Across the country healthcare systems are focused on ways to reduce variation in care, improve patient safety and more effectively use health information technology to improve clinical decision-making and outcomes. The Military Health System isn’t immune to such changes. In fact, within the military, there are additional imperatives for designing an integrated health system whichRead… Read more »
Designers are more commonly known for conceiving and crafting interiors, graphics, and clothing but the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) has partnered with design professionals to develop innovative strategies aimed at reducing the city’s rates of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among teens. Suzanne Elder, program director for CDPH’s Office ofRead… Read more »
With guest co-blogger Kendall Stagg, Director of Policy at Chicago Department of Public Health This month, the Chicago Department of Public Health was named “Local Health Department of the Year” by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), an association of more than 2,800 local health departments across the nation. TheRead… Read more »
You’ve got the best intentions, but let’s be honest – at the end of a long, draining day’s work, who really has the energy to hit the gym or hop on a treadmill? Yeah, me neither. Research suggests that you’re more likely to stick to an exercise routine if you schedule it in the morning,Read… Read more »
Written with guest blogger Matt Roberts, Informatics Project Manager Inadequate information management leads to incomplete decision-making. Public health and healthcare decision-makers’ eyes routinely glaze over once information technology is mentioned. Return on investment is difficult to pinpoint, and millions of dollars appear to fall into IT black holes as the proposed product often arrives behindRead… Read more »
The rise of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) specifically presents a unique opportunity to reinvent the relationship between the delivery system and community health, and to develop and implement sustainable business models that integrate the common agenda of medicine and public health. The triple aim of decreased costs, improved quality, and better population health further heightenRead… Read more »
Most jobs today require you to be stuck at a cubicle. If you are lucky, you have an ergonomic chair that allows you to maintain beautiful posture. As a physically active person I often cringe at the amount of time I spend behind a desk. Entering the workforce definitely took a toll on my body.Read… Read more »
Having the option to age independently within one’s community is often presented as a healthy alternative to more traditional assisted living options (e.g. the World Health Organization, AARP). In this option, community refers to more than one’s home. It refers to the built environment around us and individual and collective person environment fit. But howRead… Read more »
Diabetes is a complex chronic disease, suggested to be caused by a combination of genetic, behavioral and environmental factors. According to the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (CDC), 8.1% of the adult population of Chicago is estimated to have diabetes, a trend that has remained relatively unchanged over the past ten years. In lightRead… Read more »
From clean water supplies to the polio vaccine, the most effective public health interventions are typically preventive interventions and policies that help stop a crisis before it starts. However, predicting the next public health crisis has historically been a challenge. Thanks to new technologies, we innovate age-old public health workflows and methods of analysis. WeRead… Read more »