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November 9, 2009
Teen Car Accident Fatalities and GDL
 Motor vehicle accidents is the No. 1 cause of death for American teenagers.
In an effort to reduce this rate many states have adopted graduated driver's licensing standards — or GDL — for these young drivers.
But has GDL been effective? That's what University of Minnesota researcher Pinar Karaca-Mandic is trying to find out.
Listen to Karaca-Mandic on Public Health Moment
October 27, 2009
Health care reform will continue after this year
 Whether or not Congress votes to include the hotly debated Public Option plan in its health reform legislation this year, the overall bill will fall short of comprehensive reform, says Lynn Blewett, an associate professor of health policy at the University of Minnesota.
For example, she says, the bill will fall short of providing health insurance for all of the nation's 46 million uninsured.
Blewett believes a bill will definitely pass this year, but it will be the start of ongoing, incremental reform.
Listen to Blewett on Public Health Moment
June 9, 2009
Smoking bans do not cause economic harm
 Smoking bans do not cause economic harm to bars and restaurants. That's according to a study led by epidemiologist Jean Forster from the University of Minnesota.
Forster and colleagues used state-mandated reporting data from 10 Minnesota cities for the years 2003 to 2006. That was before the introduction of a statewide smoking ban, but at a time when a number of local cities had adopted their own full or partial bans.
Forster says that smoking bans are an effective way to protect people--especially bar and restaurant employees--from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.
• Listen to Forster on Public Health Moment
May 20, 2009
Disparities in Health Coverage
 Overall, Minnesota ranks high for the percentage of residents with health insurance.
But Kathleen Call, a professor and health policy expert at the University of Minnesota, says that when one looks closer, you see great disparity.
She says that providing health care access to the uninsured will actually save money in the long term.
• Listen to Call on Public Health Moment
May 5, 2009
Health Information Technology
 The use of health information technology has had little or no effect on improving patient safety.
That's according to research led by Jeff McCullough, a health policy expert at the University of Minnesota. Despite this, McCullough says it's still too early to judge the effectiveness of health IT. He adds that that more research is needed to see ensure that the technology is worth the investment.
What is health information technology? McCullough explains.
• Listen to McCullough on Public Health Moment
April 7, 2009
Binge Drinking in the Military
 Binge drinking is common among active-duty military personnel and is strongly associated with many health and social problems, including problems with job performance and alcohol-impaired driving, according to a new study released by the University of Minnesota and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
But what is binge drinking and what can be done to reduce its prevalence?
We asked Mandy Stahre, a University of Minnesota doctoral candidate and first author of the study.
• Listen to Stahre on Public Health Moment
December 9, 2008
It's Flu Shot Season
 Flu season is upon us. Each year about 200,000 Americans are hospitalized with complications from influenza and about 36,000 people die each year.
The best prevention is to get a flu shot, says Ed Ehilinger, director of Boynton Health Service at the University of Minnesota. He explains who is most at risk and also discusses his related study that involves college students.
• Listen to Ehlinger on Public Health Moment
• Go to Public Health Scene to listen to an extended interview with Ehlinger
October 29, 2008
Health Care Policy and the Presidential Election
July 23, 2008
Rise in Health Insurance Premiums
Over the last five years, employer-based health insurance premiums have increased 10 times faster than workers' incomes.
That's according to a study from the University of Minnesota's State Health Access Data Assistance Center.
Associate Professor Lynn Blewett led the study.
• Listen to Blewett on Public Health Moment
March 4, 2008
National School Breakfast Week
 This is National School Breakfast Week, a campaign to educate students and families about the importance of breakfast and the benefits of the National School Breakfast Program.
The federal program began in 1960s as a pilot project to provide free breakfast to children from low-income families. It became permanent in 1975. University of Minnesota nutritionist Jamie Stang tells us more.
• Listen to Stang on Public Health Moment
November 26, 2007
Health Policy and the Presidential Election
 Health care is emerging as the number one domestic issue in the 2008 presidential election. For that reason, Susan Foote, a health policy professor at the University of Minnesota, says voters need to pay attention and ask themselves some questions.
• Listen to Foote on Public Health Moment
November 20, 2007
Rural Emergency Department Staffing Challenges
 Doctors and nurses in emergency rooms at rural hospitals are less likely to have advanced training in trauma life support than those in urban areas.
That's according to health policy researcher Michelle Casey of the University of Minnesota.
• Listen to Casey on Public Health Moment
October 7, 2007
Children's Health Insurance
Last week, President Bush vetoed a $35 billion expansion of the 10-year-old State Children's Health Insurance Program, or S-CHIP.
S-CHIP was created to provide health insurance for families of low-income children who didn't qualify for Medicaid and couldn't afford private insurance. Lynn Blewett, a health policy professor at the University of Minnesota, says the current debate centers on how much to expand the program.
• Listen to Blewett on Public Health Moment
• Download "Leave S-CHIP Alone," by Lynn Blewett (PDF)
September 4, 2007
Number of Blood Donors Fewer Than Previously Estimated
 Only 37 percent of Americans are eligible to donate blood--much fewer than previous estimates. That's according to a study co-authored by Bill Riley, a healthcare management professor at the University of Minnesota.
• Listen to Bill Riley on Public Health Moment
July 16, 2007
Universal Health Care
 Nearly two-thirds of Minnesota physicians believe a single-payer universal health insurance system would provide the best value for Minnesota patients, according to research led by Dr. Jim Hart, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
• Listen to Dr. Jim Hart on Public Health Moment
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Health care is a prominent issue in the presidential election and both candidates have plans for how they would fix health care and provide health coverage to the more than 47 million Americans who are now uninsured. 
Last modified on Monday Jul 02, 2007