Faced with a federal government that is increasingly authoritarian, repressive, and hostile to public health, we must harness our radical imagination to re-envision our field. Many adults come to view dreaming as juvenile, trivial, escapist, or unproductive. But imagination is the lifeblood of creativity and a tool for seeing beyond our current problems. Our ability… Read More »
Over the past year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been battered by political interference that would have been unthinkable a decade ago. Scientists and staff endured mass firings followed by partial rehiring, leaving employees describing themselves as “dead men walking”. In August, 180 shots were fired at the CDC’s Atlanta headquarters,… Read More »
Burnout among physicians and clinicians has reached alarming levels. Primary care, in particular, sits at the intersection of growing patient complexity, rising administrative burden, and relentless performance pressures tied to quality metrics and value-based care. Health systems increasingly look to team-based care as part of the solution, yet integration often happens without fully understanding how… Read More »
Veterans experiencing housing insecurity face severe health risks. They have high rates of chronic disease, mental health disorders, and substance use. These conditions drive emergency department visits and hospitalizations far above population norms. Homelessness and unstable housing are powerful social determinants of acute care use. Addressing them is essential to improve outcomes and reduce costs.… Read More »
As we enter 2026, U.S. vaccine policy is undergoing one of its most dramatic transformations in decades, with profound implications for public health, trust in science, and the well-being of children and communities. These changes come on the heels of our declaration of Health in All Policies as The Medical Care Blog’s theme for 2026,… Read More »
In our 2025 wrap-up, we recapped last year’s theme of political determinants of health. In this post, we apply that lens to sexual and reproductive health — part of this year’s focus on Health in All Policies. No doubt about it: politics and policy matter to our health As we’ve written here many times before,… Read More »
A new year brings a clear choice. In 2026, The Medical Care Blog will focus more directly on how policy decisions shape health. Not just health policy in isolation, but policies across and intersecting between housing, labor, education, transportation, climate, and criminal legal systems. This approach is often called Health in All Policies. The idea… Read More »
Greetings, dear readers, and welcome to our 2025 wrap-up! In the US, 2025 has been a very challenging year for many in clinical and public health practice and research. With funding cuts, layoffs, and reductions-in-force, many of our readers (and yours truly) had to face the fact that our livelihoods were no longer secure. It… Read More »
Imagine walking into an indoor public health conference and many people are smoking cigarettes. The air is filled with toxic smoke. You might be coughing and likely outraged. It wasn’t long ago that this was the reality of life in public spaces. That is, until public health stepped in and worked to enact smoking bans… Read More »
WASHINGTON — Nationwide, states are racing to win their share of a new $50 billion rural health fund. But helping rural hospitals, as originally envisioned, is quickly becoming a quaint idea. Rather, states should submit applications that “rebuild and reshape” how health care is delivered in rural communities, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services official Abe Sutton… Read More »
What just happened, and why people are talking about it In late September 2025, FDA announced it would start a process to add language to acetaminophen labels noting a possible association with autism and ADHD when used during pregnancy, and it sent a notice to physicians [pdf] summarizing the concern. The move followed statements from… Read More »
Prioritization is at the center of affordable and supportive housing decisions. This is because resources such as these are extremely limited, and the needs of those who need housing support are complex. Communities must decide how to fairly and effectively determine who should receive housing opportunities first, and increasingly, those decisions rely on structured, coordinated… Read More »
Given the impending evisceration of Medicaid, potential cuts to Medicare, and reductions in medical foreign aid, many ill individuals will face decreased access to supplies, equipment, and staff, necessitating difficult decisions about who receives care and how much treatment they will receive. Those making these decisions will have the uncomfortable choice of refusing treatments. This… Read More »
Imagine being discharged from the hospital, IV bandage still fresh, only to recover on a sidewalk with no shelter, no food, and no doctor to check on you. In the turbulent landscape of American healthcare, medical respite (MR) services have emerged as one of the most promising interventions for people experiencing homelessness. Medical respite programs… Read More »
Amid all the various post-pandemic perspectives on healthcare, the United States has felt the effects of waning vaccination rates through the return of a previously vanquished foe: measles. In the year 2000, measles was declared “eliminated” from the U.S. due to the CDC’s efforts in implementing the MMR/MMRV vaccines. In 2025, we see that measles is… Read More »
If there was ever a time to flex our collective muscles for creative language and communication strategies for health equity, it’s now. The political landscape has shifted dramatically away from equity and social justice. Ensuring that we have adequate messaging tools to address health inequities and the social drivers of health is more important now… Read More »
