Eskenazi Health raising $60M to close health gaps
In March, Eskenazi Health launched a fundraising campaign to help it move the needle on health disparities. As of last month, its foundation had raised $57 million.
Public Health
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Indiana House pushes Senate to adopt increased cigarette tax
Discussion about a higher cigarette tax came as the House Ways and Means Committee, the powerful budget-drafters of the chamber, considered bills that address mental health and public health.
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House Republican plan would speed up Indiana tax cuts, boost vouchers
The spending plan also falls short of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s recommendations for public health funding,
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Funding-boost bill for Indiana public health program advances
State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box, several medical organizations and business groups urged lawmakers to support the plan, pointing to Indiana’s poor national rankings in areas such as smoking, obesity and life expectancy.
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In budget request, Holcomb doubles down on economic development strategy
The funding requests are part of the governor’s ambitious $3 billion “Next Level Agenda,” which calls on state lawmakers to approve historic investments in education, public health and state employee salaries.
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Articles
On COVID-19 response, Holcomb says he has ‘no regrets’
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb’s comments came following prepared remarks he made to the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, a group focused on state and local efforts to strengthen public health and defenses to biological threats.
Halverson leaving IU Fairbanks School of Public Health for Oregon job
Paul Halverson, the founding dean of the Indiana University Fairbanks School of Public Health, is a longtime advocate for a stronger role for public health across the state.
AI improved the state’s COVID tracking and response
Developments in artificial intelligence during the pandemic greatly improved the COVID-19 screening, diagnostics and prediction process, according to a 2021 study by the National Institutes of Health.
Indiana public health boost smaller than governor sought
Republican legislators are poised to direct only about two-thirds of the money that Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb sought toward tackling the state’s poor national rankings in areas such as obesity, smoking and life expectancy and improving local emergency services.
FBI director says COVID-19 ‘most likely’ originated from lab incident
Christopher Wray’s statement follows a Department of Energy analysis for a new government-wide intelligence assessment that a lab accident in Wuhan was most likely responsible for the deadly pandemic.
FDA’s advisers back plan to simplify COVID-19 vaccinations
The U.S. is poised to make COVID-19 vaccinations more like a yearly flu shot, a major shift in strategy despite a long list of questions about how to best protect against a still rapidly mutating virus.
Global-health group aims to launch new med school
The not-for-profit Tumaini Foundation for Global Health and Humanitarianism says it wants to train medical students with a special concern for the health of needy individuals and populations worldwide.
Health care costs among top Indiana legislative priorities
Hospitals are expected to come under more scrutiny and public health spending will be debated in this year’s Indiana General Assembly.
Spurred by regulators, 3M to phase out ‘forever chemicals’
Tuesday’s announcement comes as 3M is facing an onslaught of lawsuits from states and individuals who are claiming contamination from PFAS harmed their health.
Luke Kenley: State must boost public health spending
The former chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee will testify before that same committee to ask lawmakers to allocate an additional quarter-of-a-billion dollars annually toward public health programs.
Roche launches brand for at-home COVID test
The test is the first over-the-counter test distributed in the U.S. by Roche Diagnostics, which has its North American headquarters in Indianapolis.
Eskenazi, Cummins partner to bring portable market to food-insecure
A former IndyGo bus could start a second life by the end of the year—distributing fresh food, providing nutrition education and troubleshooting problems Indianapolis residents have applying for food stamps.
U.S. clears updated COVID boosters for children as young as 5
The FDA cleared the COVID-19 booster tweaks without requiring human test results—just like it approves yearly changes to flu vaccines.
Large study provides powerful evidence of long COVID’s lasting impact
Between 7 million and 23 million Americans—including 1 million who can no longer work—are suffering from the long-term effects of infection with the virus, according to government estimates.
IBJ Podcast: Program hopes to reduce infant mortality in Indy by focusing on housing
Host Mason King talks with Dr. Cameual Wright and Jack E. Turman Jr. about the Housing Equity for Infant Health Initiative, a program that will provide support for pregnant women and mothers with infants under 1 year old.
Indianapolis aims to get residents eating more fruits and vegetables
Indianapolis and Denver have been selected as two cities that will work with the Maryland-based Partnership for a Healthier America and the International Fresh Produce Association, a Delaware-based trade group, to try to double residents’ consumption of fruit and vegetables.
U.S. watchdog estimates $45.6B in pandemic unemployment fraud
The new estimate is a dramatic increase from the roughly $16 billion in potential fraud identified a year ago, and it illustrates the immense task still ahead of Washington as it seeks to pinpoint the losses, recover the funds and hold criminals accountable.
‘Out of control’ STD situation prompts call for changes
Sharply rising cases of some sexually transmitted diseases—including a 26% rise in new syphilis infections reported last year—are prompting U.S. health officials to call for new prevention and treatment efforts.
COVID shots for young kids arrived in June. Few have received them.
Doctors and public health experts never expected there would be so little interest in vaccines for young children.