In this observation from a student in the Institute for Public Health Summer Research Program – Public and Global Health track, learn about how the PEWS systems works to assess health in hospitalized children.
Category: Health Care
A Caregiver’s Guide to Palliative Care
Read this informative blog by Associate Professor, Karla Washington, also a 2022 Friedman Lecture & Awards’ panelist.
Medicaid enrollment in Missouri begins; applications appear vigorous
Written by Timothy McBride, co-director, Center for Health Economics and Policy The expansion of Medicaid in Missouri began in 2021, and after resolution of a lawsuit at the Missouri Supreme Court in July, enrollment applications were accepted starting on October 2021. As of January 21, 2022, enrollment in the adult expansion group (AEG) had reached […]
Civic engagement for robust communities
This Gephardt Institute blog outlines their focus on civic and community engagement.
Antibiotics: The good, the bad and the ugly
Written by Lauren Jennings, B.S. candidate at the University of Kansas & SPRITE Scholar in the 2020 Institute for Public Health Summer Research Program The topic of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance has become a key buzzword in science, politics, policy and public health. Think back to the last time you had typical cold-like symptoms, an annoying […]
The health policy debate is about to change completely: There has been disproportionate focus on “Medicare for All”
The 2020 election is well underway and health policy seems to have dominated the debate so far, in many ways. This has surprised some people, and it is raising some worries among Democratic strategists. It is also frustrating many analysts who study health policy, who find that the “debate” is missing the mark. But the […]
Evaluating Dr. Denis Mukwege’s Panzi Hospital in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
WashU takes a holistic approach to assessing holistic care Since 1999, Panzi Hospital in South Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has cared for survivors of sexual violence – including women and small children who have been violated. Established by 2018 Nobel Peace Prize co-recipient, Dr. Denis Mukwege, the hospital is special: […]
Leadership in women’s health
Written by Sithembile Chithenga, MBBS, master of public health candidate and alumna of the 2019 Summer Research Program, Washington University in St. Louis I recently attended the 6th Annual Midwest Universities for Global Health Conference at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. One of the most memorable sessions at the conference was the Women in Global Health […]
Global solutions to local healthcare challenges: What we can learn from Rwanda and Australia?
Written by Sithembile Chithenga, MBBS, master of public health candidate at Washington University in St. Louis and participant in the 2019 Institute for Public Health Summer Research Program – Public & Global Health Track Andwele Jolly, DPT, MBA, MHA, OCS, Business Director, Divisions of Allergy & Immunology, Rheumatology and Hematology, sought to improve the chronic pain disease burden […]
Public health & medicine
Written by Brittany Calkins, BA candidate at Emory University and participant in the 2019 Institute for Public Health Summer Research Program – Public & Global Health Track Before I started this program, I was excited to learn more about public health through the seminars and through my research, and I was interested to learn how public health […]
A personal journey: The evolution of a career in military medicine
Written by Caitlyn Johnson, BA candidate, Washington University in St. Louis and participant in the Institute for Public Health 2019 Summer Research Program – Public & Global Health Track Pauletta Blueitt, MHA, retired Colonel and an advisory board chair to the Texas A&M University School of Public Health, began her career in military medicine when […]
A world with and without antibiotics
Written by Sharon-Rose Nartey, undergraduate student, University of Notre Dame and participant in the Institute for Public Health Summer Research Program In Jason Newland’s (professor in the Department of Pediatrics) Global Health Conversation, he discusses the shift in antibiotic use over the past 15 years. He starts off by setting the stage of a nation […]
Policy matters for doctors-in-training & their future patients
Written by Akua Nuako, medical student class of 2021, Washington University in St. Louis I am often awestruck by the ingenuity of today’s medical advancements. During my first year of medical school, I’ve been captivated by research on promising developments like cancer treatments that only target malignant cells, gene editing that addresses health issues rooted […]
Transforming healthcare by transforming payment
The Center for Health Economics and Policy co-hosted a major health policy event this October. Together with the Clark-Fox Policy Institute, we convened nearly 150 providers, researchers, policymakers, and patient advocates to discuss ideas for transforming healthcare in Missouri. One theme repeated throughout the day was that we as a society need to shift our […]
The best shot at overcoming vaccination standoffs? Having doctors listen to – not shun – reluctant parents (Links to an external site)
Vaccines save between two and three million lives per year by protecting individuals from diseases such as measles, mumps, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and others. Clean water is the only other public intervention to save more lives than vaccines. Despite their life-saving benefits, however, parental resistance toward childhood vaccinations is increasing. Read the full story…
Economic burden of chronic disease (Links to an external site)
It comes as no surprise that healthcare is expensive. Anyone who has been to a doctor may recall being charged a co-pay, receiving bills for lab work or paying for appointments not covered by insurance. And all of this likely is on top of paying your health insurance premiums. Read the full story…
Summer Research Program alumni blog – Nicole Cousins
Written by Nicole Cousins, Institute for Public Health Summer Research Program alumna I had the pleasure of participating in the 2016 Institute for Public Health Summer Research program and reflecting back as a third year medical student beginning the clinical training of my education, I value now more than ever my participation in the program. […]
Advances in palliative care and hospice research: Improving the quality of care for patients with life-limiting illnesses
Written by Evelyn Shen, undergraduate in Anthropology: Global Health & Environment at Washington University in St. Louis and participant in the Institute for Public Health Summer Research Program Patrick White MD, HMDC, FACP, FAAHPM, grew up following his dad around, like most kids do—however, his dad was a community pulmonologist, and Dr. White spent much […]
Whither health reform?
