By Kathryn Norcutt Kathryn Norcutt has been an active member of the healthcare community for more than 20 years. During her time as a nurse, she has helped people from all walks of life and ages. Now, Kathryn leads a much less hectic life and devotes most of her free time... Read More

  Video: Quick Minute with Gwen on Childhood Obesity and Diabetes In this episode of "A Quick Minute with Gwen", our President Gwen McKinney takes a minute to discuss a recent study that revealed that childhood obesity and diabetes rates in American youth are skyrocketing at an alarming rate. Gwen makes the point... Read More

The political controversy surrounding the Affordable Health Care Act hit a minor snag after a new report by the Urban Institute for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that only 7 percent of Americans would have to buy new health coverage (or pay the 5 noncompliance fee). The other 93... Read More

Two years ago, President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into effect, expanding health care coverage to 32 million Americans. Today, the fiercely debated mandate goes before the Supreme Court because of the law's controversial penalty clause — the bill requires that nearly every American purchase... Read More

Health disparities play a significant role in keeping our health care system ranked among the lowest of developed states. In the eleventh chapter of Voice Matters, Larry Adelman writes passionately about the challenges of health equity in the world’s richest nation. Spelling out common myths about health and health equity,... Read More

Video: RWJF President Risa Lavizzo-Mourey Accepts 2011 APHA Presidential Citation   By: Ryan Duncan   Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, MBA, President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) joined the ranks of Nelson Mandela, the National Association of Community Health Centers, the National WIC Association and families of public health workers everywhere as... Read More

Former HHS Secretary Says Diversity Is Key to Better Health  Dr. Louis W. Sullivan, the former US Secretary of Health and Human Services from 1989-1993 blames the lack of racial and ethnic diversity among the nation's health professionals for the growing gap in health disparities between whites and minorities.... Read More

Medicare Cuts Don’t Hurt Beneficiaries . . . So Far Despite the clamor and protest that accompanies even the slightest suggestion to reduce Medicare costs, especially among Medicare recipients and their advocates, the reality is cuts in the program have primarily targeted the providers. According to... Read More

IOM: Protecting Women and Wallets?NPR reported that the Institute of Medicine delivered a potentially game-changing announcement today: “it recommends that the federal government consider putting "the full range of Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptive methods" on the list of services for women that would be covered by insurers without a... Read More

Bridging Health Equity Gaps Through MentorshipIn the community of Lakeland, Fla., professionals in minority communities are seeing opportunities to close gaps for underserved students. One such professional is Dr. Alexander Mbakwem who wants to see more people who look like him in the medical profession.To help make that happen, he... Read More

For Better Health Care, Gold Card Only (If You Have One)Most European countries view the United States' health care system as crazy. Where most Europeans have access to health care, Americans (supposedly we're living in the land of plenty), are either paying high health care rates or forgoing treatment and medications due... Read More

New RWJF Directory Compares Hospitals and DoctorsBuilding on the growing trend to look for health care information online, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s just released a map-based directory designed to help users compare health care provided by local hospitals and physicians.  Foundation staff believe the directory will be especially helpful... Read More

“Are Doctors Playing Favorites”?Not everyone is happy about the Obama Administration’s plan to deploy “mystery shoppers” posing as patients and contacting doctors’ offices for appointments in an attempt to assess whether all people, regardless of type of health care coverage, are able to get care when they need... Read More

Troubling Trend: More Young Adults Living With DiabetesWhen we are young we think we can avoid health-related issues that happen to “to the other older person.” By that, meaning we can consume all the chips, fries, burgers, pastries, pizza and sodas we want, believing that time and youth can reverse... Read More

America’s Oral Health is in CrisisMore than a decade since the U.S. Surgeon General called America’s poor oral health a “silent epidemic,” oral health diseases remain prevalent among the nation’s underserved populations. Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans bear the burden of poor oral health more than any other racial or... Read More

Health reform is education reform Only one in 10 high school kids meeting the minimum goals for physical activity America's teens are drinking too many sugary drinks and not getting enough exercise, according to new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only one in 10 high school boys... Read More

J. Howard DeHoff, MD, of South Whitehall Township, is a primary care internist.Short-sighted GOP Steadily Dismantling Health ReformThe House GOP is gloating about the recent passage of HR 1216, which rescinds the funds obligated by the Affordable Care Act for training much-needed primary care physicians, but millions of Americans will... Read More

New Twist in Health Reform Legal BattleUp to now, the jurists hearing the case against the not quite 15-month old Affordable Care Act have responded along party lines—the four federal district judges appointed by Democratic presidents have ruled the law constitutional; the two Republican-appointed jurists say it is not.  More... Read More

Surviving the Night Shift at HospitalsNight time and weekend care might be good for the hospital’s bottom line; not necessarily for the patient.  According to health writer Sandra Boodman, night and weekend care often result in “higher rates of errors and poorer patient outcomes.”  The sparse staff and slower pace... Read More

