Public Health Archives - Page 47 of 187

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: News You Might Have Missed

Congress is in recess, so the slower-than-average news week gives us a chance to catch up on underreported topics, like Medicare’s coverage decision for the controversial Alzheimer’s disease drug Aduhelm and ominous new statistics on drug overdose deaths and sexually transmitted diseases. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Joanne Kenen of Politico and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.

April 14, 2022

Spotlight

How a Former Catholic Priest Is Navigating a California Medicaid Plan Through Big Changes

Michael Hunn left the clergy and became a hospital and health system executive. He’s been named CEO of CalOptima, Orange County’s Medi-Cal health insurance plan for low-income residents, and his spiritual background is helping him guide the publicly run plan into the future.

By Bernard J. Wolfson

April 14, 2022

A crowd holding signs stands on the steps of the Montana capitol. The signs display anti-mask slogans: "Let us breathe," and "My child, my choice."

A Year In, Montana’s Rolled-Back Public Health Powers Leave Some Areas in Limbo

Montana lawmakers stripped authority from local health boards, leading to power struggles between cities and counties and leaving public health officers to wonder to whom they answer.

By Katheryn Houghton

April 14, 2022

COVID-19

When Symptoms Linger for Weeks, Is It Long Covid?

Patients with symptoms that last three to 12 weeks after an acute covid infection should adopt a “watchful waiting” approach to recovery, an expert says. Keep in contact with a primary care doctor and take it easy.

By Nina Feldman, WHYY

April 13, 2022

Tom Vilsack is seen sitting at a table, facing to the left. A mask sits on the table in front of him.

Biden Administration Announces Boost for Rural Health Care in Midterm Election Push

President Joe Biden’s Cabinet members are fanning out across the country to promote benefits coming to rural America from covid relief and infrastructure legislation.

By Katheryn Houghton

April 13, 2022

Babies Die as Congenital Syphilis Continues a Decade-Long Surge Across the US

Congenital syphilis rates keep climbing, according to newly released federal data. But the primary funding source for most public health departments has been largely stagnant, its purchasing power dragged even lower by inflation.

By Anna Maria Barry-Jester

April 12, 2022

Pieter Van Ry is seen standing between two machines, smiling at the camera. He is seen from above, and a wide angle lens shows the facility around him.

COVID-19

Colorado Moves Toward Statewide Coverage of Wastewater Surveillance

Colorado was among the first states to embrace wastewater testing to track the coronavirus, an important public heath intervention that can give early warning of outbreaks.

By John Daley, Colorado Public Radio

April 12, 2022

Picture of Health

California Sees Dramatic Decline in Child Homicide Victims. What’s Changed?

Bucking the alarming spike in overall homicides in recent years, the homicide rate involving young children is down 70% in California from three decades ago. The nation has seen a parallel, albeit slower, decline.

By Phillip Reese

April 12, 2022

two women in face masks sit at a desk, wheelchairs are stacked behind them

Refurbished Walkers and Wheelchairs Fill Gaps Created by Supply Chain Problems

Loan closets are playing an important role as supply chain issues and the rising price of aluminum have led to shortages in medical equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, and knee scooters.

By Kate Ruder

April 11, 2022

KHN On Air

Journalists Discuss Insulin Costs and Ethical Questions Surrounding a North Carolina Rehab Program

KHN staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

April 9, 2022

A group of family members surround Jean White's mother, who sits in a wheelchair. They are posing for a family photo.

COVID-19

New Laws Let Visitors See Loved Ones in Health Care Facilities, Even in an Outbreak

To contain the spread of covid, hospitals and nursing homes barred visits. The separation and isolation took a toll on patients and families. Florida is one of the latest states to ensure access for visitors.

By Stephanie Colombini, WUSF

April 8, 2022

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Finally, a Fix for the ‘Family Glitch’

President Joe Biden welcomed former President Barack Obama back to the White House this week to announce a new policy for the Affordable Care Act that would make subsidies available to more families with unaffordable employer coverage. Meanwhile, Congress struggled to find a compromise for continued federal funding of covid-19 vaccines, testing, and treatments. Tami Luhby of CNN, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

April 7, 2022

A closeup photo shows red tubes looping around an ECMO machine in a hospital room.

COVID-19

A Shortfall of ECMO Treatment Cost Lives During the Delta Surge

About 50% of the covid-19 patients who got the last-ditch life support treatment at Vanderbilt University Medical Center died. Researchers wanted to know what happened to the many patients they had to turn away because ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machines and the specialized staffers needed were in short supply. The grim answer: 90% of those turned away perished.

By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio

April 7, 2022

A patient hands over an insurance card to a doctor.

The End of the Covid Emergency Could Mean a Huge Loss of Health Insurance

It is a perilous time to throw low- and middle-income Americans off the insurance cliff: A new omicron subvariant is spreading, and a program that provided coronavirus testing and covid-19 treatment at no cost to the uninsured has expired.

By Elisabeth Rosenthal

April 6, 2022

$11M for North Carolina Work-Based Rehab Raises Concerns

As overdoses surge and opioid settlement dollars flow, funding to North Carolina rehab foreshadows national discussion about the best approaches to treatment.

By Aneri Pattani and Taylor Knopf, NC Health News

April 6, 2022

COVID-19

Travel in the Time of Covid: Getting There Is Easy — It’s Getting Home That’s Hard

The part of my London visit that I didn’t plan was testing positive for the coronavirus. I couldn’t get back to the U.S., but the U.K. didn’t care what I did or where I went.

By Damon Darlin

April 4, 2022

A view of Lewistown, Pennsylvania shows wide roads, buildings, a church and, in the distance, mountains.

COVID-19

As US Nears 1 Million Covid Deaths, One Hard-Hit County Grapples With Unthinkable Loss

The United States is nearing 1 million deaths from covid — an almost incomprehensible number of lives lost that few thought possible when the pandemic began. Pennsylvania’s Mifflin County offers a snapshot into how one hard-hit community, with over 300 dead, is coping.

By Phil Galewitz

April 1, 2022

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Funding for the Next Pandemic

In his proposed budget, President Joe Biden called for a boost in health spending that includes billions of dollars to prepare for a future pandemic. But that doesn’t include money he says is needed immediately for testing and treating covid-19. Also this week, federal regulators authorized a second booster shot for people 50 and older yet gave little guidance to consumers about who needs the shot and when. Amy Goldstein of The Washington Post, Jennifer Haberkorn of the Los Angeles Times, and Rachana Pradhan of KHN join KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these issues and more. Plus, Julie Rovner interviews KHN’s Julie Appleby, who reported and wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode about a very expensive air ambulance ride.

March 31, 2022

Postcard from Illinois

Pandemic Funding Is Running Out for Community Health Workers

Illinois used federal pandemic money to hire community health workers who connect people with food banks and rental assistance programs, just like public health officials have long hoped to do. What will happen to the community trust that has been built up when the federal money runs out and the workers disappear?

By Lauren Weber

March 31, 2022

A digital illustration in watercolor and pencil. Three figures are seen with their sleeves rolled up for vaccination. The first two are colored yellow, while the third (right) fades into the background. Overlayed over them, from left to right, are two green check marks and one red question mark.

COVID-19

‘The Danger Is Still There’ ― As Omicron Lurks, Native Americans Are Wary of Boosters

Federal data shows that vaccination rates for American Indians and Alaska Natives were some of the highest in the nation, but tribes say resistance has slowed efforts to boost members.

By Rachana Pradhan

March 31, 2022

Trump 2.0

Public Health

Audio Reports

Special Reports

More Topics

Public Health