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With its two doctors planning to retire, an Alabama town patches together health care options

Charity Hodge had mixed feelings when she spotted a Facebook post announcing that her longtime primary care doctor was ready to retire after decades of serving their rural community.

19 Sep 2023

Social Security overpays billions to people, many on disability. Then it asks for the money back.

Justina Worrell, 47, works part time as a kitchen helper in an Ohio nursing home. She has cerebral palsy, an intellectual disability, and a cardiac condition that required she get an artificial heart valve at age 20.

15 Sep 2023

How food insecurity fuels sugary drink consumption in vulnerable kids

New research from New York City reveals that children in low-food-security households are more likely to consume sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). Factors such as chronic stress and U.S. parental immigration status were found to exacerbate the link between food insecurity and higher SSB consumption among these children.

13 Sep 2023

A father dreamed of a home for his family. Medical debt nearly pushed them onto the streets.

Kayce Atencio used to be haunted by a thought while working at a homeless shelter in downtown Denver. "It could have been me," said Atencio, 30, who lives in a small apartment with his son and daughter not far from the shelter.

11 Sep 2023

Research shines light on early life factors that may increase risk of cardiovascular disease in women

Advanced research is casting light on possible early life factors – including poverty, physical or mental abuse – that may impact the rate of egg loss and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in post-menopausal women.

9 Sep 2023

Even in the most depressed county in America, stigma around mental illness persists

Sitting on a bench laughing with a co-worker during a morning smoke break, Debra Orcutt quickly raises her hand when asked if she knows anyone dealing with depression.

6 Sep 2023

Mississippi’s cervical cancer deaths indicate broader health care problems

Shementé Jones knew something wasn't right. Her back hurt. She felt pain during sex.

5 Sep 2023

Michigan researchers receive $26 million NIH grant to study environmental impacts on child health

Backed by a $26 million federal grant, researchers at three Michigan universities, a leading health care system, and a state agency will continue a long-term study of how exposure to environmental factors during pregnancy and early childhood can impact health for a lifetime.

1 Sep 2023

Weighted lottery helps ensure equitable allocation of scarce COVID-19 medication

A program designed to ensure fairness and that people living in the most disadvantaged U.S. neighborhoods would be offered a scarce, potentially life-saving medication proved feasible in a large health system.

1 Sep 2023

Socioeconomic distress linked to worse outcomes after heart transplantation

People from socioeconomically distressed communities who underwent heart transplantation between 2004 and 2018 faced a 10% greater relative risk of experiencing graft failure and dying within five years compared to people from non-distressed communities.

31 Aug 2023

KFF Health News' 'What The Health?': 3 health policy experts you should know

In this special episode, host Julie Rovner, KFF Health News' chief Washington correspondent, interviews three noted health policy experts.

31 Aug 2023

Is alcohol exposure before and during pregnancy associated with reduced longitudinal fetal growth?

The association between exposure to alcohol in pregnancy and longitudinal growth.

29 Aug 2023

More cities address ‘shade deserts’ as extreme heat triggers health issues

If it weren't for the traffic along South MacDill Avenue, Javonne Mansfield swears you could hear the sizzle of a frying pan.

28 Aug 2023

New report on the impacts of Michigan’s Medicaid expansion shows positive effects and opportunities for improvement

At a pivotal time for Medicaid health coverage for Americans with low incomes, a report on the impacts of Michigan's Medicaid expansion shows very positive effects, as well as opportunities for continued improvements.

25 Aug 2023

Two new projects aim to improve health care access for underserved populations

Nansi Boghossian and Melissa Nolan, both associate professors in the Arnold School's Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, have been awarded more than $600K each from The Duke Endowment to lead projects that improve access to health care for underserved populations.

25 Aug 2023

The painful pandemic lessons Mandy Cohen carries to the CDC

As covid-19 devastated communities across the nation in spring 2020, a group of Black ministers in this racially divided city made an urgent plea for more testing in their neighborhoods.

23 Aug 2023

Doctors advocate fresh efforts to combat Chagas disease, a silent killer

When Maira Gutiérrez was diagnosed with Chagas disease in 1997, neither she nor her primary care physician had even heard of the malady. She discovered her illness only by chance, after participating in a Red Cross blood drive organized by her employer, Universal Studios.

22 Aug 2023

Social media and the internet: Top concerns for parents of school-age children

As children head back to school, two issues have climbed higher on their parents' list of concerns: the role of social media and the internet in kids' lives.

21 Aug 2023

Melatonin enhances long-term memory by modulating protein phosphorylation

Multiple studies have demonstrated the memory-enhancing effects of melatonin and its derivatives in animal models. It is also known that the formation of both short- and long-term memories require the phosphorylation of certain memory-related proteins.