Why Public Health?

Nutrition Labels

noreply@blogger.com (Ji Im) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:26:00 +0000

A Makeover for Food Labels

Nearly two decades ago, Congress passed the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, requiring packaged foods to carry a detailed nutrition facts label.

For the most part, the label has an easy-to-follow format that lists calories, serving size and ingredients. But now the consumer advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest wants to give the food facts label a makeover.

The center says the makeover is necessary to clarify and highlight important parts of the label and also to prevent unnecessary and misleading words from confusing consumers. Among the suggested changes to the food label:

Put calorie and serving size information in larger type at the top of the label so it’s immediately clear how much you are eating.
Make the ingredient list easier to read by printing it in regular type instead of all capital letters. Use bullets to separate ingredients rather than allowing them to all run together.
List minor ingredients and allergens separately from the main ingredient list. Highlight allergy information in red.
List similar ingredients together and show the percentage by weight. For instance, sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup and grape juice concentrate are all forms of sugar and should be listed in parenthesis under the catchall heading “sugars.”
Use red labeling and the word “high” when a product has more than 20 percent of the daily recommendation for fats, sugars, sodium or cholesterol.
Make it clear which sugars are added to the product versus those that occur naturally.
Display prominently the percentage of whole grains contained in a product.
List caffeine content.

To look at an example of the suggested changes, click on the image above.

I was especially surprised by how much easier it is to read the ingredient list when lower case letters and bullets are used. I also liked the larger calorie information at the top of the label.

To learn more about the history of food labeling, here’s an interesting timeline from the Fooducate blog. And to learn more about the C.S.P.I. report, click here.

What do you think of the proposed label changes? Do you have suggestions for improving the food facts label?

World AIDS Day

justin.berk@gmail.com (Justin) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:23:00 +0000

I thought I would share two things to help commemorate this year's World AIDS Day.

First, a great video from avert.org:

Second, an Opinions piece I had in the Yale Daily News regarding World AIDS Day.

noreply@blogger.com (Dorothy) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:15:00 +0000

Do your relatives comment on your weight every time they see you? (chuckle) That's unfortunate. What if someone suggested you take a fitness class to help with your weight? Yup, that's right. PE. I guess that's what students at Lincoln University (in PA) are facing - except it's less of a suggestion and more of a mandatory PE class if you want your diploma. But if your BMI was 30 or above, would you accept that you'd have to go to PE every week?

As I was browsing through Yahoo Shine (their "Healthy Living" section), I came across this article here by Sarah Jio (Vitamin G, Glamour Magazine). I've copied and pasted it below.

Lincoln University in Pennsylvania created a mandate for obese students: If you're overweight, you must take a fitness class--or else no diploma.

Here's how it works: The university requires that incoming students get tested for body mass index, which correlates to height and weight. Students with BMIs 30 or above--considered obese--are required to take a 3-hour-a-week class called "Fitness for Life."

According to the AP, Tiana Lawson, a 21-year-old senior, wrote in this week's edition of The Lincolnian, the student newspaper, that she "didn't come to Lincoln to be told that my weight is not in an acceptable range. I came here to get an education."

She says she feels that larger students are being "singled out." Yet, a University spokesperson said its only trying to help. "We know we're in the midst of an obesity epidemic," said James L. DeBoy, chairman of Lincoln's department of health, physical education and recreation. "We have an obligation to address this head on, knowing full well there's going to be some fallout."

Public Health Lunches!

noreply@blogger.com (George) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:32:00 +0000

Every Friday,the Y Public Health Coalition sponsors an amazing professional in a public health-related field from 12:30-1:30pm in the Silliman Dining Hall Annex (before you swipe in on the left).

Come check them out anytime! These are very personal gatherings that you don't want to miss!

Wine and Dine in the Oh-Nine -- A CDE Event!

noreply@blogger.com (Jenn Wu) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:59:00 +0000

Warning! Reading this blog on an empty stomach is not advised...You have been warned.

Just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to all the CDE'ers who trekked through the rain to come to our first CDE event of the year! And another special thanks to Prakash for telling us/lending the community center to us. Honestly, potlucks are the way to the start the year with your division. It was a great turn out despite the weather and it was a great opportunity to meet your classmates especially for those who haven't had a chance to meet everyone!

Here's a little tip for division reps:

1. Don't have a place? We just mass e-mailed everyone about it and someone offered a place to us.

2. Don't know how to cook? One word: caterer. There's so many affordable places near by. And don't forget it is a potluck you can always ask others to bring food over.

Anyways, we, the CDE reps, hope you enjoyed attending the party.

Woohoo! Go CDE!

Toodles!

Your CDE Reps,

Sara, Roxana, Unjali, and Jenn

Flu Tip

noreply@blogger.com (Garett) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:48:00 +0000

Some myths about the H1N1 from the guys of Mythbusters.

Save Water

noreply@blogger.com (Ji Im) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:53:00 +0000

In our Environmental Health TA session this morning, a student shared one way to conserve water: Brazil - Save Water...Pee in the Shower Commercial

The Toilet Man

noreply@blogger.com (Garett) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:56:00 +0000

When I walked into my office building today, I thought it was going to be like any other day. Go to my office. Drop off my bag. Take out my lunch from my bag and go to the pantry room to put it in the fridge. Fill up my water bottle. Get a cup of coffee. Go back to my office. And really begin the day.

