Can We Fix Our Healthcare System Without Starting From Scratch?
Dr. Amy Finkelstein, a professor of economics, has a plan that aims to please both sides of the political divide.
Climate Change & National Security
The future of climate change impacts a lot more than our crops. Natural disasters and mass migrations of people threaten the health and safety of populations and governments around the world. Experts discuss how climate change creates economic, sociological, political, and military issues.
Kids Who’ve Lost Parents to Covid
New estimates show that more than 167,000 children under 18 (a number growing rapidly) have lost a parent or major caregiver to Covid-19. Psychologists say deaths under such circumstances are also much more difficult for survivors to adjust to and will have a major impact on the US. Experts discuss how these “forgotten grievers” are coping and what actions …
Can 911 Respond to Mental Health Crises?
Up to 15% of calls to 911 involve people having a mental health breakdown, yet many call centers, especially in rural areas, have no one with any training on what to do or who to dispatch in those cases.
Saving Preschool Education
Preschool teachers have left the profession in huge numbers, closing some schools and threatening others. With nowhere to safely leave their children, millions of people are unable to return to work, sabotaging economic recovery. An expert discusses the low wages behind the 10% (or more) drop in early educators and how current legislation may finally turn …
Homeless Americans: Myth vs. Reality
Around a half million people are homeless in the US on any given night, but the street homeless who are most visible often incorrectly influence our assumptions about the homeless. A noted researcher discusses myths and truths about their addictions, employment, residences, and more, and why people often become homeless.
Staffing Struggles Threaten Survival of Rural Hospitals
Rural hospitals have long struggled to maintain staffing levels of nurses and other professionals that are adequate for good care. The pandemic has made it much worse, as staffers have quit and patient loads have increased. Experts discuss the roots of the staff shortage, the effects on care safety, the extreme cost of efforts to attract and retain staff, …
The Dangers of Facial Recognition
Facial recognition technology is everywhere, from your smartphone to the grocery store to city streets. But do we really want to be constantly tracked? Law enforcement finds it immensely helpful, but many experts say it’s a massive invasion of privacy that needs limitation. Experts discuss.
Are Regular People Equipped to Make Complicated Medical Decisions?
Patients have to make medical choices today that they never did before. But do they have enough information to make those choices? Are normal people able to understand the flood of information and the medical terms to make good choices? An expert discusses how patients can work through these issues.
Healthcare Data Breaches
Government reports say more than 265 million healthcare records have been stolen, lost, or improperly disclosed in the last decade. It may create a financial risk, but it could also mean your health conditions and secrets are all over the internet. One of the nation’s top health data experts discusses.
Veterinarian Suicide
A new CDC report shows that suicide among veterinarians is much higher than in the general population. Experts discuss the unique stresses that affect these professionals, including financial, compassion fatigue, euthanasia, and online harassment. They also discuss measures being taken to prevent mental health struggles and suicide.
Danger Signs in the Increase in Extreme Weather
The recent rash of extreme weather worldwide, which has killed hundreds, is making scientists wonder if we have reached a turning point more quickly than we thought. Experts explain how climate change results in droughts, floods, and other severe weather and the signals it provides of danger immediately ahead.