This post from KFF Health News is republished here in line with The Medical Care Blog’s declaration that our theme for 2025 is ‘the Political Determinants of Health‘. As fired and retired scientists rallied outside in the Atlanta heat, an advisory panel that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. handpicked to replace experts he’d fired earlier met… Read More »
There has been a constant battle for Medicaid in America – from states slashing Medicaid reimbursements or refusing to expand access, to Congress now threatening to cut and restrict Medicaid funding altogether. The program, which funds 78.4 million of our most vulnerable patients, is a necessity to primary care. Medicaid beneficiaries look like pregnant women… Read More »
It is official, the cause of COVID-19 was clearly and definitively a lab leak! How do we know? Well, the White House created an official website declaring as much. Topped with an obsequious image of President Trump emerging from pitch darkness (presumably to reveal the truth?), the site looks like something created by the satirical… Read More »
About a month ago (March 27th to be exact), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a sweeping reorganization plan. The government will create a new umbrella agency: the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA). Some have hailed this as a bold step toward modernization. In effect, the AHA will absorb and restructure… Read More »
When we talk about chronic illness, the conversation usually centers on medications, treatment plans, or physical symptoms. But for those who live with long-term health conditions, it’s often about so much more than what’s happening in the body. Chronic illness doesn’t just disrupt routines, it affects how people work, plan, connect with others, and, crucially,… Read More »
We are in a tumultuous time of upheaval and reckoning in public health and healthcare. The Trump administration launches daily attacks across sectors that impact health nationally and globally. As public health and healthcare leaders and experts, we are in a unique position to speak out against these injustices. We have deep understanding, experience, and… Read More »
As an epidemiologist and assistant professor dedicated to the education of primary care physicians, I feel compelled to address the alarming measles outbreak currently unfolding in Texas and neighboring states. This situation not only underscores the resurgence of a disease once considered successfully contained but also highlights the detrimental impact of disinformation and recent government… Read More »
This article is from a partnership that includes WABE, NPR, and KFF Health News. It was republished for free. It was selected to run as a part of this year’s theme at The Medical Care Blog, highlighting the Political Determinants of Health. On a sunny weekday in Atlanta, a small crowd of people gathered for a rally… Read More »
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the US for women. The American Cancer Society estimates that over 40,000 women will die from breast cancer in 2025. On top of that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are around 11,500 new cases of cervical cancer, and about… Read More »
Despite advances in brain health, rates of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) continue to rise. ADRD is multi-faceted, with many causes. As with all public health issues, a health equity framework is essential to understanding the root causes. Building a complete understanding of ADRD and healthy aging allows us to develop informed policies, practices,… Read More »
A lot has been said about the Project 2025 initiative including some discussion of its implications for public health in the United States. Representing a significant collaboration of more than 100 conservative organizations in the United States, Project 2025 certainly carries weight even if its specific role in the new administration remains uncertain. But what… Read More »
I ask my patients to do a lot of things: reduce stress, move more, and eat healthier. I also encourage them to use phones, cigarettes and other addictive substances less. One thing I don’t often ask them to do is play more, and I think I am missing something important. And maybe I am missing… Read More »
Happy New Year to our readers, and thank you for joining us as we welcome in 2025. Two weeks ago, we took time to review and celebrate our first-ever blog theme: Climate Change and Public Health. We learned a lot during our first year with a theme, and we will take those lessons into 2025.… Read More »
Hi, My name is Dr. Ben King and I’m the new Chair of the Medical Care section of the American Public Health Association (APHA). I am beyond excited about what the next couple of years have in store for us as a professional organization. I also recognize that we are entering a time of immense… Read More »
Women’s health is a broad and multifaceted concept that extends far beyond reproductive anatomy and sexual health. Historically, the focus of women’s health care and research has centered on reproduction, often overshadowing other critical aspects of physical and mental health and wellness. However, women’s health encompasses a wide array of issues, from cardiovascular and autoimmune… Read More »
Racial residential segregation in the US is persistent and associated with racial health inequities. This month’s special guest is Dr. Kristen Brown, a senior research associate at Urban Institute. We discuss her recent publication Still Separate, Still Not Equal: An ecological examination of redlining and racial segregation with COVID-19 vaccination administration in Washington DC. We… Read More »
Disability impacts all of us. Chances are that we ourselves or someone we love lives with at least one disability–a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Around 16 percent of the global population (close to one billion people) lives with a disability. And in the U.S., the rate… Read More »
