California launches ambitious effort to transform Medi-Cal to ‘whole person care’

At 66, Edward El has a new lease on life —literally. In two weeks, he’ll move into his own apartment in Berkeley after spending the better part of the past 16 years homeless. Years ago, a back injury and pinched nerves in his legs made standing and walking painful, and he was laid off from his construction job. He ended up in “shelter after shelter after shelter.”