Public Health

California enters the ring of drug manufacturing. Could others follow?

As insulin prices have skyrocketed, states have intervened to lower them with price caps. Now, California’s decision to manufacture its own is leading other states to consider similar steps in an effort to ensure essential medicines are affordable to the public.

City frames art as a way to bolster mental health services

A pilot program in Chicago looks to address mental health workforce shortages, while exploring the benefits of holistic treatment through mediums like art.

How will rural Americans fare during Medicaid unwinding? Experts fear they’re on their own

Rural residents face additional barriers to renewing their Medicaid coverage, including longer distances to eligibility offices, less access to the internet or a lack of health insurance counselors in their communities.

Pocket parks emerge as a climate solution

Size doesn’t always matter. Even the smallest of green spaces can play a key role in mitigating climate impacts like extreme heat and poor air quality.

You might need an ambulance, but your state might not see it as ‘essential’

Ambulance services can receive state money once declared essential services.

Drug decriminalization stumbled in Oregon. Other states are taking note.

The rocky start could slow the movement to treat addiction as a public health matter.

How one state’s data office improves government services

Indiana is connecting data from different agencies and training front-line workers to tackle tough problems.

Death rates for people under 40 have skyrocketed. Blame fentanyl.

Accidental overdoses are now the No. 1 cause of death for young people in 37 states.

Why the United States undercounts climate-driven deaths

A number of limitations prevent health departments from identifying an accurate climate-related death count. Experts say the lack of robust data coverage could hamper state and local governments' ability to implement preventative measures.

‘How’s the air?’ Using AI to track coal train dust

Using artificial intelligence, researchers are tracking how en route trains affect air quality. The data could help improve environmental policy in urban areas hit hardest by poor air quality.

States improperly dropping Medicaid participants due to programming errors

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid has given states two weeks to identify problems that have caused eligible participants—mostly children—to be incorrectly disenrolled. Otherwise, states could lose out on Federal Medical Assistance Percentage funding.

This new law will help health care workers save lives in ambulances that cover wide-open West Texas

The emerging technology, paid for by a grant established during the 2023 legislative session, will help emergency health care workers talk with doctors in emergency rooms to better care for critical patients.

More cities address ‘shade deserts’ as extreme heat triggers health issues

Cities are trying to build heat resiliency into their infrastructure—including by boosting their tree canopy— all while experts warn of a public health threat growing more severe each year.

Cities struggle to solve the public restroom problem

There's a lack of public restrooms in U.S., which particularly affects the homeless. New policies and portable toilet models are helping to address the shortage.

New law eliminates insurance pre-approval for crisis mental health, substance use

A new law will make it easier for people to get insurance coverage for emergency care for mental health concerns and substance use disorder.

The proof is in the poo: New data tool offers early detection of community COVID surges

Using wastewater monitoring data, an algorithm detects spikes in COVID-19 before outbreaks happen, giving public health officials a jumpstart in keeping the coronavirus under control.

Will Texas’ new fentanyl awareness curriculum for public schools succeed where other anti-drug messaging failed?

Historically, anti-drug messaging in schools has failed to acknowledge the mental health reasons that youth self-medicate. Without that key lesson, advocates worry House Bill 3908 will be another D.A.R.E. campaign.

When every minute counts: Dashboard maps emergency response to extreme heat

The EMS HeatTracker can help public health officials ensure emergency medical services reach those who need them most.

A need for green: Cities look to trees to improve health, climate justice

Cities and nonprofits are turning to trees as a possible solution to incoming climate crises and public health disparities.

Stifling prison heat used to be just a Southern problem. Not anymore.

Climate change has amplified heat-related struggles in more state prisons.