Opinion: Fixing health care system isn't just about filling white space

STAT

"When I envision the U.S. health care system, the first thing that comes to mind is a Jackson Pollock painting: splashes of color chaotically surrounding white space. The splashes of color represent existing health care venues and resources; the white space represents the gaps across our system that prevent patients from gaining the right access and the right support to improve their health," writes Chris Dodd, clinical instructor of global health at the UW.

Examining Accountability, Influence, and Politics in Global Health: A Frank Conversation with Anand Giridharadas

In a recent conversation with Anand Giridharadas, author of the Department of Global Health (DGH) 2022-23 Common Book Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World, the DGH community examined the increasingly powerful role billionaire philanthropists have assumed in setting the social change agenda, including in public health. His critiques speak to the challenges we face in our efforts to decolonize global health research and practice, center the priorities of the Global South, and promote equity in our work.  

Public health students partner with communities locally and abroad to support Ukrainians displaced by war

UW School of Public Health

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Olena Bidovanets was pursuing her Master’s of Public Health (MPH) degree at the University of Washington School of Public Health (UW SPH). An infectious disease and psychotherapy medical doctor, Bidovanets wanted to study public mental health. After receiving a 2021-23 Fulbright award, she moved from her home in Ukraine to Seattle.

Mental Health Matters

UW School of Public Health

As we recover from the pandemic, researchers and practitioners say we need to take a community-based approach to mental health. In other words, to help all of us heal our mental health, we all need to collectively practice well-being.

Deepa Rao, professor of global health and of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted.

No big raise? Maybe health insurance is to blame

Policygenius

While the costs of health insurance have increased, this hasn’t resulted in increased value for employees. Deductibles have increased from $545 to more than $3,000, or 3% of household income before insurance starts paying for services.

Dr. Joseph Dieleman, adjunct associate professor of global health, and associate professor of health metrics sciences, is quoted.

DGH Books - cover images

Roundup of 2022 DGH Books

The Department of Global Health (DGH) seeks to improve health for all through research, education, training, and service. In honor of National Reading Month, DGH has created a roundup of books authored and edited by DGH faculty in 2022 that cover a wide range of topics, from personal memoirs to public health textbooks.  

Allergy season is getting longer

Fox 13

About a quarter of U.S. adults suffer from seasonal allergies and for kids, the CDC says it’s about one in five. But those numbers could climb in the years ahead. A recent study shows that climate change is making allergy season worse and it’s also lasting longer as well.

Dr. Jeremy Hess, professor of global health, of emergency medicine and of environmental and occupational health sciences at the UW, is quoted.

Community care model improves uptake of TB preventive therapy, KZN study finds

Spotlight

The uptake and continuation of tuberculosis (TB) preventive therapy were much higher when it was provided through a community-based model compared to the standard clinic-based model, a study conducted in KwaZulu-Natal found. The findings were presented at the recent Conference for Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Seattle, USA.

DGH faculty members Adrienne Shapiro, Ruanne Barnabas (now at Massachusetts General Hospital), and Connie Celum were involved in the research, as well as DGH staff members Torin Schaafsma, Meighan Krows, and Susan Morrison.

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