Publications

Requiring health care workers to be vaccinated against influenza is one strategy for reducing its spread in health care settings. SPHHS has released a report that reviews the arguments for and against such mandates, given the risks of influenza in health care settings, the availability of safe and effective vaccines to reduce that risk, and the inadequate health care worker compliance with immunization recommendations (fewer than 50% comply). The report is available at http://www.gwumc.edu/sphhs/about/rapidresponse/index.cfm

Christine Ferguson, J.D., research professor, and Anna Muldoon, M.P.H. candidate, research assistant, published "Not All are Created Equal: Differences in Obesity Attitudes Between Men and Women" in the Sept./Oct. 2009 issue of the journal Women’s Health Issues. The invited commentary, written on behalf of the STOP Obesity Alliance, explores sources and effects of stigma in several environments and attitudinal differences between men and women when it comes to obesity interventions and perceptions. The commentary is available at http://www.whijournal.com/article/S1049-3867(09)00069-3/fulltext

A new article titled "A four-system comparison of patients with chronic illness: the Military Health System, Veterans Health Administration, Medicaid, and commercial plans" has been published by a team of researchers from Thomson Reuters, the Veteran's Administration, Massachusetts General Hospital, and our own Julia Hidalgo, Ph.D., in Military Medicine 174(9).

Sara Rosenbaum, J.D., Hirsh Professor of Health Law & Policy and DHP chair, was a co-author of "Evidence Of An Emerging Digital Divide Among Hospitals That Care For The Poor" which appears as a Health Affairs on-line exclusive. The article explores the growing digital divide in the U.S., noting that hospitals that provide care to large numbers of poor patients also had minimal use of EHRs. It is available at http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/hlthaff.28.6.w1160/DC1

Professor Rosenbaum also wrote a blog for the O'Neill Institutes Legal Solutions in Health Reform blog. "It's the sick, stupid" looks at the importance of protections of protecting the sick from discrimination by insurers in health reform legislation, and is available at http://oneillhealthreform.wordpress.com/

Alexandra Stewart, J.D., published invited commentary regarding the introduction of the HPV vaccine in the U.S. in the British Journal of Healthcare Management (Vol 15 No 11, 2009). Please contact Ms. Stewart if you would like a copy of the article.

Awards & Acknowledgments

The Wall Street Journal referenced the recent DHP report "Using Primary Care to Bend the Curve: Estimating the Impact of a Health Center Expansion on Health Care Costs," in an article on federally funded health centers and their financial struggles in time of patient load growth. The story can is available at online.wsj.com/article/SB125409659506345101.html The report also received prominent mention in the House reform bills' Trust Fund to grow CHCs. Department of Health Policy Senior Fellow Margaret Dunkle has been appointed Co-Chair of the Committee on Early Identification and Treatment of the North Los Angeles County Autism Regional Task Force.

On October 22nd, Leighton Ku, Ph.D., spoke about Latino children's health at the National Council of La Raza's symposium titled "Investing in Our Future: The State of Latino Children and Youth." Other speakers included HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Senator Bob Menendez, and Marian Wright Edelman of the Children's Defense Fund.

The NY Times reviewed "Technological Medicine," a collection of essays on medical technology by Stanley Joel Reiser, M.D., M.P.A., Ph.D., clinical professor. The review is available at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/27/health/27books.html?_r=1&ref=health and it is quite good! David Stevens, M.D., F.A.A.F.M., research professor and Director of Quality, NACHC, addressed the October 20th Cabot Primary Care Lecture Series on "Community Health Centers: America's Health Care Home."