publichealthroll.com

So much is happening...

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 21:17:29 -0400

I haven’t posted in a while..because so much is happening!

I’m currently serving as an AmeriCorps*VISTA. VISTA differs from other AmeriCorps programs because it was designed specifically to fight poverty. VISTAs perform indirect service and capacity building work at organizations who serve low-income people. I’m serving at FriendshipWorks, a nonprofit whose mission is to reduce social isolation, improve the quality of life, and preserve the dignity of elders and adults with disabilities in Boston and Brookline. I found out about thsi opportunity since I was a Medical Escort volunteer through FriendshipWorks. I am working on their marketing, and wear numerous other hats, and love every minute of it. I am learning a lot about elder issues, and look forward to work each day.

In other news, I am taking organic chemistry. I’m looking forward to December 15 when I will be finished.

It’s hard to believe, but there’s a chance this time next year I could be working towards my masters in nursing and on the road to becoming a nurse practitioner.

caraobrien: PBS Frontline: Doctor Hotspot Dr. Jeffrey Brenner...

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 23:30:24 -0400

caraobrien:

PBS Frontline: Doctor Hotspot

Dr. Jeffrey Brenner is a local physician who some believe might have the model to solve one of America’s most intractable problems: lowering the cost of health care. While analyzing medical billing data in Camden, N.J., he mapped out “hot spots” of the impoverished city’s high-cost patients. By targeting unique care — including home visits and social workers — at the city’s most costly patients, he developed a program that he argues has both lowered health care costs and provided better care in Camden.

Tower building challenge at PSO.

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:32:38 -0400

Tower building challenge at PSO.

beautifuldeformity: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs—a theory of...

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 21:59:56 -0400

beautifuldeformity:

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs—a theory of human developmental psychology by Abraham Maslow in 1943. He believed that these needs triggered behavior; in other words, this pyramid is the source of our motivation—what makes us live. You may be familiar with it if you’ve taken an introductory psychology course. I have to post this since I can never seem to keep it in my head for some reason (and it’s so simple!).

This theory is also very important in nursing since we have to assess the patient’s basic needs from the “bottom-up”. The highest priority needs of the patient are at the bottom of the pyramid, while the lower priority needs are at the top.

Sources:
http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/hierarchyneeds.htm

Action! Romance! Social Justice!

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:01:05 -0400

Action! Romance! Social Justice!

What happened to the family doctor?

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 14:12:43 -0400

What happened to the family doctor?:

“I write letters to the electric company on behalf of my diabetic patients, pleading with them not to turn off the power. The cost to the system would be just too great if the insulin pump failed,” Friedberg says. “No dermatologist will ever help you with your power bills.”

http://usfoodpolicy.blogspot.com/

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 16:30:14 -0400

http://usfoodpolicy.blogspot.com/:

I love finding new and amazing blogs to follow. Can’t wait to go through his blog roll to find even more.

healthlitchick: “I live in the America that people forget.” — I live in the America that people...

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 15:42:54 -0400

healthlitchick:

“I live in the America that people forget.”

—

I live in the America that people don’t want to see.

I live in the America where almost 30% of all housing units are vacant.

I live in the America where people are afraid to go.

I live in the America where the term flash mob describes a group of dangerous teenagers—not organized dancers.

I live in the America where median household anual income hovers around $16,000

I live in the America where move than 50% of families with children under the age of five live below the poverty level.

I live in the America where there is a 22% illiteracy rate amongst adults age 16 and oder.

I live in the America where our public health professionals must issue condoms to 11-year-olds.

I live in the America that needs public health. I live in the America that reminds me of our field’s purpose every day. I live in the America that is raw and real. I’ve received feedback before about describing “typical” low-income situations on my blog, and I get it. I know not everyone is in that situation and that is not what this is about. This is just about us—as a nation—acknowledging the existence of these communities as a step toward the creation of programming focused on communities helping themselves improve. When I was younger I had an odd attitude about poverty. I did not care about poverty in America because I too believed the hidden perception of the American dream: that every man must fend for himself. I focused on global health and never dreamed of working in the states. Today, I can hardly imagine NOT working with my current community.

Today, I work and live in the real America. The America that I just want to acknowledge as existing. This post ins’t so much about portraying any part of Philly in a negative way. Its about admitting faults in hopes of making changes that can accentuate the already existing beauty in these communities—because there is plenty of that too.

healthlitchick: Mmm grains…my current favorite is quinoa. I...

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 15:38:32 -0400

healthlitchick:

Mmm grains…my current favorite is quinoa. I seriously have never felt so full eating small portions.

publichealthroll: That’s because quinoa is LOADED with fiber and protein. Quite the wonder grain. Check out We Are Not Martha’s Blackberry and Cinnamon Quinoa. They have a ton of other quinoa recipes.

Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse (and other great emergency...

Fri, 20 May 2011 00:01:44 -0400

Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse

(and other great emergency preparedness tips from the CDC)

A Disparity You Can Do Something About via ACP Hospitalist

Sat, 16 Apr 2011 13:00:00 -0400

A Disparity You Can Do Something About via ACP Hospitalist:

“There’s a very racist approach that we in med have perpetuated for years,” said John Sheagren, MACP. “My plea is that we eliminate in the introduction, the definition of people by race, lifestyle or ethnicity.”

In other words, no more “This is a 65 year old black female…” when you’re presenting a case. If the patient’s race is relevant to treatment, bring it up later in the discussion, not at the start of the introduction, Dr. Sheagren advised.

bostonuniversity: Exploring the collaboration and tension...