Nurses Are Vital to Hospice, Outpatient and Primary Health Care The role of nurses has always been important in providing quality health care in hospitals; however, today’s nurses are transforming health care beyond hospital settings.  In addition to reinventing America’s approach to hospice care from “a service that provided a... Read More

Calling Males to the Counseling ProfessionMen are all but missing in the mental health profession reports the New York Times. Need Therapy? A Good Man Is Hard to Find (New York Times, 05/21/2011) reports that “men earn only one in five of all master’s degrees awarded in psychology, down from... Read More

Doctors’ Advice: Fewer Tests, Cheaper Health CareEveryone wants to save money, cut costs wherever possible while maintaining the best life. When it comes to doctors’ visits and tests, a primary care group is working to keep more money in your pocket. Recently, the National Physicians Alliance met with doctors in... Read More

Cultural Competency in Health Care Trailing Behind Nation’s Demographic ShiftsAs America’s racial and ethnic mix shifts rapidly to a majority minority nation, the need for cultural competency in health care increases. Oregon’s Democratic lawmakers get that. Unfortunately, their Republican colleagues don’t.   The Register Guard reports that a split partisan vote... Read More

May 8-14 is National Women’s Health WeekIn line with new safeguards and increased coverage for women provided in the Affordable Care Act, President Obama recently proclaimed  May 8-14 National Women’s Health Week.  Before the act’s passage, insurance companies could deny coverage to women because of previous events such as having... Read More

Florida Nursing Initiatives Transforming Health CareTwo Florida initiatives promise better health care delivery for patients.  The nursing-led initiatives—simulation technology for teaching and an innovative coalition of nursing, industry, and policy leaders look to maximize health care delivery in the state and serve as a model for transforming health care... Read More

Group Checkups Gaining GroundMost of us have on occasion asked a friend, relative or spouse to go with us to a doctor’s appointment but how many of us have actually shared an appointment with 9 or 10 other patients?  Dr. Ray Dorsey’s pilot study of group doctor appointments suggests that... Read More

Can Education and Money Buy Your Health?This may be odd to suggest that you can “buy your health,” but ask some folks in Florida. According to the following Florida Times Union article, the state’s southern most counties experience better health than those in northern Florida. They also have more college-educated... Read More

Healthy Communities: Improving Ourselves Inside and Out   Yesterday’s release of nationwide county health rankings prepared by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, paints a detailed picture of community health disparities and improvements. The annual rankings allow people to compare their county with others in... Read More

Why Your Zip Code Matters When It Comes to Your HealthWhen it comes to health, your zip code may be more important than your genetic code says the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in a report released a year ago in April.  Beyond Health Care: New Directions to a Healthier America... Read More

Health Care One Year Later: Keep Moving ForwardOne year ago, President Obama signed the much needed Affordable Care Act (ACA), health care bill into law—a feat long talked about and attempted by others. So where do we go from here? Republicans threaten to repeal the bill, but in place of... Read More

Let’s Eradicate Childhood Obesity!   Three cheers for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recognition that childhood obesity can begin long before school age. In a statement released yesterday, AAP said, “Feeding babies solid food before four months of age increases the babies' chances for becoming obese toddlers.”  The report also found... Read More

Remembering Reagan: Some Important Things We Can't Forget (That He Did!)   You can't miss him! He's all over your TV, radio, newspapers, and computer screen again. Ronald Reagan is back in the news, garnering lots of press, praise, fond memories, and accolades from his conservative friends, admirers, and benefactors in celebration of... Read More

King’s Dream of ‘Equality’ Still Unrealized   Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed in something far greater when he delivered his August 28, 1963, “I Have a Dream Speech” from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. King sought equality of life for all men and women as he spoke from our nation’s... Read More

Repeal “Obamacare”. . .  So What’s the Plan B?   Today, the Republican-led House will vote on the fate of President Obama’s health care bill. If the bill is repealed, Republican leaders will have stripped health coverage from 30 million uninsured Americans, including those already benefitting from the legislation.  From Medicare recipients... Read More

  New Year, A New Law, & A New Hope!   It’s never easy sifting through new legislation, and especially those laws like the soon to be year-old Affordable Care Act  that phases in programs and reforms over a number of years.  Coverage for the millions of Americans with “pre-existing conditions” does not... Read More

But you can be a voice for greater access to dental care.   By Donna Lewis Johnson                       A little girl with a pretty smile and pretty manners knocked on my door on Halloween. In her best angel voice, she sweetly asked for candy.  Against the moonlight, her mommy beamed while watching her daughter... Read More

"When Bull Elephants Fight . . . Let's Not Dismantle Health Care Reform"   by Pamela Taylor     I have to agree with President Obama; as "humbling" as the mid-term election results might be for his policies, Americans do not "want to re-litigate the health care reform debate or repeal some of the more popular... Read More