A Houston man spent hours calling 911 before responders found his family members dead

Non-pneumatic Anti-shock Garments (NASG) are emergency garments used during cases of post-partum hemorrhage that save women’s lives by compressing blood vessels to reduce excessive blood loss. Currently, there are 498 NASGs distributed across several counties and the use of the garment has resulted in a 38% reduction in the maternal mortality rate.

Doctors have created a pressure garment that prevents women from dying from obstetric hemorrhage during childbirth. Modeled after the NASA spacesuit, the product was far from ideal when first envisioned in 1969 and went through several iterations over many years. Now, the garment has been successfully tested with a 50 percent reduction in mortality rate and is used around the world.

Protests over police officers' conduct in the death of Daniel Prude prompted Rochester, N.Y., officials to look to Eugene's CAHOOTS program for an alternative model in responding to mental health crises. But CAHOOTS officials caution that their longstanding practice of dispatching mental health counselors as first responders, in place of police, has resulted in a safer, more caring response only because the agency is part of a broader system of social services. CAHOOTS teams are on call 24/7, replacing police on up to 8% of 911 calls and calling for police backup a fraction of the time.

After being caught off-guard during the 2003 SARS epidemic, Taiwan developed a public health infrastructure to help prepare them for another. With the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, their number of cases have stayed low because of heightened surveillance for those who travel, the linking of insurance and immigration databases, combating misinformation through an educational campaign, and early plans for child care, businesses, and schools.

Baltimore is facing a waiting room problem when it comes to emergency response time, and often diverts paramedics away if they're overwhelmed; however, they may be able to learn from what Boston has seen success with. After the state implemented a ban on emergency diversion, the hospitals were forced to find a more efficient way to manage their inpatient care, and so far, it's working.

In Kentucky, sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE) are often the frontline responders for survivors of a sexual assault, but have yet to be available in every hospital. Too often, women are turned away because of an absence of SANE nurses, which tend to be in more metro areas. Communities that do have access to the specialized services see an increase in rape prosecutions and a decrease in long term health concerns for these women, but making sure such services are statewide has proved economically challenging.

With the largest backlog of rape kits in the country, North Carolina is taking steps to expedite the process. A key challenge in this effort is the autonomy of police departments to test them at their own discretion. Still, cities like Fayetteville are making headway and seeing results, namely, 37 arrests. On the state level, a bipartisan bill is in motion that would designate $6 million for testing rape kits.

As of 2018, Oregon’s backlog of Sexual Assault Forensic Exam (SAFE) kits had been cleared thanks to the passage of a state bill, commonly referred to as Melissa’s Law. Besides clearing the accumulated kits, the legislation requires police to pick-up the kits from hospitals within seven days of notification and submit SAFE kits for testing within two weeks. Such a response has led to six perpetrators being identified as well as a systemic, patient-driven process for sexual assault survivors.

People working in mountain towns throughout Colorado often face higher health care costs due to supply and demand, but the Peak Health Alliance is working to change that. This alliance forms a partnership between employers and individuals to work together in negotiating with healthcare providers, and then with insurers.

Gunshot victims are often treated at hospitals only to be sent back into the community, where 1/3 will end up back in the hospital again. With a new emphasis on prevention and addressing the underlying issues, Ohio is now using federal assistance to create a Trauma Recovery Network that helps with crisis intervention, counseling, and even providing safe emergency housing for gunshot victims.