Hawaiians’ Long Life Expectancy Tied To Low Rates For Smoking, Obesity

The Hill: Here Is Why Hawaii Has The Longest Life Expectancy In The Country
Hawaii’s rich natural beauty and year-round warm weather are not the only perks to calling the Aloha State home. Research shows Hawaii residents, on average, live the longest out of anyone else in the United States. (O'Connell-Domenech, 1/24)

In other health news from across the U.S. —

The Boston Globe: Maura Healey Appoints New Secretary Of Health And Human Services
Boston Medical Center CEO Kate Walsh has been appointed secretary of Health and Human Services, filling one of the most influential roles in Governor Maura Healey’s cabinet, sources familiar with the matter told The Globe. (Bartlett, 1/24)

The Boston Globe: Legislation Addresses Root Causes Of Health Disparities In The State
The bill was filed by the Health Equity Compact, a group of 55 experts and executives launched last May to create an expansive health reform bill aimed at closing many of the racial and ethnic inequities highlighted by the pandemic. The coalition includes leaders from organizations such as Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Boston Public Health Commission, and Point32 Health, the Commonwealth’s second-largest health insurer. (Mohammed, 1/24)

North Carolina Health News: Firefighters Worry About Chemicals In Their Gear
Firefighter Jason Burns appreciates the attention that firefighting foam has received recently because long term exposure to it has been linked to cancer. However, he says he’s rarely used firefighting foam in his nearly 20-year career. “I tend to focus on our gear because most fire departments aren’t using foam on a regular basis, whereas I’m using my gear, firefighters are using our gear 10-14 times a tour, which is what we call our day of work,” he said. (Atwater, 1/25)

Health News Florida: Study Shows More Kids Dying From Fentanyl. Florida's Attorney General Offers A Toolkit To Help Parents
A nonprofit’s recent analysis of federal data reveals fentanyl-related fatalities are growing at a disturbing rate among American youth - including infants. The study found that children younger than 14 are dying of fentanyl poisoning at a faster rate than any other age group, more than tripling from 2019 to 2021. (Mayer, 1/24)

AP: No More Nuggets? School Lunch Goes Farm-To-Table — For Some
The food served at the school system outside San Francisco, Mount Diablo Unified, reflects a trend away from mass-produced, reheated meals. Its lunch menus are filled with California-grown fruits and vegetables, grass-fed meats and recipes that defy the stereotype of inedible school food. Among American schoolchildren, these students are in the lucky minority. Making fresh meals requires significant investment and, in many areas, an overhaul of how school kitchens have operated for decades. Inflation and supply chain disruptions have only made it harder on school nutrition directors, widening gaps in access to affordable, high-quality food. (Gecker, 1/24)

KHN: Unmet Needs: Critics Cite Failures In Health Care For Vulnerable Foster Children 
One night last month, a 9-year-old boy who had autism and talked about killing himself was among about 70 foster care children and youth under state supervision sleeping in hotels across Georgia. Georgia’s designated health insurer for foster care, Amerigroup Community Care, had denied the boy placement in a psychiatric residential treatment facility, said Audrey Brannen, coordinator of complex care for Georgia’s child welfare agency. He stayed in a hotel for more than a month before receiving a temporary emergency placement in a foster home, she said. (Miller and Grapevine, 1/25)