Of course, that all changed when I got out of the elevator and heard my boss yelling out my name.

A few weeks ago, she emailed my department asking for volunteers for an internal training video that they were doing on hospital room infection/contamination. I replied late and said that if they were in a bind and were up for my William Shatner-style of acting, then I'd be down. Never heard back from her, so I figured I wasn't selected - which is fine. It adds to my growing number of audition rejections that includes MTV's Real World and a Kaiser Permanente commercial ad.

Well, apparently they were in a bind. They were shooting the video this morning and needed someone to play a male patient. My boss asked if I was free, so I checked my schedule and I was. Within an hour, I was taking the bus down to the main hospital campus and went to the hospital room where they were shooting the video. They gave me a hospital gown to put over my work clothes, taped an IV tube on my arm, and gave me my directions.

My role was a male patient who had gone to the bathroom. My directions were to flush the toilet, move my IV unit outside the bathroom door, wash my hands as I talked to my nurse, and then go back holding the IV unit. The point is that I had contaminated the IV machine with my unwashed hands and that the nurse contaminated herself by touching the same spot afterwards. Seemed simple enough, though I did ask what my motivation was. I also asked if they wanted me to go to the bathroom for real. There was no scripted dialogue either, so I was allowed to improvise and say whatever came natural to me. They were in trouble for doing it.

We ended up doing something like 8-9 different takes of the scene. As a side note, this should only be like a 1 minute scene. There was a lot of discussion about the angle they should shoot the scene. There was even a debate whether or not I should flush the toilet. After getting through 2 complete takes of the scene, it was a wrap and they moved on to the next scenes. I changed back to my work clothes and soon after, took the bus back to my office building. And it was just about when I got to my office and saw my office-mate, when it hit me.

I am now the Toilet Patient of the hospital. Or at least to those who see me in the video for whatever training purposes they are using it for. What a way to start out at a new place, eh?

The Quarter Life Crisis

noreply@blogger.com (Garett) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:38:00 +0000

Most of us have heard of the term "mid-life crisis" before, but I think the more appropriate term that most people at our stage in life can relate to is the term "quarter-life crisis." Now how does one define this syndrome? Well, it's simple. It's a period in your life, I would say anywhere and anytime during your 20s although it could occur earlier or later, when you ponder about the most basic question, "what am I doing with my life?"

Then, you freak out.

Have you experienced it before? Are you experiencing it now? Will you experience it in the future? Chances are that you have or will be afflicted with this at some point. The severity will vary depending on the person. And that's okay. You're not alone.

I am reminded of this phenomenon after talking to a friend of mine, who probably introduced me to this term - jokingly of course - a few years ago. We've been friends since undergrad and every so often, like good friends do, we just talk about the future. Our goals. Our visions. Our aspirations. Of course, many of those ideas like starting my own film company or creating a reality show called "Idiotic or Genius" haven't quite gone into fruition yet, although you never know what tomorrow brings. But others have.

For me, my freak out moment wasn't just one isolated moment when everything clicked. It was a series of events starting with just my experiences working at a very small non-profit mental health center. I was doing community outreach workshops for ESL refugees for an entire year. And when I graduated, the program was terminated. Done. Over. Those ESL refugees? They didn’t get any of the programming that we provided them. While things like this happen in the real world, I was just more shocked at the price tag for my program. The only payment I received was a subway stipend, which amounted to about $150 a semester. We didn’t charge the refugees for the workshop. Someone deemed that paying $300 a year to help about 15 patients wasn’t going to be worth it anymore.

About two years later, while working at a very large non-profit mega organization, I began to experience back pains. While I joked about how I was getting old, the real reality is that no 20-something year old person should be experiencing back pains at work and that something was wrong. My department sent in an ergonomic consultant and after some examination, it was determined that my chair was always broken and was causing my back pains. They sent me to the chair department (I am not kidding), whose job is to order chairs for people. I tried a few out and ultimately I chose a chair that gave me the sense of power. And by power, I really meant the ability to swirl. The department lady said she’d take care of it and I asked how much it’d cost. $600.

That cost value always stuck with me, especially after I applied to public health schools in epidemiology. One chair at this company would equate to about two years of outreach programming at the other company. Pocket change to one company would mean a lot elsewhere. However, a larger issue is that even if that mental health center had the money, would they make the most out of it? To me, efficiency problems and the lack of skill set was going to sink the center regardless. For every dollar they had in the bank, they would only really get 10 cents out of it. But why not 30?

To me, it didn’t seem right. Another friend of mine always joked that when you leave Berkeley, every student has a “save the world” complex. Well, while fixing these inefficiencies wouldn't necessarily save the world, it was a step in the right direction. It will make a difference. And this vision is what led me to leave my job, leave my interest in research/epidemiology behind, and pursue health management so I could learn the vocabulary of that world and hopefully go back to institutions like that mental health one and make a difference. It felt right to me.

Now, a little over two years after I made that decision, I find myself with a MPH degree, over a month into a new job at a hospital, and living in a city that I never fathomed being in since I hate their baseball team so much (still do). I have no idea whether this career path that I’m on now is the final career path of my life and my calling. I don’t even know if hospital administration is my thing, let alone carrying a Crackberry around (my gut says that this is not). But I think the key thing is you have to figure out your overall interest and then take chances to see if the environment, work, and lifestyle can help you develop that interest further. For me, I know health care is where I want to be. In what capacity remains to be seen, but going back to school was how I addressed my quarter-life crisis and made what I call a “life course correction” in order to get on the path that I wanted to be in... which was to do something that mattered to me.

