Frontlines - Spring 2019
Quick updates about the latest public health news from across the School and beyond
How should hospitals respond to climate change?
Hospitals should tackle climate change by taking steps such as better preparing for natural disasters and curbing their own greenhouse gas emissions, said Ashish Jha of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health at a recent Congressional hearing.…
Vikram Patel receives award for mental health research
Vikram Patel, professor in the Department of Global Health and Population at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Pershing Square Professor of Global Health in the Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School (HMS), has received the…
Do hospital mergers help patients?
A proposed merger of two large hospital systems in North Carolina could drive up prices and worsen quality of care for patients, according to health economists. An April 18, 2019 North Carolina Health News article outlined plans by…
Hospital readmission penalties’ effectiveness questioned
A U.S. program that penalizes hospitals with high readmission rates may not be as effective as previously thought, according to a new study. The study found that although hospital readmissions decreased among patients with heart failure in the…
Why companies need a global health strategy
Good health is a powerful driver of productivity, while health-related risks, such as infectious disease outbreaks, can cause immense disruption to businesses.
New technologies hold promise, challenges for global health
The sixth annual State of Global Health Symposium highlighted recent technologies in global health, and what it will take to turn them into scalable solutions.
What can design do for public health?
A leading public health expert and a leading design expert share what they’ve learned from each other and how the principles of design can be applied to address some of the world’s most complex health challenges.
Unpaid medical bills leading to liens on homes
Collection agencies are placing liens on the homes of people who have unpaid medical bills in Colorado, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Vermont, according to an investigative report from NBC News. Many of the medical bills arrive…
Nursing home fines lowered under Trump administration
The Trump administration has changed the way it penalizes nursing homes that violate health and safety rules—which has resulted in lower fines. According to a March 15, 2019 NPR article, the average nursing home fine dropped from $41,260…