The California Black Health Network also offers referrals and advocacy resources.
WORK FROM HOME
Home-based business with potential monthly income of $10K+ per month. A proven training system and website provided to maximize business effectiveness. Perfect job to earn side and primary income. Contact Lynne for more details: Lynne4npusa@gmail.com 800-334-0540
Misty Copeland Shapes Ballet’s Tomorrow
As Part of Your Back-to- School Checklist, Vaccinate
As Part of Your Back-to- School Checklist, Vaccinate
Congresswoman Simon Demands Investigation into Trump’s Abuse of Emergency Powers for Coal Export Terminal in West Oakland
OPINION: The Philippines Isn’t Foreign When Your Family Still Lives There
Asm. McKinnor’s Bill Banning Drones Above Outdoor Entertainment Events Awaits Senate Decision
California Sen. Padilla Joins Colleagues to Introduce Bill Imposing Term Limits on Supreme Court Justices
Department of Homeland Security Demands California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber Scrub Voter Rolls
George Cook: The Inventor Who Made Fishing Smarter
Gov. Newsom Announces $109.6 Million in Funding for 278 Supportive Homes in Bakersfield, Contra Costa, Sacramento and Fresno
Rep. Kamlager Dove Demands Care, Justice for Man Shot by ICE
“The Power to See Threats Sooner”: Gov. Newsom, Safety Officials Showcase California’s Investments in Hi-Tech Wildfire Prevention
100 Black Wings’ Team Oakland Youth Athletes Heading to Taiwan for 2026 International Children’s Games
Oakland ‘Port Serves as a Powerful Engine for Good Jobs and Economic Development
Oakland Faith Leaders Welcome New Police Chief, Mobilize Around Housing and Civic Action
Department of Homeland Security Demands California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber Scrub Voter Rolls
Oakland Children’s Hospital Workers and Patients Rally for Pediatric Medical Care
“The Power to See Threats Sooner”: Gov. Newsom, Safety Officials Showcase California’s Investments in Hi-Tech Wildfire Prevention
New Judge Could Decide if Karmelo Anthony Gets a New Trial
Surveillance Pricing Fight: State Senate Debates Bill Banning Retailers from Using AI to Set Prices Based on a Buyer’s Profile
Mount Zion MBC, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Partner to Bring 29,000 Meals to Alameda County
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Celebrates New North Atlantic Regional Director
California Sen. Padilla Joins Colleagues to Introduce Bill Imposing Term Limits on Supreme Court Justices
Starting This Summer, California Car Buyers Can Get an Instant $3500 Off the Cost of Electric Vehicles
COMMENTARY: You Are Already Paying for the AI Boom
California Bill Would Let Abuse Victims Use Trauma as Legal Defense for Violent Crime
Fed Court to Decide Landmark First Amendment Case
Gov. Gavin Newsom Signs Law Streamlining Affordable Housing Rules
Oakland Celebrates $125 Million Coliseum Sale
Saving Black Mothers Starts Outside the Hospital
The Conversation With Al McFarlane 6/23/26
Media Monday 6/22/26
LIVE! ASK ALMA! — TUES. 6.23.26 7PM EST
Car Buying Secrets: 4 Hidden Checks Before You Sign!
Is This 550 HP Charger Worth YOUR Money? AutoNetwork Review
Celebrating Juneteenth – Frederick Douglass on education and resistance
LIVE! — ASK ALMA! — TUES. 6.19.26 7PM EST
Hyundai Ioniq 5 Parking, Safety, and 360 View #shorts
2025 Ioniq 5 New Wiper & Powerful Performance! #shorts
Electric SUV Range: Is 259 Miles Enough? #shorts
EV Charging: How Fast Can You Charge an Electric Vehicle? #shorts
Biometric Cooling… Messaging Seats…Come on! 2025 Infiniti QX80 Autograph 4WD
Charged Up: Witness the Magic of a Fully Electric Car! #shorts
Range Rover Sport PHEV Included…: See What’s Inside This Luxury SUV! #shorts
Invisible Hood View: Perfect Parking with X-Ray Vision! #shorts
-
Featured3 days agoDepartment of Homeland Security Demands California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber Scrub Voter Rolls
-
Business2 weeks agoOakland Children’s Hospital Workers and Patients Rally for Pediatric Medical Care
-
Environment3 days ago“The Power to See Threats Sooner”: Gov. Newsom, Safety Officials Showcase California’s Investments in Hi-Tech Wildfire Prevention
-
#NNPA BlackPress2 weeks agoNew Judge Could Decide if Karmelo Anthony Gets a New Trial
-
Business2 weeks agoSurveillance Pricing Fight: State Senate Debates Bill Banning Retailers from Using AI to Set Prices Based on a Buyer’s Profile
-
Business2 weeks agoMount Zion MBC, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Partner to Bring 29,000 Meals to Alameda County
-
Black History1 week agoAlpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Celebrates New North Atlantic Regional Director
-
Featured3 days agoCalifornia Sen. Padilla Joins Colleagues to Introduce Bill Imposing Term Limits on Supreme Court Justices
