Public Health - General
The Pump Handle
Category archives for Public Health – General
Wage theft in South Florida: Nation’s first county with wage theft protections reports on progress and perils
Posted by The Pump Handle on May 14, 2013 Earlier this month, Florida lawmakers wrapped up their latest legislative session. And nearly 500 miles south of Tallahassee in Miami-Dade County, workers’ rights advocates breathed yet another sigh of relief.
Thanking public servants for work that’s often unnoticed
Posted by Liz Borkowski on May 6, 2013 It’s Public Service Recognition Week — time to think about how government employees are helping us all live healthier lives.
Newborn screening: One of public health’s greatest achievements celebrates 50 years and thousands of lives saved
Posted by The Pump Handle on May 3, 2013 On Feb. 13, 2012, Honey Stecken gave birth to her daughter Maren. Everything appeared perfectly fine — she ate and slept and did all the things a baby does. Even after a couple weeks at home in South Fork. Colo., with her newborn little girl, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Study: Banning smoking in subsidized housing could save millions in health care costs
Posted by The Pump Handle on April 26, 2013 Another day, another study that shows investing in public health interventions can make a serious dent in health care spending. A new study has found that banning smoking in all U.S. subsidized housing could yield cost savings of about $521 million every year.
Worth reading: Lessons from Texas, H7N9, and putting pedestrians first
Posted by Liz Borkowski on April 25, 2013 A few recent pieces worth a look
Study: Peer-to-peer training can improve safety, knowledge among Hispanic construction workers
Posted by The Pump Handle on April 19, 2013 Eric Rodriguez and his colleagues at the Latino Union of Chicago quite literally meet workers where they’re at — on the city’s street corners. Many of the day laborers who gather there are hired to work construction at residential housing sites. Work arrangements are hardly formal and day laborers are frequently subjected to unnecessary and illegal dangers on the job. Unfortunately, worker safety is often kicked to the curb in the street corner marketplace.
Lessons from Boston about the role of community preparedness
Posted by Liz Borkowski on April 18, 2013 Saving Boston victims’ lives and limbs required a well-coordinated response from emergency medical teams, the city’s emergency command center, and hospital staff. Such coordination requires ongoing planning, and planning requires funding.
Cracking down on deadbeat bosses: Wage theft victory a milestone in Chicago’s worker center movement
Posted by The Pump Handle on April 15, 2013 For Angel Nava, Chicago’s newly adopted wage theft ordinance is particularly personal. Until recently, Nava had worked at the same car wash business in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood for 14 years. The 55-year-old employee did it all — washing, detailing, buffing — for about 50 hours each week. Then, his boss decided to stop paying overtime.
New report: Kids will eat their veggies…if you give them the chance
Posted by The Pump Handle on April 5, 2013 If you serve it, they will eat it. That’s one of the many lessons gleaned from a new report on the national Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.
Public health. It’s about people and prevention. Public health week, still about people and prevention.
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on April 3, 2013 Hundreds of events are taking place across the U.S. this week to mark National Public Health week. Like everyday in public health, it’s about people and prevention.