Electronic health record tool can help children achieve healthy weight
An electronic health record (EHR) program to help primary care doctors address child obesity is an effective tool to promote positive body mass index (BMI) trends, especially among young children with obesity, according to a new University of Missouri School of Medicine study that examined the effectiveness of the FitTastic tool over an average follow-up […]
Opinion | The Oft-Forgotten Team Members: Health Unit Coordinators
It was our pleasure to attend the 40th Annual Education Conference of the National Association of Health Unit Coordinators (NAHUC) in mid-August this year. The program was “open to all healthcare support team members and their supervisors, educators, and administrators.” This broad classification includes health unit coordinators; unit and medical secretaries; unit and ward clerks; […]
Primary Care Docs Need Better Community Data to Improve Public Health, Expert Says
Primary care doctors need to play a major role in improving the public health system, and to do that they need better data on the community they’re serving, said Andrew Bazemore, MD, MPH, at a briefing sponsored by the Alliance for Health Policy Friday. “I need to understand what the ‘community vital signs’ are for […]
Report Details ‘Massive Global Failure’ in Response to COVID-19
The Lancet Commission called for a major overhaul to the World Health Organization (WHO) and global health policy following the estimated deaths of more than 17 million people worldwide as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. “This staggering death toll is both a profound tragedy and a massive global failure at multiple levels,” according to […]
WHO Chief Strikes Optimistic Tone On COVID: ‘The End Is In Sight’
The World Health Organization head said the end of the COVID-19 pandemic “is in sight,” saying reported global deaths last week reached their lowest point since March 2020. Speaking at the U.N. agency’s COVID briefing on Wednesday, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said “we have never been in a better position to end the […]
Health System Warns Exemptions to COVID Vaccines May Expire With New Options
The Froedtert Health network in Wisconsin has sent a clear message to employees claiming religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccination: with an alternative to mRNA vaccines now available, get vaccinated or resign. In an email to a Froedtert staff member obtained by WTMJ-TV, the health network’s COVID-19 Vaccine Religious Exemption Review Committee wrote, “Your original exemption […]
Opinion | We Need a Direct Pediatric Care Physician Network
The direct care subscription delivery model is rapidly growing. Hint Health, a national leader in the direct care space, identified an increase of patients receiving direct primary care by 241% and an increase of direct primary care clinicians by 159% over the past 4 years. Direct care (DC) reestablishes the primary relationship between doctors and […]
Biden Administration Reverses Trump-Era ‘Public Charge’ Rule
Noncitizens can receive or apply for health benefits and other services without hurting their chances of securing permanent residency status — a “green card” — thanks to a final rule from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued on Thursday. The rule centers around the contentious “public charge” reason for inadmissibility and focuses on clarifying […]
Medical Groups Warn Of ‘Irreparable Harm’ To Patients In Confusing Post-Roe Era
The American Medical Association and three other major health groups warned Thursday patients across the nation could suffer “irreparable harm” due to the shattered legal landscape left in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. In a statement, co-authored with the American Pharmacists Association, the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists […]
Nearly 1 in 4 Young Adults Treated for Mental Health in 2021
The percentage of young U.S. adults receiving mental health treatment increased by nearly 5% from 2019 to 2021, according to National Health Interview Survey data. Overall, the proportion of adults receiving mental health treatment — defined as receiving counseling, therapy, taking a medication, or any combination of the three — increased from 19.2% in 2019 […]