SACRAMENTO, Calif. - There's a high probability that radio-frequency radiation from cellphones causes certain rare but often malignant brain tumors in humans, according to a former director of the National Center for Environmental Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Christopher Portier submitted his findings as part of a lawsuit by patients and families against multiple cellphone manufacturers and carriers.

Ellie Marks' husband, Alan, just had a second surgery to remove tumors caused, according to experts they consulted, by cell-phone use. She joined the lawsuit and founded the nonprofit California Brain Tumor Association to get the word out.

"The industry is working with the FCC to hide the truth, and we're tired of it, and people need to be aware of the truth," said Ellie Marks, executive director of the association. "There is enough science now to say that cellphones are indeed causing lethal brain tumors."

The cellphone manufacturers maintain their products are safe and comply with all regulations.

Monique Solomon, another plaintiff, said her late husband, Andy, fought cancer for five years, passing at age 42. He suffered from a tumor she said she believes was caused by the phone he used while driving around, selling commercial real estate.

"And he had the Motorola big battery pack to his ear probably 8 to 10 hours a day, for years," she said. "His scar went above his ear and was like a horseshoe, down right around the back of his ear exactly where he held his cell phone."

RF radiation expert Dr. Devra Davis, author of the book "Disconnect: The Truth About Cell Phone Radiation" and president of the Environmental Health Trust, noted that tests the government uses to evaluate cellphone safety are 25 years old.

"We test our phones with a dummy with a spacer against its head. So, we don't even put the phone next to the head, we don't put the phone next to the body when it's tested," she said. "And as a consequence, the tests are rigged. They don't reflect real exposure."

A study done by the National Toxicology Program found that RF radiation causes brain and heart tumors in rats. Davis said she fears a surge in cases in humans over the next few decades.

"Brain cancer is now the leading cancer in children. It has increased dramatically in young adults," she said. "Older people have not been using phones as long. And brain cancer has a latency of 40 years."

Davis said she advises people to avoid putting a cellphone up to their head or carrying it on their body, and to turn it off or put it on "airplane mode" at night.

More than 20% of nursing positions in the Commonwealth remain vacant, according to the Kentucky Hospital Association - and combined with workforce shortages in other medical professions, the state is facing a massive health-care workforce crisis that could have crippling effects.

Ben Chandler, CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, said the shortages are both straining overworked existing providers and making it more difficult for residents to access quality care.

"We're seeing shortages, really across the board. We're certainly seeing shortages in nurses," said Chandler. "We're also seeing shortages for primary-care physicians. These are important entry points into the health-care system."

The state needs at least 16,000 additional nurses to meet demand by 2024, according to data from the Kentucky Healthcare Collaborative.

State Sen. Stephen Meredith - R-Leitchfield - will be the keynote speaker at the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky's Bost Forum next week in Lexington, highlighting the challenges facing the medical community and proposing potential solutions.

He said the health-care system is the backbone of rural economies.

"If the health system in rural Kentucky collapses, then it's just a chain-reaction event," said Meredith. "It's going to cause a crisis throughout the state. It's something we need to take seriously, and it needs solutions today."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide around 1.8 million job openings are projected yearly between now and 2032, driven by increased demand and the need to replace workers who have permanently left health-care occupations.




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In rural Arkansas, access to healthcare can be a distant dream - literally - as almost 60 counties in the state do not have enough providers to serve their populations. A new initiative with the Health Resources and Services Administration is working to improve access in these areas, through telehealth.

Heather Dimeris, director, Office for the Advancement of Telehealth at the Health Resources and Services Administration, said delivering care remotely online fills a crucial gap. Arkansans can visit telehealth.hhs.gov to explore their options, including behavioral and mental-health services.

"You can look at anxiety or depression screening through telehealth," she said. "You can also receive treatment for your anxiety or depression and other mental health needs, through one-on-one therapy as well as group therapy. And telehealth has also been extremely helpful in treating patients with substance-use disorders."

Dimeris noted 40% of all behavioral healthcare is now done virtually, including therapy, addiction counseling, and mental-health screening. She adds HRSA also provides telehealth services for treatment of chronic diseases, like diabetes, and information for healthcare providers.

However, the growth of telehealth spotlights another challenge for rural Arkansas - the lack of reliable, affordable internet service. Dimeris added some people can use their cell phones for telehealth services. Or they can apply for discounted internet access through two programs offered by the Federal Communications Commission.

"The Affordable Connectivity Program, as well as the Lifeline Program," she continued. "Both of these programs have eligibility requirements. But if you meet them, you really are able to access either free or reduced cost for broadband services and cell phone services."

Lower-income households can get up to $30 a month off their internet service bill, or $75 a month if they live on tribal lands, according to the FCC.

California's medical aid-in-dying law is back in court. Three patients with disabilities and two doctors are asking to intervene in a lawsuit challenging the law - and they want the judge to dismiss the suit.

In April, a coalition of disability rights groups and people with disabilities sued to stop the End of Life Option Act, claiming it is discriminatory and "coerces" people with disabilities into using medical aid in dying.

Jess Pezley is the senior staff attorney with Compassion & Choices, which supports the bill.

"It's not discriminatory to offer an additional end-of-life option," said Pezley. "And there's a lot of safeguards built in within the act to make sure that this law is not being used by people who do not want it. The only people who qualify for it are terminally ill with a prognosis of six months to live, and who have the capacity to make the decision."

California is one of ten states - plus Washington, D.C. - that allow doctors to prescribe medication that would allow mentally capable, terminally ill adults to peacefully end their suffering if they choose to take it.

Peter Sussman is a retired journalist and author from the Bay Area who said he lives with constant and disabling pain after a series of spinal surgeries. He said he supports medical aid in dying, and has joined the motion to intervene in the lawsuit.

"When my time comes and I am certified by doctors to be dying within six months, I do not want to die suffering needlessly," said Sussman. "The government shouldn't be able to tell me the manner of my own death."

The State of California, the defendant in the lawsuit, has also filed a motion to dismiss.

Earlier this year, the same judge dismissed a different challenge to the suit brought by the Christian Medical and Dental Association - after it reached a settlement with the state that said doctors who have a religious objection don't have to record a patient's request for medical aid in dying on their chart.