There’s a growing body of research linking childhood trauma (abuse, neglect, family dysfunction, etc.) to impaired brain development and functioning. Maia Szalavitz at TIME’s Healthland blog describes the findings of new study by Harvard researchers (published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences): Now, in the largest study yet to use brain scans […]
By Kim Krisberg Friday wasn’t a great day for public health. That day, Congress voted to raid the Affordable Care Act’s Prevention and Public Health Fund to the tune of $5 billion. The move comes as part of a deal to delay scheduled cuts to Medicare physician payment rates and was part of a legislative […]
by Kim Krisberg Amanda DeSimpelare was always interested in science, but she was wary of what a career in the field would be like. She pictured herself being tucked away in a laboratory all day. It wasn’t too appealing. Then, in the summer of 2010, she discovered public health. “When I pictured science before, I […]
Public Health Practice
Worth Reading: Alcohol in homeless shelters, fossil-fuel subsidies, and “suicide mosquitoes”
A few of the recent pieces I’ve liked: Ruth Marcus in the Washington Post: Why the poor should concern Romney Scott Carlson in The Chronicle of Higher Education: America’s Health Threat: Poor Urban Design Maia Szalavitz at Healthland: The Wet House: Homeless People with Alcoholism Drink Less When Booze Is Allowed (Also see Matt Stroud […]
Communities affected by contaminated air, water and soil, workers retaliated for complaining about safety issues, and vulnerable groups abused by organizations charged with protecting them, are topics at the heart of public health. This week they are especially recognized by the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University’s Kennedy […]
Money talks, as the saying goes, and a recently published paper on the annual cost of work-related injuries and illnesses should get policymakers to listen up. The number is staggering: $250 Billion, and it’s a figure on par with health conditions like cancer, coronary heart disease, and diabetes that attract much more attention and research […]
by Kim Krisberg It only takes a few minutes of talking with Scott Becker to realize just how passionate he is about public health. In fact, his enthusiasm is contagious. Maybe that’s why he isn’t mincing his words. “What keeps me up at night is how we are going to maintain the core and critical […]
Republican Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich likes to pump himself up by picking on other people. Several weeks back his target was “children in the poorest neighborhoods.” Now it’s people who receive food assistance. Others have checked his claims about President Obama being the “food stamp President,” but Gingrich also suggested that if you are on […]
by Kim Krisberg Many of us probably look into cyberspace and are overwhelmed with its unwieldy amounts of never-ending information. John Brownstein, on the other hand, sees points on a map. Brownstein is the co-founder of HealthMap, a team of researchers, epidemiologists and software developers at Children’s Hospital Boston who use online sources to track […]
A few of the recent pieces I’ve liked: Vanessa Veselka at The Atlantic: In the Wake of Protest: One Woman’s Attempt to Unionize Amazon Marshall Allen at ProPublica: Without Autopsies, Hospitals Bury Their Mistakes Maryn McKenna at Superbug: Fecal Transplants: They Work, the Regulations Don’t Jonathan Cohn at The New Republic: Ron Wyden, Paul Ryan, […]