Public Health Topics

America’s Youngest Outcasts-State Report Card on Child Homelessness

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:50:00 +0000

America’s Youngest Outcasts-State Report Card on Child Homelessness. National Center on Family Homelessness. March 2009.

A new report released today by the National Center on Family
Homelessness finds more than 1.5 million children are homeless
annually in the United States -- one in every 50 American children.
America?s Youngest Outcasts: State Report Card on Child Homelessness
offers the first comprehensive state-by-state data on the status of
homeless children and ranks the 50 states from top to bottom.

Evidence-Based — California Hospital, School District Collaborate to Cut Obesity-related Risks

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Evidence-Based — California Hospital, School District Collaborate to Cut Obesity-related Risks by Teddi Grant. Health Progress Journal. Jan-Feb 2009.

This article is about a School Based Diabetes and Obesity Initiative, which started in 2006, initially targeted five low-income neighborhoods with the ultimate goal to decrease childhood obesity rates with a multi-faceted program that promotes increased physical activity and improved nutrition.

Improving Child Nutrition Policy: Insights from National USDA Study of School Food Environments

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:14:00 +0000

Improving Child Nutrition Policy: Insights from National USDA Study of School Food Environments. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Feb 2009.

The third School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study (SNDA-III), which was sponsored by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on the overall food environment in public elementary, middle and high schools.

Assets Declines and Investment Strategy Changes by Family, Independent, and Public Foundations

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:11:00 +0000

Assets Declines and Investment Strategy Changes by Family, Independent, and Public Foundations. Council on Foundations. Feb 3, 2009.

Survey results just released by the Council on Foundations at the Family Philanthropy Conference in Indianapolis showed that family, independent, and public foundations experienced a 28 percent decline in their asset values over the course of 2008.

Helping Families Succeed: Federal Policy Opportunities

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:07:00 +0000

Helping Families Succeed: Federal Policy Opportunities. Annie E Casey Foundation. Winter 2009.

In a special policy issue of Casey Connects newsletter, the Casey Foundation offers recommendations for policymakers, practitioners, advocates, and others committed to supporting children and families, particularly during these challenging economic times.

Health Matters: The Role of Health and the Health Sector in Place-Based Initiatives for Young Children

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:28:00 +0000

Health Matters: The Role of Health and the Health Sector in Place-Based Initiatives for Young Children. Fine Amy and Hicks Molly. WKK Kellogg Foundation. Nov 2008.

This study provides an initial scan of the role of health and the health sector within broader place-based initiatives for young children.

Medicaid and Mental Health Services

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:01:00 +0000

Medicaid and Mental Health Services. Cynthia Shirk. National Health Policy Forum. Background Paper. Oct 23, 2008.

This background paper highlights the variety of services and supports
needed by individuals with mental illness and Medicaid’s increasing role in mental health coverage.

2008 California County Scorecard of Children's Well-Being

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:25:00 +0000

The 2008 California County Scorecard of Children's Well-Being measures counties' progress in enabling children to be healthy, safe and ready to learn and provides insightful comparative data.

The State of Health Care Quality: Industry Trends and Analysis 2008.

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:36:00 +0000

The State of Health Care Quality: Industry Trends and Analysis 2008. National Committee for Quality Assurance. Sept 2008.

According to the report, the quality of health care for millions of Americans has improved in 2007 but significant variations in performance continue to leave many people receiving substandard care.

Jailing Juveniles: The Dangers of Incarcerating Youth in Adult Jails in America

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:01:00 +0000

Jailing Juveniles: The Dangers of Incarcerating Youth in Adult Jails in America. Campaign for Youth Justice. Nov 2007.

A new report, “Jailing Juveniles: The Dangers of Incarcerating Youth in Adult Jails in America,” provides a summary of the risks that youth face when incarcerated in adult jails, facts and figures about how many youth are incarcerated in jails nationwide, and a review of the limited federal and state laws protecting youth in jails.

Health Insurance Coverage in America, 2006 Chartbook

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:32:00 +0000

Health Insurance Coverage in America, 2006 Chartbook. Kaiser Family Foundation. June 2008.

This year, the Health Insurance Coverage in America chartbookhas been reformatted as a web-based information resource including charts and tables to provide a more comprehensive profile of the uninsured population and health insurance coverage more generally.

Kids’ Share 2008: How Children Fare in the Federal Budget

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:22:00 +0000

Kids’ Share 2008: How Children Fare in the Federal Budget. Adam Carasso, Eugene Steuerle, Gillian Reynolds, Tracy Vericker, and Jennifer Macomber. Urban Institute. June 2008.

According to the report, Children are a diminishing priority in the federal budget. The report classifies more than 100 federal programs that spend money on children in eight categories: income security, nutrition, housing, tax credits and exemptions, health, social services, education, and training. The report defines children as those under age 19 who are not in postsecondary education.