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 23:10:47 -0400

bostonuniversity:

Exploring the collaboration and tension between journalists and public health workers at times of crisis.

When Disaster Strikes: Reporting and Responding » Center for Global Health & Development | Boston University

April 14, 2011

IntroducingBoston Young Healthcare Professionals Connecting the...

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:23:00 -0400

Introducing
Boston Young Healthcare Professionals
Connecting the Next Generation of Healthcare Leaders

Thursday, April 28, 2011
6:30 - 8:30 pm
Microsoft New England Research & Development Center
One Memorial Drive, Cambridge
Tel: (857) 453-6000

Spend the evening celebrating the launch of BYHP by meeting the founders and Advisory Board, learning more about BYHP’s plans for the coming months, and connecting with both young and experienced healthcare professionals!

With remarks by

William F. Cass
Principal at The Suffolk Group
Former member of the Massachusetts Legislature
Former Vice Chairman of the Healthcare Committee

and

Carey Goldberg & Rachel Zimmerman
of WBUR’s CommonHealth Blog
Former Boston Bureau Chief of The New York Times & former health and medicine reporter for the Wall Street Journal

Free • Appetizers • Parking Available • T-Accessible

For more information and to RSVP, go to http://byhplaunch.eventbrite.com/

Boston Young Healthcare Professionals (BYHP) is a new organization that exists to connect emerging and passionate healthcare leaders in the Greater Boston area to foster strong relationships and build knowledge across all healthcare disciplines. By providing members and the larger healthcare community with educational, professional development, networking, and civic engagement opportunities and events, BYHP will serve as a forum for young professionals across all healthcare disciplines to connect, collaborate, and share knowledge and experiences.

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter @YoungHealthPros
Use #byhp when tweeting about BYHP

Connect with us on LinkedIn

www.byhp.org
info@byhp.org

HEALTH is

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 23:08:44 -0400

nursling:

… a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

as per the WHO.

sciencenote: Applications of Population Genetics The...

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 01:06:10 -0500

sciencenote:

Applications of Population Genetics

The statistical measures of population genetics add pieces used to elucidate the puzzle of population structure and history. We know that no natural population can possibly meet all the requirements for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, but in most cases, scientists begin their study of a population with a priori (prior) knowledge of what dynamics may be influencing the population. Armed with some basic knowledge, they use statistical analyses to further address complex questions. For example, it may be known that an endangered species has gone through a genetic bottleneck, and that there is a great deal of non-random mating occurring resulting in inbreeding. Information on the population’s effective population size, heterozygosity levels, and inbreeding coefficients for particular individuals can be used to design relocation or captive breeding programs which will maximize the genetic variation in successive generations. The study of population genetics is increasingly important as we struggle to maintain healthy wild and domestic populations and ecosystems, for our benefit and theirs.

healthpolitics: The Health of Reform (NYTimes)

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 17:30:07 -0500

healthpolitics:

The Health of Reform (NYTimes)

District Day at Scott Brown's Office

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 14:36:00 -0500

Save Service District Day is a nationwide advocacy event to prevent dismantling national services programs (AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, City Year, among many others). Today, Friday February 25, 2011, community service advocates visited their local representatives speaking to the importance of national service.

I participated in District Day at Senator Scott Brown’s Boston office.

First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge how helpful and welcoming the Senator’s staff was. They did their best to accommodate a very large group (that I believe did not have an appointment). They were happy to collect our stories of service and relay our message to the Senator.

It was also great to meet so many passionate alums, members, and friends of AmeriCorps. It was especially moving to meet family and friends of AmeriCorps members.

I was so impressed by the ~60 people who braved the cold rain today to show their support. Diverse range of programs were represented: AmeriCorps state/national, City Year, VISTA, Community HealthCorps and Jumpstart. I am sure other programs were represented too! I didn’t get a chance to speak with everyone since it was such a large group.

I am 2nd row center, tan coat (partially obscured). Photo Credit: Save Service blog

Lastly, a big thanks folks at Serve Next and Be the Change for organizing District Day.

"Incredibly, the McDonald’s product contains more sugar than a Snickers bar and only 10 fewer..."

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 10:00:07 -0500

“Incredibly, the McDonald’s product contains more sugar than a Snickers bar and only 10 fewer calories than a McDonald’s cheeseburger or Egg McMuffin. (Even without the brown sugar it has more calories than a McDonald’s hamburger.)”

- NY Times on McDonalds “Oatmeal”. It’s hard to believe that they’ve infused more sugar than a candy bar and almost as many calories as a hamburger into OATMEAL.

beeniebeans: The Obsession with Beauty is a Public Health...

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 17:30:07 -0500

beeniebeans:

The Obsession with Beauty is a Public Health Problem

“Women’s bodies are constantly turned into objects, into things…it creates a climate in which there is widespread violence against women. I’m not at all saying that an ad like this directly causes violence against women; it’s not that simple. But turning a human being into a thing is almost always the first step towards justifying violence against that person. We see this with racism, we see it with homophobia, we see it with terrorism. It’s almost always the same process. The person is dehumanized and violence then becomes inevitable…

And girls are getting the message these days so young - that they need to be impossibly beautiful…and they also get the message that they are going to fail - that there’s no way they’re actually going to achieve it…

The obsession with thinness…, the tyranny of the ideal vision of beauty, violence against women - these are all public health problems that affect us all. And public health problems can only be changed by changing the environment.”

Jean Kilbourne

(via healthlitchick, klaatu)

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 17:30:07 -0500

(via healthlitchick, klaatu)