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June has arrived — bringing longer evenings, warmer days, school celebrations, Father’s Day, weddings, vacations, and the unmistakable beginning of summer.


It’s a season many of us look forward to all year. But as schedules become busier and temperatures begin to climb, it’s also an important time to pay attention to your health and well-being.


Early summer is a good reminder to slow down occasionally, stay hydrated, protect yourself from excessive heat and sun exposure, and make space for preventive care amidst the activity of the season.


June also highlights several important health observances, including Men’s Health Month, Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month, and National Safety Month — all reminders that long-term health is built through consistent attention, early detection, and everyday habits.


For women especially, summer often becomes a season of caring for everyone else first. But your own health matters too.


Whether it’s scheduling your annual exam, keeping up with routine screenings, discussing hormonal or reproductive health, or simply checking in about how you’re feeling, this is a valuable time to prioritize yourself as well.


Our team is here, as always, to provide thoughtful, personalized care through every stage of life — and every season that comes with it.


Enjoy the start of summer, stay cool, and take good care of yourself and those you love. 


www.ruthhaskinsmd.com


#SummerHealth #PreventiveCare #ladydocfolsom #OBGYN #ruthhaskinsmd

​As we begin Memorial Day weekend, we pause to remember and honor the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. 🇺🇸
For many, this weekend brings family gatherings, travel, sunshine, and the unofficial start of summer — but beneath it all is a day of remembrance, gratitude, and reflection.
As both a physician and Air Force veteran, Memorial Day has always carried special meaning for me. It’s a reminder of sacrifice, service, and the enduring value of caring for one another.
Wherever this weekend takes you, I hope you find moments to rest, reconnect, and stay safe — and to remember those who never made it home.
Wishing you and your loved ones a peaceful Memorial Day weekend.

Preventive medicine should be guided by evidence, not politics.


This week, the leadership of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) — the independent panel that helps determine recommendations for mammograms, colon cancer screening, cardiovascular prevention, and many other routine health screenings — was removed by HHS leadership.


For patients, this matters more than many realize.


The USPSTF has long played a central role in evidence-based preventive care in the United States. Their recommendations influence not only medical practice, but also what preventive services are covered under the Affordable Care Act without additional cost to patients.


As physicians, we rely on rigorous scientific review, long-term data, and independent expert analysis to guide screening recommendations. Preventive care works best when it remains grounded in medicine, research, and patient outcomes.


No matter what changes occur at the federal level, one thing remains true:
early detection saves lives.


Routine mammograms, cervical cancer screening, colon cancer screening, blood pressure management, and preventive women’s healthcare remain critically important.


Please don’t delay your preventive care because of political headlines or confusion in the news cycle. Continue regular visits with your physician and discuss what screening schedule is right for you personally.


Your health deserves consistency, science, and thoughtful care. 


www.ruthhaskinsmd.com




#PreventiveCare #ladydocfolsom #OBGYN #ruthhaskinsmd

Be the reason someone smiles today.

www.ruthhaskinsmd.com

#happymonday #obgyn #ladydocfolsom #ruthhaskinsmd

Whatever your politics, Americans should all be deeply uncomfortable when election rules start changing after elections are already underway.

The recent Supreme Court decision on Louisiana redistricting is about far more than maps, districts, or legal technicalities. It goes to the heart of whether voters choose their representatives… or politicians choose their voters.

For decades, the Voting Rights Act existed to protect citizens — especially minority communities in the South — from having their voices diluted through clever political map drawing. Many civil-rights experts now believe those protections are being steadily dismantled.
And what makes this moment especially troubling is the timing.

Louisiana lawmakers moved rapidly to redraw congressional districts even while election processes had already begun. Early voting activity was underway. Campaigns were operating under one set of rules — and then the rules changed.

That should alarm every American, regardless of party.

A functioning democracy depends on stability, predictability, and trust that the rules will not suddenly shift mid-game when one side dislikes the likely outcome.

The deeper issue here is the growing perception that the Supreme Court itself is no longer viewed as an independent constitutional referee, but increasingly as another political institution divided along ideological lines. Once public trust in neutral institutions collapses, societies become dangerously polarized.

You do not have to agree on every policy issue to recognize this:
Civil rights protections matter. Voting rights matter. Public confidence in fair elections matters.
Because once people stop believing the system is fair, the damage spreads far beyond one state, one election, or one political party.

History shows democracies rarely collapse all at once. Usually, they erode piece by piece while people convince themselves each individual step is normal. That is why moments like this matter.


www.ruthhaskinsmd.com


#votingrightserosion #supremecourtpoliticization #obgyn #ladydocfolsom #ruthhaskinsmd

​To all the incredible mothers, grandmothers, mums-to-be, hopeful mothers, and the women who mother everyone around them with endless love and strength — Happy Mother’s Day.


