Teen vaping hits 10-year low in United States
FDA officials noted that the drop in vaping didn’t coincide with a rise in other tobacco industry products, such as nicotine pouches, which have surged in use among adults.
Public Health
Articles
Boar’s Head expands recall to include 7M more pounds of deli meats
The recalls are tied to an ongoing outbreak of listeria poisoning that has killed two people and sickened nearly three dozen in 13 states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Recall of Boar’s Head deli meats announced during investigation of listeria outbreak
In central Indiana, Boar’s Head products are sold at Kroger, Needler’s Fresh Market and Fresh Thyme.
Marion County health care agencies plan east-side investments
This summer, the Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County will break ground on a multiyear, $170 million facilities improvement plan—the largest investment in the agency’s structures in decades—beginning with a new public health lab.
Fewer U.S., Indiana overdose deaths reported last year, but experts cautious
Prescription painkillers once drove the nation’s overdose epidemic, but they were supplanted years ago by heroin and more recently by illegal fentanyl.
Indiana AG Todd Rokita alleges inflated COVID-19 stats
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita accused public health entities across the state of submitting “faulty” and “unsound” data when it came to COVID-19’s death toll and positivity rate.
Study says U.S. maternal death rate crisis is really case of bad data
A new study calls into question the extent of the maternal mortality crisis in the United States, which has long posted a disproportionately high rate of maternal deaths compared with peer nations.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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,
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.
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.
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.
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.