Originally published in SFGate. By Stephanie M. Lee October 21, 2013 Getting blood drawn should have been an easy part of Selesi Alatini's checkup. But on this day, the nurses at Havenscourt Health Center in East Oakland were struggling to find a vein in her arm. "I don't really see anything that I'm comfortable about," Karen [...]

Originally published in SFGate. By Kristen V. Brown August 27, 2013 500,000 uninsured get coverage before law takes effect For years after Rachelle Hammond was diagnosed with COPD - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - her routine treatment strategy was a visit to the emergency room. Hammond, 54, was uninsured and could not afford the necessary [...]