I have thought a lot about my friend who introduced me to the "quarter life crisis" term as she is going through it now. She mentioned the frustration and pressure she feels given her perception that everyone she knows has it together and is focused in their lives while she feels that she is not. I have thought about the stories I've heard from friends I've made in the past two years at school. Some of these friends are going through similar issues and questioning whether the path they took in going to grad school was the right decision. One is looking at other options. Another is handling the disappointment that comes with realizing that the career and job they thought they would do isn't right for them.

The point I mention these stories is this. It's impossible for most of us to really answer that question, "what am I doing with my life?" What's more important is putting yourself in a position to see whether you can answer the questions, "do I like what I'm doing and do I see a future in this?" And if you can't, it's time for a "life course correction." This is one path towards getting out of that quarter life crisis funk. That or a lot of heart to hearts with friends over the phone, coffee, IM, e-mail, etc.

Either way, if you're in a funk like this one, you're not alone.

One survey at a time: An Internship Update

noreply@blogger.com (Ji Im) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 03:49:00 +0000

Unjali shares her childhood happy accident:

When I was younger, my dream was to become a doctor. I always knew that I wanted to help people improve their lives, and I was interested in healtcare, therefore I figured a career in medicine would be the best option for me. I made becoming a doctor my goal and I worked really hard to make it happen. Everything was going according to plan until one fateful day in the 2nd grade. A freak accident during a routine art project caused me to staple a piece of construction paper to my left index finger. My teacher promptly sent me to the nurse’s office and it was on the walk up that I discovered I would never become a doctor. At the first sight of blood oozing from my wound, I began to feel nauseated. I fainted right on the spot. So there I was, a scrawny seven year old, passed out on the grass in front of the nurse’s office, with a shattered life’s dream and a piece of freaking construction paper stapled to my finger.

Fast forward approximately twenty years later. My desire to help people improve their lives through the betterment of their health still remains. Only now, the approach is much different. Instead of through treatment, the improvements come through prevention. To find answers to the questions that need to be asked, however, is a daunting and tedious task. As students of public health, we inveribly read study after study about this or that. Sometimes we might scoff at a sample size that we deem too small, or wonder why the researchers didn’t take a closer look at something. It is not until we, ourselves, actually try and complete these studies that we realize just how much work actually goes into them.

A study that I am currently working on calls for data to be collected on 200 patients via written survey. Easy enough….or so I thought. At any given day in the clinic, the doctors may see 40 patients. Half of them, however, usually are not eligible to participate. Out of the remaining 20, half have already completed the survey at a prior visit. That leaves maybe 10 eligible patients, some of whom don’t want to participate, and some of whom I miss because I am busy interviewing someone else. Most days in the clinic, I spend 8 hours on my feet, running back and forth, trying to talk to people, only to come away with maybe 5 interviews. And that’s if I’m lucky. As harrowing as it is sometimes, I always leave the clinic feeling really happy. In my mind, each and every survey is like gold. While one survey alone may not be that big of a deal, each one is a part of something that is much bigger than myself. Each one is a contribution. Each one is a piece of the puzzle that will eventually serve to unlock the answers to questions that may help people improve their heath and wellbeing. And the best part is, I can do it all without seeing a single drop of blood. That is of course, provided I don’t staple the surveys to my finger.

[Don't forget to send in your update to get posted on the blog! E-mail your story to Ji!]

Acumen Fund Student Leaders Workshop

justin.berk@gmail.com (Justin) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 02:16:00 +0000

Earlier this summer, 17 students from across the US and around the world came together in New York City to talk about one thing: social entrepreneurship. I was privileged to participate in the Acumen Fund's inaugural Student Leaders Workshop and the experience was insightful, exciting, and humbling all at once.

While the workshop focused on poverty alleviation and development through "patient capitalism," many of the lessons I took away from the program have significant implications for all things public health. (It seems, after all, the more public health courses I take, the more I recognize the importance of well-structured, well-managed, sustainable interventions that truly address the needs of the people served.) The solution? More focus on market mechanisms.

While market mechanisms may not work for everything (read: health care in the US), there is definitely something to say for the empowerment of the underserved by supporting a long-lasting business economy, not providing charity and aid alone. Organizations like Kiva, Ashoka, Skoll Foundation, Echoing Green, and Acumen Fund are recognizing the potential for growth, and "social returns" in a new and emerging market populus: the poor. By targeting the "base of the [economic] pyramid," companies can find new opportunities for profit while including underserved populations in to the global economy. And not just as consumers, but producers too. It's worth looking up if you haven't done so before. Check out #socent on Twitter if you really want to see what's going on.

Our student group was also fortunate enough to hear the enthusiastic words of businessman, marketing guru, best-selling author, and activist Seth Godin. He offered a lot if interesting wisdom and a challenge to young students to fight against the status quo and truly make a difference in the world. One of his pearls worth listening to: "Don't go to medical school."

The group of passionate, out-spoken, intelligent students (of whom I came across clearly by mistake) came to the workshop each offering their unique skills, vision, and ideals. Each left with enthusiasm to continue the work of creating positive social change and each left with a determination to continue the push for a social movement to end global poverty.

