
New study highlights barriers to contraceptive access for disabled Medicare enrollees
Researchers highlight how lack of contraceptive coverage by Medicare may prevent disabled enrollees from accessing contraception.
Contraceptive use is low among reproductive-aged people with disabilities who are enrolled in Medicare, according to a new study from the University of Pittsburgh that highlights how lack of contraceptive coverage by Medicare may prevent disabled enrollees from accessing contraception.

Nearly 6K kids in Allegheny County don't have insurance, statewide it’s 145K
Pennsylvania is one of just three states in which the percentage of uninsured kids increased in 2022, resulting in long term negative impacts on both educational and health outcomes, says Pitt Public Health's Marian Jarlenski.

Passing of HPM alumnus Robert H. Curry
Robert H. Curry, a ‘79 Pitt HPM alumnus and former Executive in Residence for the Department of Health Policy and Management, died November 27 at 70.

The deadline for Pennsylvanians to enroll in Pennie health insurance is Jan. 15
Coleman Drake, assistant professor of health policy and management, said that premiums on Pennie are going up by nearly 4% in 2024.

Pitt Public Health honors alumni at awards ceremony
The University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health recognized nine alumni for their outstanding service to the field of public health at an awards ceremony.

For three students, F + R + R equals funding to support health care access and affordability
For Donald Bourne, Alexandra Hames and Youngmin Kwon, F + R + R equals grant funding to support projects that focus on health care access and affordability.

Howard Degenholtz elected to board of Gerontology Society of America
Degenholtz will begin as vice chair-elect of the Social Research, Policy and Practice Section starting in January.
Pitt is part of a national effort to advance long COVID treatments
Professor of Health Policy and Management, Howard Degenholtz, will lead the evaluation component of the project, monitoring patient outcomes as well as the success of its overall implementation.

Allegheny County's school-age immunization report shows a downward trend that worries vaccine experts
Vaccination rates are going down, and they don’t have to go down much further for things to be problematic,” said Mark Roberts professor of health policy and management.

Nurturing a Living Legacy
Before long, Kevin Altomari (a self-proclaimed “easy cry”) is doing just that while speaking affectionately about his late wife, Dawn Gideon (HPM ’83). Known by many at the School of Public Health as the namesake of an annual seminar and scholarship program in the Department of Health Policy and Management (HPM), Gideon was a committed health care executive and inspirational leader.

Car crashes, alcohol consumption and vet visits: How legal recreational marijuana has changed Michigan, Illinois and more
Coleman Drake, assistant professor of health policy and management, cautions that alcohol consumption during the pandemic changed because people’s daily habits changed.

Policies favoring high-volume hospitals may disadvantage rural cancer patients
With a shortage of experienced surgeons in rural America and rural hospital closures, providing appropriate surgical care to rural patients can be challenging.

More adults think marijuana safer than tobacco despite similar health dangers, study finds
A recent flood of cannabis advertising makes it harder for officials to explain the different risks of marijuana smoking, vaping and edibles, said Coleman Drake, assistant professor of health policy and management.

Homeless Pittsburgh seniors struggle to find accessible housing, with shelters filling gaps
"It’s a slippery slope for aging residents," said Evan Cole, research associate professor in health policy and management.

Equality isn’t equity: Raising minimum wage linked to growing health disparities gap, despite health improvements
“We need to rethink wage policies in this country from the bottom up and bring in a level of nuance that wasn’t in the original policy,” Dr. Brittany Brown-Podgorski said.