Good question. Disasters and public health emergencies can stress health care systems to the breaking point and disrupt delivery of vital medical services. For example- hospitals and long-term care facilities may be without power; trained staff, ambulances, medical supplies, and beds could be in short supply; and alternate care facilities may need to be used. [...]
The Institute of Medicine just released a new report that recommends schools make physical education a core subject, just like math and English. According to the report… 44% of school administrators reported cutting significant time from PE classes in order to devote more time to reading and math over the last 10 years. There’s pressure to increase [...]
Several prevention-related health services will be covered without cost sharing in new health plans as of a couple of weeks ago as a result of the Affordable Care Act. The changes are designed to help lower costs and outcomes for a variety of preventative women’s services. Previously, some insurance companies didn't cover some of the [...]
The Institute of Medicine just released a consensus report called "Primary Care and Public Health: Promoting Integration to Improve Population Health" that identified several principles that public health and primary care could work toward further integration- including the goals of population health improvement, aligned leadership, sustainability, community engagement, and the collaborative use of data and analysis. Check it out and send the [...]
Breastfeeding is one of the foundations of public health – it protects the health of the mother and the baby. A special week like this helps people remember the benefits and encourages folks to support mothers who want to breastfeed. CDC Vital Signs Report this week talks about reducing the change of having an overweight [...]
As we get closer to implementing the AZ Medical Marijuana Act in mid-April, I thought it might be a good idea to post some information that may be helpful to physicians and prospective qualifying patients. Over the last weeks, I’ve been sent a number of articles and sources of information about the medical use of [...]
Calcium and Vitamin D are two essential nutrients long known for their role in bone health. Over the last 10 years there’s been a fair amount of controversy about how much people need to stay healthy. To help clarify this issue the Institute of Medicine (IOM) assessed the current data on health outcomes associated with [...]
Last Wednesday, April 21, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a new report on high blood pressure entitled Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake in the United States. The report was sponsored by the CDC, FDA, and NIH. High blood pressure is one of the nation’s leading causes of death, responsible for roughly one in six [...]