Written by Courtnie Phillip, BA in International Relations at Tufts University and participant in the Institute for Public Health Summer Research Program On July 17th, my phone lit up as a notification from the NYTimes app flashed across my screen. The headline read: “The health bill has collapsed with two more G.O.P. senators opposed. For […]
An alternative to politics over the holidays
Written by Stephanie Herbers, MSW/MPH, manager of the Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging at the Institute for Public Health Dread the thought of talking about politics at your upcoming holiday events with family? Consider using the time to talk about preferences for end-of-life instead. According to a national survey sponsored by non-profit The Conversation […]
The role of law in addressing (or entrenching) transgender health-care discrimination
Written by Elizabeth Sepper, JD, associate professor in the School of Law Six years ago, a little known provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)—Section 1557—marked the first time that federal law prohibited sex discrimination in federally funded health programs. This summer, a new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rule made clear […]
The fear of discrimination in LGBT healthcare
Written by Brett Tortelli, graduate student at the School of Medicine For many people talking about their sex life with their doctor can be uncomfortable. When someone reveals something so intimate about his or her personal life there is a fear of judgment. We as physicians are trained to ask our patients about their sexual practices […]
Civic engagement for robust communities
Written by Matthew Bakko, Jennifer Harpring, and Stephanie Kurtzman of the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement The Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement serves as a university convener on the Danforth campus to utilize and leverage university resources to respond to community needs and concerns. In its 10th year, the institute has […]
The Discharge Summary Tracking System project: Ensuring community health center providers can care for patients after hospital discharge
Written by the Discharge Summary Tracking System project team [1] Our local community health centers are bustling with the activity of primary care providers answering their patients’ vital inquiries. But what happens if their question regards a hospital visit of which the provider was never informed? “My patient exclaimed, ‘I’ve been shot!’” said primary care doctor […]
Enhanced Cultural and Linguistic Services standards: Not just language anymore
In 1997, the Office of Minority Health (OMH) undertook the development of national standards to provide organizations and providers with guidance on the implementation of culturally and linguistically appropriate services. Three years later, the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care (CLAS) were entered into the Federal Register [1]. […]
Interaction design: Understanding health and well-being
Written by Enrique Von Rohr, MA, director of research & technology and senior lecturer at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts In the spring of 2016, the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis offered a design class titled “Interaction Design: Understanding Health and Well-Being” to […]
Using art museum resources to make an impact
Written by Allison Taylor, head of education and community engagement at the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis This post explores two initiatives at the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum that connect visual art to healthcare. These programs illustrate the interdisciplinary ways in which medical professionals and those in their […]
Linguistic diversity and disparate health outcomes
Researchers explore the impact of linguistic diversity on health outcomes.
New book examines shifting health-care landscapes in Maya Guatemala
Written by Anita Chary, MD/PhD, student at Washington University School of Medicine Privatization and the New Medical Pluralism: Shifting Healthcare Landscapes in Maya Guatemala is based on experiences in health care delivery in rural Guatemala over the last decade. I worked with Peter Rohloff, an internist and pediatrician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and faculty […]
Helping patients and clinicians manage uncertainty during clinical care
I once counseled a patient who was struggling to understand her breast surgeon’s words: “Studies show some benefit in some women…”. The surgeon’s statement was accurate. But they didn’t answer the kinds of questions my patient had. Questions like: Would she be one of the women who benefitted from the proposed treatment plan? What does […]
Clarifying health insurance options
Written by Mary C. Politi, PhD, professor in the Department of Surgery at the School of Medicine and Brianna Cusanno, Allegheny College and participant in the 2015 Institute for Public Health Summer Research Program “Whitney has three children. Her youngest son has asthma. He sees a doctor (a specialist) and uses an inhaler (a prescription […]
Flying in the face of infection
Infection prevention and aviation may seem like an odd couple to scientists who study germ theory and the ecology of biofilm on medical devices, but in clinical practice lessons from the flight deck may prove as important as the newest technological innovation. In today’s clinical environment the focus of infection prevention is on doing procedures […]