Currently, the group is working on developing a new product that will help spread awareness for the ideas of social entrepreneurship in bringing about change in poverty alleviation, health, and sustainable energy. Additionally, a viral film is in production to bring people together from all over the world to see what changes can be made through social enterprise (Find out more here or get involved here)

Let's get to work.

SoCal Stories - An internship update

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Nelb) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:35:00 +0000

Unji Gujral shares an update from Southern California...

Greetings everyone from sunny Southern California! Not to brag, but the weather here is absolutely amazing!!! I hope everyone is enjoying their summers and having a wonderful time at their respective internships. I have been working at the Chao Comprehensive Cancer Center at the UCI Med Center for about a month now. The Med Center is located in the heart of Orange County, California (or as many people know it, "The OC"). I am just a stone's throw away from Disneyland and Angel Stadium, although I have yet to visit either place since being back home. My job here consists of interviewing patients in the clinic, completing retrospective chart reviews, attending lectures and symposiums, and working with our dear friend, SAS. To be honest, the retrospective chart review aspect sucks. While looking through these charts, I am forced to sit in a frigid room, by myself, for hours on end, with nothing but boxes of illegible medical records to keep me company. While the chart review is rather miserable, my favorite part of the experience by far is interviewing the patients in the clinic. All of the women I speak with have had some sort of gynecological cancer, ie cervical, ovarian, uterine, etc. The majority have had complete hysterectomies, and have gone through multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation as a part of their treatment. What amazes me about these women is their strength. Despite their circumstances, they are happy. They approach what is dealt to them with amazing attitudes and brilliant outlooks on life. Perhaps my favorite patient thus far is a woman named Monica. I had the pleasure of meeting her when she came to the clinic for a follow up after her last round of chemotherapy. Monica can best be described as a vibrant Hispanic woman in her 40's who exudes an aura of warmth and kindness. The second she walked into the clinic she gave hugs and kisses to all of the nurses and smiles to all of her fellow patients. Like most patients, she was more than happy to sit and chat with me. She told me that she loved coming to the clinic because she got to see her "boyfriend" (the attending physician that she admittedly has a crush on). When I asked her how she was feeling after her treatment she replied with a smile and said "I feel great! I am not going to let this disease get me down. Oh, and girl, I know I still look good, with hair or without!" After our interview, she left me with a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek. I only spent 20 minutes with her, but I know I am going to remember Monica for a very long time.

I am not sure what I was hoping to get out of this internship. Going into it, I think I was looking for some research experience, data for my thesis, and perhaps a publication. While I hope that I do attain those things, the lessons I am learning from the women I talk to are the things I will value the most. I am learning that the human spirit has a remarkable capacity to overcome. I am learning that strength comes in many shapes and forms. I am learning that if you want to find out what people need in order to improve their health and quality of life, all you have to do is be sincere in your caring, and ask them. I am learning that laughter and a good attitude really is the best medicine, preventative or otherwise. Most of all, I am learning about what I value in terms of a career in public health. I love putting faces to, and interacting with, the people whose lives we aim to improve through our work. While the chart reviews and the SAS may not always be so favorable, its all worth it when the Monicas of the world live to thrive and smile another day.

[Don't forget to send in your update to get posted on the blog!]

Global Health Leadership Initative a Success!

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Nelb) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:47:00 +0000

Check out Lauren Taylor and Betsy Bradley's article in the Huffington Post about the GHLI conference.

Here at Yale, the Global Health Leadership Institute is working to usher in this new era of global health work. From June 14-19, healthcare leaders from five countries will come together to learn with academic leaders in health management and grand strategy about what it means to be a part of this new generation of global healthcare leadership. Each delegation will arrive with a specific health system challenge that is a current priority for the country. The Conference design features include team-based learning, community-building using principles from organizational psychology and experiential problem-solving, and adequate time for group reflection. If successful, all delegations will leave with a clearer plan for addressing their countries' challenges and a new understanding about "what works" and what doesn't in developing effective leadership.

Does anyone have any good photos to post on the blog?

Health Care Reform Proposals Hearing Today!

noreply@blogger.com (Ji Im) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:25:00 +0000

Wednesday, June 24th: Streamline video available on http://www.cnn.com/.

Rolling on...

jacepeda@gmail.com (Javier) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:58:00 +0000

Dear friends,

It's been a while since I last reported and I have been mostly waiting for something eventful to have happened. I have been to a few museums already, celebrated a few holidays with the locals, and proceeded with my research plan. The people at the NGO have been extremely helpful assisting me with certain logistical issues. The NGO does a lot of work with commercial sex workers and I will soon be going in their van to observe some outreach work. On Thursday I finally got IRB approval here and so I am good to go with my research. Tomorrow I will be going to a narcology clinic (basically a clinic where they treat drug abuse) to deliver my survey and informed consent forms as well as compensation for participating in the study. It's kinda crazy how all of this stuff that was once all jumbled in my head a few months ago is now coming to reality. I suppose that is one of the greatest aspects of doing research. In the mean time, I thought I would share this video of a few Russian kids and one conspicuously larger, older, and bare-chested Russian kid dancing the night away (btw - the video was taken at 9:00 pm. Since St. Petersburg is so far north, the sun sets very late in the summer for a period known as "beliy nochi", or "white nights"). I am curious to hear how everyone else's summer is going so please post something.
Thanks and hope all is well wherever you may be!

