Public Health | Penn Today

An epidemic that affects us all

Public officials and medical experts meshed on stage for this year’s Silfen Forum, discussing the complex issues surrounding the nation’s opioid crisis.

Anti-vaccine parents are often white, college-educated, ‘Whole Foods moms’

The School of Nursing’s Alison Buttenheim and Janet Chrzan as well as Lindsay Glassman, a doctoral candidate in the School of Arts and Sciences, commented on anti-vaccine beliefs.

Taking wellness up a notch

The University has spent the past three years working with the Healthier Campus Initiative of the Partnership for a Healthier America, implementing 23 new policies that improve nutrition, physical activity, sustainability, and overall wellness.

If e-cigarettes help smokers quit, treat them as any other prescription medicine

Dan Romer of the Annenberg Public Policy Center wrote an op-ed about e-cigarettes and smoking cessation. “If these products are meant to shift cigarette smokers away from their habit, and if that is where their value lies, then let FDA evaluate their effectiveness as a smoking cessation device for smokers. If they prove to be effective, make e-cigarettes available by prescription only,” Romer proposed.

An implant to blunt opioid effects

A study by Penn Medicine researchers finds a slow-release naltrexone implant helps HIV patients with opioid dependence adhere to medications and prevent relapse.

Barriers and facilitators in treating opioid addiction in the ER

Despite effective medications for opioid use disorder, such as buprenorphine and methadone, few people receive treatment. The ongoing challenge is to expand access to these lifesaving treatments to people who need them the most.

Patients discharged to home care have higher rates of hospital readmissions

A Penn study highlights important tradeoffs between home versus nursing facilities as the cost for post-acute care rises and payment models shift.

An aerial view of buildings and a stadium in Philadelphia.

Behind the scenes, complex disease surveillance is protects the campus community

Beyond promoting vaccines and overall health education, Campus Health, the public health arm of Student Health Service, is watching for clusters of common illnesses, unusual diagnoses, and anything out of the ordinary.

Shining a (UV) light on hospital infections

A rolling, six-foot-tall UV light device assigned to each floor of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania rids hospital rooms of harmful organisms after every discharge, preventing infection.

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