The American Public Health Association is having its annual meeting in DC this week, and the theme is “Healthy Communities Promote Healthy Minds & Bodies.” The APHA YouTube channel features several clips from yesterday’s opening session, including former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, who spoke about the Affordable Care Act, and APHA President Dr. Linda […]
The Obama administration has asked a federal advisory committee, the National Biodefense Science Board, to make recommendations about testing the anthrax vaccine in children. The vaccine has been tested in adults, administered to military personnel, and stockpiled so it can be administered quickly should an attack occur in the US. The Washington Post’s Rob Stein […]
A few of the recent pieces I’ve liked: Maryn McKenna at Superbug: Scathing Report: Polio Eradication “Not … Any Time Soon” Douglas Starr at Discover Magazine: Sparks of Truth: Can Science Bring Justice to Arson Trials? Scicurious at The Scicurious Brain: Grab your Coffee, I think this paper may depress you Patricia Leigh Brown at […]
by Kim Krisberg Mark Martin isn’t inclined to sit down and shut up — well, unless it’s on the seat of a bicycle. “More people need joy in their lives and there’s a real simple way to get it: ride a bicycle,” Martin told me. “It’s a joyous thing to ride a bike.” The Baton […]
Public Health Practice
Experts recommend electronic health records contain information about patients’ work history
An ad hoc committee of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) identified a litany of potential benefits of including information about individuals’ occupations, industry, and work environment in their electronic health records (EHRs). The reason the question was posed at all stems from a provision in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 which provides […]
Last Friday, CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report included a report on the listeriosis outbreak associated with Jensen Farms cantaloupe (the grower is recalling the melons; look for “Rocky Ford” on the label). So far, 84 cases have been confirmed in 19 states, and 15 of these victims have died. The number of cases may […]
Injury Control & Violence
House Republican Appropriators don’t think coal miners need protection from black lung disease
Congressman Denny Rehberg (R-MT) and his Republican members of the House Appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Labor Department don’t think coal miner deserve better protection from black lung disease. In their FY 2012 appopriations bill they would prohibit the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) from using any funds to develop, promulgate, enforce or […]
APHA Annual Meeting
Occupational health and safety leaders recognized by American Public Health Association
The winners of this year’s American Public Health Association’s (APHA) recognition awards for achievement in occupational health and safety illustrate the diversity of talent among those committed to ensuring workers’ rights to a safe workplace. Martin Cherniak, MD is a clinician and researcher at the University of Connecticut; Amy Liebman is with the Migrant Clinicians […]
A few of the recent pieces I’ve liked: Maryn McKenna at Superbug: Terror and Bioterror: 9/11 to 10/4 (This is the first in a series on the bioterrorism fears – some of which were realized – that followed the 9/11 attacks.) Mark Magnier, Los Angeles Times: India’s night rat killers: Hunting shadows that scurry Scicurious […]
Deriding government bureaucrats seems to be a popular pasttime among certain politicians and talk-radio hosts, so it’s nice every so often to remind ourselves about the important and valuable work our civil servants do. An article by Patricia Sullivan in the Washington Post provides a glimpse into the world of one longtime federal-government employee who’s […]