Innovative uses of condoms, as reported by UNFPA country officers

noreply@blogger.com (LesleySue) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:46:00 +0000

Note: the stories here won't be found in official UN country reports, as they are transcribed from a night out drinking with my colleagues, but I assure you they are true...

It is UNFPA/UN Cares/UNAIDS policy to have condoms available at all office bathrooms. A friend at the office who used to work in Paupa New Guinea noticed that every time a new supply was put out, it would be gone. So she finally asked the women working in the office, "where are all the condoms going??". She looked over to see her colleague with an opened wrapper, using the condom's lubricant on her arm - as a moisturizer. :)

Similar stories began to unfold this evening, out to dinner with friends. Here's a brief summary:

UN Papua New Guinea: women use lubricant from the condoms as moisturizer

UN Jordan: women open up condoms to store their earrings and other jewelry in transit

Thailand: male students use the lubricant covered condoms to shine their shoes for their school uniform

Vietnam: youth catwalk fashion shows w/ outfits made of condoms & pills (see photo)

Sign the SustiNet petition!

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Nelb) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:31:00 +0000

A note from the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut. Please sign and forward!

SustiNet has passed the state House and Senate and will arrive on the Governor's desk very soon. Please add your name to the call for Governor Rell to sign SustiNet into law.

Sign the petition

We need your signature on the petition, but we also need you to reach out to your friends, family, and networks and ask them to sign it as well. Time is short -- we want to have all of our signatures ready by Monday, June 15.

Once Governor Rell has the bill, we will deliver your signatures to her office. Tell Governor Rell -- Connecticut needs health care we can all count on!

More information:
SustiNet Explained (pdf)
House vote
Senate vote
Language of SustiNet -- Public Act 09-148

Tweet, Tweet, Tweet

noreply@blogger.com (Garett) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:13:00 +0000

I first "discovered" Twitter about a year ago during my internship. I was looking at conventional and unconventional ways of how companies improve their customer service relationships when I stumbled upon this blog entry about how JetBlue was using Twitter. I thought it was pretty fascinating and not just because the article started with a William Shatner reference. I found it interesting because it begs the question, were companies like JetBlue and Comcast using Twitter to help improve customer service or were they using it more as a PR/marketing gimmick?

And most importantly, could Twitter even be used in health care?

At the time, I concluded no. To most people, when I said the word "Twitter" at the time, I was met with blank stares (until recently, I also got this while saying "Star Trek"). No one really used it or even heard about it. "What the hell are you talking about?" was the comment question. Yet, as I searched through "Tweets," I couldn't help but be impressed by the vast number of users out there and the significant number of entries about their health care experience. Yet, I wondered how health care organizations like hospitals could use Twitter? Could they even interact with patients this way? I've taken way too many HIPAA "training courses" to know this may be a bit dicey.

Of course, what a difference a year can make. I think Twitter has definitely made a foothold in popular culture, with celebrities, news reporters, and even law makers writing Tweets regularly. It's even helped build community on the information superhighway.

In health care, Twitter has been used in some conventional and unconventional ways. At the health IT conference I attended, various attendees tweeted their experiences at the various panels. For a friend of mine in NYC, she was able to follow along the Tweets with the general highlights and news of the conference without actually attending and being there. Children's Medical Center in Texas recently earned the distinction of tweeting a kidney transplant live in order to bring awareness to the condition among children. And even politicians are adding to the healthcare tweeting dialogue, especially in the smackdown arena.

But has it really been leveraged as best as it can be? Does Twitter have more potential in health care? Have we not used it to the best degree in our field of work? I don't know. But there are a lot of possibilities.

As I walked by a Metro newspaper stand in NYC, I noticed the front page headline: "Study: Twitter's Close to Completely Useless." Do you agree? Do you Twitter? Feel free to discuss!

(And now hear what Conan thinks of Twitter at the 5:13 mark...)

Taking my ideas to Congress!

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Nelb) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:52:00 +0000

Hey YPH blog readers,

Sorry it's been awhile since my last post, but I've been busy presenting my ideas for health reform to Congress! This past Monday, the Roosevelt Institution as well as Senator Bingaman and Senator Lugar helped me organize a briefing in the Capitol for me to present my new Brookings Institution paper on automatic enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP.

We had a number of really top experts from think tanks across DC discussing my paper, which was a little intimidating, but also really cool. Overall people really seemed to like it, and now we're going to begin the task of trying to get the idea included in health care reform!

I can't wait to hear more aboutwhat you're all up to this summer...

Thailand National AIDS Seminar, 27-29 May 2009

noreply@blogger.com (LesleySue) — Thu, 28 May 2009 07:11:00 +0000

Hello friends!

To continue in Javi’s footsteps, here’s an update from my summer in Bangkok, Thailand. I arrived at BKK late Friday evening and spent Saturday and Sunday exploring my neighborhood and even managed to navigate the mall to get my cell phone service set up.