As an OB/GYN, I have the privilege of witnessing some of life’s most emotional, beautiful, chaotic, exhausting, and unforgettable moments. I see the fierce love, the sacrifices no one notices, the sleepless nights, the worry, the resilience, and the magic that comes with being a mother.


Mothers hold families together in ways the world often never fully sees.


Today is for the women who do it all, give endlessly, love unconditionally, and somehow still find the strength to keep going.


You are appreciated more than you know, loved more than you realize, and stronger than you think.


Wishing you a day full of love, hugs, laughter, spoiled breakfasts, sticky little hands, and hearts overflowing with the people who matter most. 


www.ruthhaskinsmd.com




#mothersday #obgyn #ladydocfolsom #ruthhaskinsmd

May has arrived — and with it, longer days, brighter mornings, and that unmistakable sense that the year is properly underway.

Between Mother’s Day, graduations, weddings, and the gentle slide toward summer, May tends to fill up quickly. It’s a joyful, full month — but also one where it’s all too easy to put your own health somewhere near the bottom of the list.

It’s also a meaningful time to refocus. May is home to Women’s Health Month — a reminder to check in with yourself, not just when something feels off, but as part of staying well.

Whether it’s scheduling your annual exam, keeping up with routine screenings, discussing reproductive health, or simply having a conversation about how you’re feeling, this is a good moment to pause and take stock.

Our team is here, as always, to provide thoughtful, personalized care — supporting you through every stage of life, and every season that comes with it.

Because feeling your best shouldn’t be seasonal — but May is a very good place to start.

Visit www.ruthhaskinsmd.com or call (916) 817-2649


#mayhealth #ladydocfolsom #OBGYN #ruthhaskinsmd

​I’ve been getting a lot of questions this week about the headlines coming out of the HHS, and honestly, I’m just as concerned as many of you are. Since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took over, we’ve seen a lot of talk about "health freedom," but what happened over the last few days is moving us away from actual medical science and toward some pretty dangerous territory for moms and babies.
First, the change in how we handle the Hepatitis B vaccine for newborns is a major step backward. The new guidance at the CDC is moving away from the universal birth dose. The logic being used in Washington is that if a mom tests negative, the baby isn't at risk. But as someone who lives in the delivery room, I can tell you that tests aren't perfect, and "low risk" doesn't mean "no risk." We’ve spent decades virtually eliminating this virus in infants, and it feels like we’re intentionally inviting it back into our nurseries.
Even more heartbreaking is the shift in how we’re talking about maternal mortality. This past week was Black Maternal Health Week, yet we’re seeing a directive to scrub terms like "Black" from federal health funding and research. If we aren't allowed to name the problem—that Black women in this country are dying at three times the rate of white women—we can’t fix it. Cutting hundreds of millions in research funding for these programs isn't "efficiency," it’s a direct threat to the lives of my patients.
I know the news is a whirlwind, and it’s hard to know who to trust. But my advice hasn’t changed. I don't make recommendations based on who is sitting in a cabinet position in DC; I make them based on the peer-reviewed data that keeps you and your baby safe.
If you’re feeling anxious or confused about these changes, please don’t just sit with it. Bring it up at our next appointment. My door is always open.


www.ruthhaskinsmd.com


#OBGYN #ladydocfolsom #ruthhaskinsmd

A Message to My Patients Regarding Recent Vaccine Headlines


Many of you have questions about the recent changes to federal vaccine recommendations coming out of Washington and the legal battles following them.


As an OBGYN, my priority is the health of you and your baby. While federal policies under the current HHS administration are in a state of flux, I want to clarify how we are handling things  at our practice:
• Evidence-Based Care: We continue to follow the clinical guidelines set by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Even though ACOG recently withdrew from the federal advisory committee (ACIP) due to concerns over scientific integrity, their commitment to patient safety hasn't wavered.
• California Protections: Thanks to California’s Assembly Bill 144, our state continues to recommend and require insurance coverage for the vaccines that were standard as of January 1, 2025—including the Tdap, Flu, and COVID-19 shots for pregnant women. 
• Your Choice, Your Care: My door is always open to discuss your concerns. We believe in "shared clinical decision-making" that is backed by decades of peer-reviewed data.
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We are staying on top of the court rulings so you don’t have to. Your health is not a political debate; it’s our mission.


www.ruthhaskinsmd.com


#OBGYN #VaccineSafety #Ladydocfolsom #ruthhaskinsmd