How Many Are Uninsured? Trends Among U.S. Adults,

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:07:00 +0000

How Many Are Uninsured? Trends Among U.S. Adults,
2003 and 2007. The Commonwealth Fund. June 10, 2008.

The report found that the number of uninsured adults increased from 16 million in 2003 to 25 million in 2007.

Middle and higher-income families were hit hardest by the increase; underinsured rates nearly tripled for those with incomes above 200 percent of the federal poverty line (i.e., annual family income of $40,000 or higher). Underinsured rates are now at double-digit levels for families with household income in the 200-400 percent of poverty range, which is considered to be solidly middle class.

KIDS COUNT Data Book 2008

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:05:00 +0000

KIDS COUNT Data Book 2008. Annie E Casey Foundation. 2008.

According to the nineteenth annual report, five areas -- the child death rate, the teen death rate, the teen birth rate, the high school dropout rate, and teens not in school and not working -- showed improvement, while there was no change in the infant mortality rate.

How Many Are Underinsured? Trends Among U.S. Adults, 2003 and 2007

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:06:00 +0000

How Many Are Underinsured? Trends Among U.S. Adults, 2003 and 2007. Cathy Schoen, et al. Health Affairs Web Exclusive. June 10, 2008. P.w298-w309.

A new Commonwealth Fund study published today as a Health Affairs Web Exclusive finds that as of 2007, there were an estimated 25 million underinsured adults in the U.S., 60 percent more than the 16 million underinsured in 2003.

Healthier San Joaquin County Community Assessment 2008

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:59:00 +0000

The 231-page report, called Healthier San Joaquin County Community Assessment 2008," found that being uninsured is the primary reason why county residents lack a regular source of care or do not receive preventive services such as flu shots, blood-pressure monitoring or mammograms.

Designed for Disease: The Link between Local Food Environments and Obesity and Diabetes

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:21:00 +0000

Designed for Disease: The Link between Local Food Environments and Obesity and Diabetes. UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, PolicyLink, and California Center for Public Health Advocacy. April 2008.

The study created a "retail food environment index" by dividing the number of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores by the number of produce vendors and grocery stores.

Average RFEI, and Obesity and Diabetes Prevalence for CHIS Respondents in Most Populated Counties Statistics

Growing Disparities in LIfe Expectancy

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:01:00 +0000

Growing Disparities in LIfe Expectancy. Congressional Budget Office. April 17, 2008.

The report examines factors contributing to differences in life expectancy between socioeconomic groups and the potential implications of the disparity on Social Security and Medicare.

One in 100: Behind Bars in America 2008

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:29:00 +0000

One in 100: Behind Bars in America 2008. Pew Public Safety Performance Project. Feb 2008.
The report shows the number of people behind bars in the United States continued to climb in 2007, saddling cash strapped states with soaring costs they can ill afford and failing to have a clear impact either on recidivism or overall crime.

Health Coverage and Access to Care Among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:18:00 +0000

Health Coverage and Access to Care Among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. Kaiser Family Foundation Fact Sheet. April 2008.

A new analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum finds that certain subgroups of the nation’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations are doing much worse than other subgroups in terms of health insurance coverage and access to health care.

Dying for Coverage in California

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:15:00 +0000

Dying for Coverage in California. Families USA Foundation. April 2008

For the more than 47 million Americans who are uninsured, lack of health insurance can have dire consequences—medical debt, missed care, and even premature death. We've created the first-ever state-level estimates on the number of deaths due to lack of health insurance.

Shortchanging America’s Health 2008: A State-by State Look at How Federal Public Health Dollars are Spent

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:59:00 +0000

Trust for America’s Health. Shortchanging America’s Health 2008: A State-by State Look at How Federal Public Health Dollars are Spent. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. April 2008.

In this report, the authors examines how much the federal government spends to try to keep the country well. A state-by-state review reveals that federal funding (CDC) for public health varies, often significantly, with a per capita low of $13.61 in Kansas to a per capita high of $69.97 in Alaska.

Health Coverage and Access to Care Among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:21:00 +0000

Health Coverage and Access to Care Among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. Race, Ethnicity & Health Care Fact Sheet. Henry K. Kaiser Family Foundation. April 2008.

New research indicates that Korean-Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are much more likely to be uninsured than other ethnic groups, including Japanese-Americans and Indian-Americans.

Increasing Health Care Access for the Medically Underserved in Four Counties

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 22:13:00 +0000

Increasing Health Care Access for the Medically Underserved in Four California
Counties by Annette Gardner. California Program on Access to Care Findings. Feb 2008.

This study examines four California counties that are adopting policies and
programs to strengthen their county-level health care
systems.

Poverty Scorecard 2007: Rating Members of Congress

gizmochee@gmail.com (josie1234) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:24:00 +0000

Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law introduces a new report.....Poverty Scorecard 2007: Rating Members of Congress

Members of Congress from states with high rates of poverty are less likely to support anti-poverty measures than other members of Congress, according to the only national analysis that ranks Members of Congress solely on their performance in fighting poverty, released on March 10, 2008.