Monday was my first day at the UN – I finally got to meet my preceptor, whom I’ve been corresponding with via e-mail for the past 6 months, and other friendly colleagues. I sit at a cubicle in an office with members of the UNFPA Thailand country office and the East Asia/Southeast Asia regional office. I’d say one of the most notable bits to share from here is that the food is DELICIOUS and SO inexpensive! The UN building has 2 cafeterias with international cuisine and traditional Thai dishes, and then there’s a café with sandwiches, salads, etc. I’d say I pay an average of $1-2 for my meals (good sized portions, too!)- with a drink, dessert, and after-meal coffee, I’ll probably pay max $4 in all. :)

Now onto the more important stuff…! Today, I was fortunate to attend the Thailand National AIDS Seminar, held at a huge convention center in Bangkok.

---
Photos: archway at the convention center. 'Walking condoms'

This is the 12^th annual seminar, originally started in conjunction with the US CDC, the International Epidemiological Association (IEA), and other leaders in HIV/AIDS in the Asia Pacific region, but has now grown into a large scale 3-day event, expanding beyond members of the HIV community to the general population (elementary school to college-aged students, clinicians, people living with HIV, political leaders, celebrities…. everyone, really!).

photo: Prime Minister of Thailand

The seminar is organized into plenary sessions of leaders discussing key issues in HIV (female condoms, ‘staying negative’, etc.) and a large exhibition room with over 100 booths from community based organizations and NGOs, providing blood tests, screenings, and information on counseling, medication, and prevention. Posters from recent investigations and journal publications were on display. There was also entertainment provided by local dance troupes and musicians.

The opening ceremonies featured remarks from the ministry of health, a woman living with HIV, and the prime minister of Thailand. I got a quick translation after the audience erupted in laughter when the woman living with HIV looked to the prime minister and asked “Sir, can you please be a good role model to our country and have one partner?”. Later in the opening session, the PM did respond directly to her question and said that it would be no problem to stay with only his wife.
The UNFPA had a booth next to UNAIDS, UNICEF, the World Bank, and other UN agencies. The UNFPA Youth Advisory Panel was on board to distribute information, host a quiz game with prizes, and get people to sign up for the online HIV/AIDS Solution Exchange program. There were booths sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, sex worker and MSM advocacy groups, and youth organizations. One of my favorite sites was of a traditional Thai farming basket carrying exotic fruits and… condoms! They gave them out to everyone. :)

Oh, another quick note… I almost forgot about my ‘encounter’ w/ swinefluness during my voyage over the pacific. It looks as though several airlines and airports have taken (in my opinion) more extreme cautions concerning H1N1. I took ANA from DC to Tokyo then Tokyo to Bangkok. All flight attendants working for ANA are required to wear facemasks at all times on board. I also noticed several passengers sporting the masks. Every passenger on the flights arriving in Japan and in Thailand is required to fill out a medical form, stating the purpose of travel, prior stays before travel to destination, and a series of yes/no questions on H1N1 symptoms. A few hours before we landed in Tokyo, an announcement was made that ‘a passenger on board has reported potential symptoms and the flight will be inspected upon arrival. Thank you for your patience with the delay…”. When our flight landed, health officials and quarantine inspectors came on board to look at the passenger ‘with symptoms’ on board, and also to test everyone who sat within 5 rows in either direction. Lucky for me, I was sitting just a few rows before the inspection zone and was able to deplane with just a 15-minute delay.

Whoops, didn’t mean to write this much! Hope everyone has had a great start to the summer!

~Lesley

Graduation Speeches Now on the Blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Nelb) — Tue, 26 May 2009 06:16:00 +0000

Congratulations Class of 2009!

Check out the graduation speeches written by some members of our class, and check back soon for ways to share photos, videos, and post-graduation plans.

See below for a word cloud of all the speeches...

Robert Nelb: Why Public Health?

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Nelb) — Tue, 26 May 2009 05:59:00 +0000

This spring, when I wanted to avoid working on papers and projects, when I was tired of looking for jobs and worried about paying off my student debt, I found solace in the latest addition to the Yale Public Health community, our new, totally unofficial, public health blog.

Click here for more

On this simple site, I could flip through photos of the desserts at our latest happy hour, I could watch YouTube videos with SAYPH’s advice on how to Mingle Till You Tingle, and I could follow the triumphs and the ultimate tragedy of our beloved Outbreak softball team.

In addition, I could also read about the great speakers coming to campus, like the President of Liberia, who just came to thank Yale for helping to improve the country’s health care system. I could see the impact that our school was having at community events, like the recent AIDS Walk, where YSPH brought the largest team in all of New Haven, helping the event raise over $30,000. Best of all, I could follow the latest adventures and accomplishments of the amazing people who make this place so special.

Indeed, with over one thousand visits and nearly one hundred posts, this blog has quickly become a microcosm of our School of Public Health, and a reminder of why I love it so much.

Now, in case you’re trying to Google Y Public Health (dot) blogspot (dot) com on your smartphone right now, I should warn you that it’s not so easy to find. The title doesn’t begin with letter “Y” as in Yale, but rather with the question why – W-H-Y. The reason for this play on words is purely practical, of course – I may not be graduating here today if the Yale Corporation found out that I used the their name to post pictures from wine tasting or videos of Borat.

Nonetheless, today, on this graduation day, the wording seems to hold a deeper meaning. After two years of learning how to do public health, it’s fitting to reflect on why we do public health. What is our reason, what is our motivation, what is our purpose? If you’re anything like me, I’m sure that you’ve had trouble explaining to your parents what this field is all about, and so, with friends and family around us today, now is our chance to set the story straight.

