ALLEGHENY COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN - In a perspective piece, HPM's Wendy Braund writes "Something has to change, because what we’re currently doing to stop the opioid epidemic clearly isn’t enough. It’s time for physicians in Allegheny County to embrace harm reduction." She mentions Naloxone, syringe service programs, opioid substitution therapies, and safe injection facilities as options to help end the opioid epidemic.
THE FISCAL TIMES - When drug giant Pfizer announced in July that it would roll back price hikes on its drugs, it made clear that the change was temporary. The company said Friday it is planning to raise the list prices on 41 of its drugs effective January 15. “The drug price pledges made earlier this year were just for show — it was obvious at the time, and it's obvious now,” said HPM's Walid Gellad.
WESA FM - For the first time since 2013, taxpayers won’t be penalized for not having health insurance. Some people might decide ACA-compliant coverage isn't something they need and instead might select a lower-cost “skinny plan.” HPM's Eric Roberts said it’s important to read the fine print before choosing this type of insurance.
APHA - Mara Hollander (HPM) presented a poster titled Financial Relationships with Pharmaceutical Companies are Related to Increased Opioid Prescribing at APHA's 2018 annual meeting. Hollander matched Medicare Part D claims from Pennsylvania clinicians with 2014 Open Payments data. The final sample included approximately 12,500 PA providers who had at least 50 opioid prescriptions and 10 beneficiaries.
THE ALMANAC - Associate dean for undergraduate nursing education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, KATHRYN PUSKAR (BCHS '78, HPM '81) has been inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame, one of 20 inductees for this year. “It’s really humbling. I feel very honored to be part of that cohort,” Puskar said.
FORBES - Congratulations to INMACULADA HERNANDEZ (HPM '16) for being selected as one of Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2019. She will be joining the
most exclusive club in the world of young entrepreneurs and game-changers. After graduating from Pitt Public Health with her doctorate, Inma has led work with heavyweight drug pricing researchers and quantified the full cost of recently approved CAR T cancer therapies.
PITTWIRE - The Dick Thornburgh Forum Disability Service Award goes to HEATHER TOMKO (HPM '19) for service that has made a difference in the lives of children and adults with disabilities. Her work in activism includes taking part in the Jewish Healthcare Foundation’s Jonas Salk Health Activist Fellowship, blogging on “The Heather Report” and creating the advocacy organization, Accessible YOUniverse.
JAMA NETWORK - What if the patient you are managing in the ICU is not asleep when you thought they were? In this podcast, HPM's DEREK ANGUS shares the latest research on the impact the ICU has on patients and best evidence-guided practices to help clinicians keep the patient at the center of care. "In the ICU there's a whole set of issues that get in the way of good communication," said Angus.
STAT - "President Trump’s timely speech about high drug prices addressed key problems that make drugs unaffordable for so many Americans, and for taxpayers in general. Although the effort put into addressing drug pricing by the Trump administration is impressive, the solutions proposed face insurmountable challenges. I worry that the plan will meet the same fate as prior proposals to change how we pay for drugs in Medicare Part B."
The NAHSE case competition is a scholarship program for students in health administration, business administration and public health. The team members were ABBY MONYEI (HPM '19), KEXIN CHEN (HPM '19) and DEBORAH WOKPETAH (HPM '20). "They really enjoyed the opportunity to develop their competencies during the competition... Plus, the networking during the NAHSE conference was invaluable for them," said HPM's KEVIN BROOM.
The 4th Annual Robbins Case Competition in Healthcare Management is a forum for master’s-level students to participate in a national case competition in health care management with a distinct financial/quantitative emphasis. EVAN ROMAN (HPM '19) CHANDLER CAUFIELD (HPM '20), and JUSTIN TAYLOR (HPM '20) competed as a team in this year's competition.
In a biodefense emergency - such as a terrorist attack using aerosolized plague - what are the needs of our country's 573 Tribal Nations? HPM"s TINA BATRA HERSHEY, assistant director for Law and Policy in the Center for Public Health Practice, recently contributed to a national report concluding that Tribal Nations need the opportunity to receive federal support in public health emergency preparedness planning.
Congratulations to the winners of the Kuzneski Innovation Cup, HPM and PHDL's MARK ROBERTS and JOHN GREFENSTETTE, JOHN CORDIER (HPM '18), and DEAN DONALD S. BURKE! 1st place went to FRED (a Framework for Reconstructing Epidemiological Dynamics), a software platform that simulates the spread of disease, mitigation strategies, & policy implications.The Kuzneski Innovation Cup is for Pitt students who are developing innovations that can positively ...
Congrats to HEATHER TOMKO (HPM '19) for receiving this award, given to Pitt students whose service has made a difference in the lives of children and adults with disabilities.
PITT WIRE - Three students from Pitt Public Health were selected for the inaugural class of The Milken Institute’s Future Health Leaders Program. The students, ASHLEY SIMENSON (EPI '19), JESSICA SALERNO (IDM '20), and KAITLYN SAAL-RIDPATH (HPM '20), are among a dozen of fellows selected nationwide. The program aims to give the students exposure to health leadership to help accelerate their future work tackling complex public health challenges....