This post was originally published on KFF Health News. It is published with open permission by that site. Measles is on the rise in the United States. In the first quarter of this year, the number of cases was about 17 times what it was, on average, during the same period in each of the four… Read More »
Caring about the environment can feel like an uphill battle, where our individual efforts can seem small against the colossal issue of climate change. But working together–being just a little less of an individual in this battle–can feel uplifting and make a more significant difference. Environmental activist and author, Bill McKibben, joined Cal State LA’s… Read More »
“Love your community” was the overriding message from East Side Los Angeles-based community environmental activist mark! Lopez. mark! [spelled as written] was the third guest of the Cal State LA Public Health Department’s annual Book Read project. Love, he said, is the first concrete step that anybody can take to help protect and support their community.… Read More »
Every little bit helps. That is one of the key messages from our conversations on public health, climate change and hope with climate journalists Sammy Roth and Caleigh Wells. Each visited California State University Los Angeles as part of our Department of Public Health’s annual book read. All faculty and students in the department received… Read More »
The pharmaceutical industry is a behemoth in the United States. In 2023, the 20 largest pharmaceutical companies had a market capitalization of $3.78 trillion dollars. Pharma companies spent more than $15 million dollars in contributions through political action committees during the 2020 election cycle. Analysts constantly see new avenues of generating revenues and profits for… Read More »
Before we introduce this week’s post about important disparities in 988 utilization, by Lindsey Dawson and Heather Saunders and originally published in KFF Health News, we wanted to highlight an upcoming Symposium on Responding to Behavioral Health Emergencies being held by the Medical Care section of the American Public Health Association (among others). The need… Read More »
Climate change is undeniably a bleak story. Recent data–from the top of a remote volcanic mountain–show that carbon dioxide is accumulating in our atmosphere faster than ever. Its concentration has reached levels far beyond those in any other time of human existence. This bad news is balanced, however, against a highly-regarded good news report that… Read More »
Every older adult should have the opportunity to age successfully. And the growing older LGBTQ+ population is no exception. This group is diverse, with unique health and social needs. On average, LGBTQ+ older adults experience poorer physical and mental health, but this is by no means the case for all LGBTQ+ older adults. The adversity… Read More »
Research shows time and again that Black women are at least three times more likely to die from a pregnancy or childbirth-related cause than white women. Black infants are also over two times more likely than white babies to die before they turn one. Research also shows that people identifying as Black or African American… Read More »
I asked the question as a panelist at a health equity gathering, “Who does our health system serve?”. As a family medicine physician who sits perilously between patients and corporations (insurance, pharmaceutical, durable medical equipment, etc.), my answer was quite simple. Our health system serves the profit motives of those with hands in the jar.… Read More »
Suicide prevention and intervention programs and services are vital. Mental health services are essential to support individuals, families, and communities struggling with mental health, suicide, and after suicide loss. But we must also recognize that preventing suicide requires a larger collective, systemic response. Suicide deaths are rising steadily every year, with a record high of… Read More »
In January, the Medical Care Blog’s editors published a consensus statement on climate policy and health. This statement was co-signed by many of our authors, editors, and editorial board members of the Medical Care journal. As we look ahead to our focus theme for 2024, we want to begin with a look backward as well.… Read More »
January 2024 Edition Hello, and welcome to the Healthy Intersections Podcast, hosted here at The Medical Care Blog. We’re kicking off a year of climate action here on the podcast and blog. For our first episode of 2024, we interview Dr. Imari Walker-Franklin, a research chemist at RTI International, science communicator, and the co-author of… Read More »
It was the tweet heard around the healthcare world. In 2018, after the American College of Physicians had published their position paper advocating gun control as a public health imperative, the National Rifle Association posted a tweet starting: “Someone should tell self-important anti-gun doctors to stay in their lane.” Clinicians immediately began posting images and… Read More »
From The Medical Care Blog: A special consensus statement on climate change and public health In 2021, more than 250 of the world’s leading medical and public health journals released a joint statement about climate change and public health. Published simultaneously, editorial boards of the journals declared climate change to be the “greatest threat” to… Read More »
What comes to mind when you hear the word “weathering”? Perhaps you think of erosion, depletion, and wearing down. Or maybe enduring, surviving, and withstanding. All of these associations accurately describe what happens to our bodies in response to chronic stress. This particular type of physiological stress affects the brain and other parts of the… Read More »
The need for youth activism and civic engagement in public health has never been greater. A mentor once said, “When public health is doing its thing, you will never hear a word about it.” But today, the profession doesn’t have that luxury. We must act if we want public health to remain a strong and… Read More »