A basic definition of why you’ve been studying public health these past few years might naturally begin with your coursework – the set of skills you’ve gained from this place – epidemiology, study design, policy analysis, etc. We study public health because it is interesting, because it challenges us to think outside the box, and gives us a set of tools to understand some of the world’s most pressing challenges. CEA Winslow, the founder of the Yale School of Public Health famously defines the field as “the science and art of preventing disease and promoting health.” At Yale, we are blessed to receive a world-class education from faculty who are both renowned scholars of science and wonderful practitioners of the art of compassion.

But of course, anyone who has spent too long in the windowless Winslow auditorium can tell you that the subject matter is not enough to explain why we do what we do. We need some sunlight! Public health is an applied science that aims to take what we know and make a difference in the lives of others. Our class knows this lesson well, and in just a few short years here, we’ve already made a tangible impact: we’ve fought to make New Haven’s streets safer, we’ve delivered health education in El Salvador, and hopefully later this month we will have helped to pass comprehensive health reform here in Connecticut.

And yet, while it easy to list our accomplishments, we also know that the work of public health is not so simple. We don’t always succeed, and along the way, there seem to be a million roadblocks: We try a new intervention and find a null result. We publish a study that few people read. We speak truth to policymakers only to see further inaction. And so we must return to the central question: why, why do we even try?

Something deeper must pull us on to do this work of public health. Something more than outcomes and evaluation metrics. Something more than fame or fortune. Something more, something greater than ourselves.

This driving spirit, I think, is with us here today. I’ve seen it in the hugs of friends and family. I’ve seen it in the shared stories on our new blog. I’ve seen it on the streets of Dixwell and Dakar. It is the spirit of community, the belief that helping the least among us makes us all stronger, the faith in our greater humanity, that truly drives us on to do the work of public health. This is our motivation. This is our purpose.

Unfortunately, this spirit is sorely missing in our world these days, and outside of the comforts of Yale, it may be easy to forget the calling of community. We live in a world where Wall Street bankers tempt us with short-term profits at the expense of long-term interests. Where gated communities allow us to live in comfortable ease rather than confront the disparities in our midst. And where even our neighbors ask us how much we make, rather than how much we give.

At the end of the day, however, it is precisely because the challenge is so hard, because the odds are so steep, that our work of public health is needed now more than ever before. We may not know everything and we may not always succeed, but together we can make our communities just a little bit stronger. And so, Class of 2009, as we go forth today into the wide-open world, hold fast to your Yale Public Health degree, your Why Public Health degree. May we always remember why we do what we do.

Happy video!

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Nelb) — Tue, 26 May 2009 05:57:00 +0000

Nicole sends along this inspirational video to the Class of 2009 to help us enjoy this special moment...

Garett Ng: Choose your own adventure

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Nelb) — Tue, 26 May 2009 05:55:00 +0000

Good afternoon my fellow graduates.

When I think of the past two years here at the School of Public Health, I can’t help but think how we all got here is sort of like being in a Choose Your Own Adventure book. Remember those books? They’re great.

But seriously. Life’s like a Choose Your Own Adventure book. Or as Professor Paltiel would say, a decision tree. All of us here have had a wide variety of experiences that has brought us all together at this point. Some of us have come internationally to study here. Some have worked in a variety of labs and non-profit organizations. Some came straight here from undergraduate studies or even down the street. Wherever you came from, there is one thing that links us all. You selected that option to come here and turned to that page.

Click here to read more

My story is similar to yours. On one weekend, I was coming home from lunch and found the big Yale envelope in my mailbox. After saying a series of “colorful” metaphors, I tore open the package ready to scream and go delirious from being one step closer to joining the Skulls and Bones when… I found out that I had someone else’s admission letter. My journey to Yale started by making a phone call not to all my friends and family that I’m going to Yale, but to the Admissions office and asking why I got Derek Ng’s letter and not mine.

And so for the past few years, while many of you may have gone through what’s known as the “imposter syndrome” and wondering if you really belonged here, think about me. I REALLY wasn’t sure if I belonged here. But like all of you, I stayed resilient and decided to seize the opportunity here.

What an opportunity it has been. It has flown by. I remember during our orientation when Dean Cleary gave a prediction about how we all came here with a specific goal and vision in mind with our studies. And how we would all leave more confused now that our eyes have been open to greater possibilities out there. It’s true, don’t you think? I no longer want to join the Skulls and Bones.

During my spring break, a friend asked me, “Was it worth it Garett?” - it being the two years here.

So, was it worth it? I have wondered that over the past few weeks especially as things started to wind down and I thought about all of the memories and experiences I’ve had during the past two years:

* Like coming back in the fall and hearing some of the extraordinary internship experiences that you had – from developing a fortified nutritional program in India, addressing nutritional policy and issues with the Rudd Center, to working in Africa in developing child services.
* Or sitting in a SAS lab and watching as a classmate got stressed out over coding, only to mitigate that stress by going on Facebook. And then, for me, coming up with a topic for my SBS intervention paper – internet addiction among graduate students.
* Or watching my teammate get tripped by the first baseman and fall to the ground in softball. Then seeing a whole posse of first year medical students eagerly applying their knowledge of diagnosis and triage a whole 5 feet away from my fallen teammate. And then watching as a public health student push through the med students to triage the teammate directly and take him to the hospital. This is public health right there! Taking action!

But going back to this main research question, was it worth it? I decided to do what any good public health student would do and that is to cook up a model in SAS. I apologize if this makes you cringe, but indulge me for a moment. I’ve always wanted to be an epidemiologist, and this is my one shot especially given my iffy grade in Dr. Dubrow’s class. And by the way, for the record, I just wanted to let you know that I used SAS version 9.1.3 for this. Please be sure to record this in the methodology section. So proc this.

First, my outcome variable is happiness during my time here. Since this is a binary variable, I used proc logistics. I made this model a function of a couple of very important variables. First, was the degree of self-reported stress exhibited during Mark Schlessinger’s first policy group project. Self explanatory. Second, the number of times I actually said ‘no’ to paper during sustainability week. Third, and most important, was the number of hours spent at 47 College doing SAS.

Obviously, my model is quite robust and contains many other variables, but I don’t want to bore you with the rest of the details. Let’s just say I came up with some really statistically significant findings. And there’s no issue of heteroskedasticity.

But more importantly, there are a wide variety of things I’ve learned from this analysis.

First, and I don’t think we do enough of this, enjoy this moment right now. Take a moment and look around this room. We are all fortunate to be here. You have heard the statistics before. 1/3 of the world population lives on less than a dollar a day. Only 30% of Americans even have a college degree. With people throughout the world with so much less means than we do, I hope you never forget – being here has been a privilege for us. I encourage you all to remember that and carry that with you no matter what path you go to.

Second, it’s a small public health world out there, yet the potential is huge to work together across disciplines. There are obviously a lot of issues out there in health care and it’s not going to be one area like epidemiology or another area like health management that will solve the problems. We need to work together and come up with a new way of doing things. We need to be innovative.

Finally, have fun and be passionate in whatever course you take. Life is too short to be unhappy. Smile. Joke. Be with the people that make you smile. Do the things that you love.

So let’s go back to where we stand today. We’re about to Choose Our Next Adventure. I joked with a recruiter how I picked the best economic time to leave school given all that we hear on a day to day basis on the news. But as I look around now, I know it is the best time to return to the field. Some of you all are already heading towards that next step. I mean, can you believe it? Working at the National Institute of Health. Leading the New York Department of Health. Getting a PhD. Informing policy decisions in the government. This is a fantastic start, but let us not forget that the work will not stop there.

We need good people like us to go out there and shed a light on the disparities that no one speaks about. We need good people to be courageous and take a stand that inequalities and suffering that still exist is not okay and that it needs to be fixed. We need good people to inspire others to make positive changes to health care. Which one of us will make the next, big discovery to revolutionize health care? Who will be the epidemiologist that launches that next great longitudinal study? Who in this class will win a Nobel prize for their new theory on environmental justice?

When Dr. Winslow chaired the School of Public Health, he led and guided healthcare reform in Connecticut. He positively impacted millions of people through his work. To my fellow graduates, I dare you to do better. Why not be the greatest class in public health history? Why not us? We have the capability to do it. It’s within our reach. This is the challenge that I offer you today. And I know we will rise up to meet it.

Thank you.

Akshara Menon: Small but proud

noreply@blogger.com (Rob Nelb) — Tue, 26 May 2009 05:52:00 +0000

Good afternoon,

We are here today to celebrate the graduation of the Yale School of Public Health’s Class of 2009 - perhaps one of the smallest classes in terms of actual number of students, but a class of great spirit…and in the words of noted anthropologist Margaret Mead- “Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Public health school has taught us many things. Our class has been trained in numbers with Biostatistics and many letters of public health – EHS, EMD, SBS, HPM, HPA, CDE, FGHIJKLMNOP….well-trained…
Click here to continue
But, I am often asked – what is public health? Well, public health can be defined as “the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals.” This is one of the earliest definitions of public health by Charles Edward Winslow, founder of our school of public health, better known to us students for Winslow Auditorium, our class home of freezing temperatures for most of our first year of education where we learned about P hat and the infamous John Snow.

This past two years has in some ways flown by, and we have learned a lot from our esteemed professors in the classroom setting, and have been given the gift of a skill-set that can help us be the change that we wish to see in our local, national and global communities.

But, these two years have meant so much more. Going beyond the classroom, textbooks and readings, as a class we have shared so many memories together--- from the many formals we have attended, including the medical school formals where public health took over the dance floor, our group struggles in 47 College trying to understand and decode SAS, the creation of the John Snow Society, to our relentless Outbreak softball team…we have been more than just a class. We have become family, a family that I know will continue past this graduation ceremony.

The time has come for us to embark on our next adventure…at this time, it is important for us to remember that while schooling may be over (for most of us, or for now), our education still continues…in the words of Tom Brokaw, we must think of our degree as a ticket to change the world. We must remember the inspiring words of Dr.Dubrow in our first year, to above all remember to fix the potholes in the sidewalks. No matter what paths we choose to take, we must never forget to have heart and show compassion for all.

As Dr. James Orbinski says, “We are responsible for our lives and for our world. And if we don’t engage that responsibility, no one else will and we will live or die with a legacy of our failures.”

My fellow classmates and dear friends, as the saying goes -

I hope your dreams take you to the corners of your smiles, to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities, and to the most special places your heart has ever known.

Thank you for making my public health school experience a truly memorable time. Good luck and Congratulations!