A Depression Fighting Strategy That Could Go Viral

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/04/a-depression-fighting-strategy-that-could-go-viral

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

4 December 2014

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A strategy for stopping widespread depression in developing countries should be as obvious as one for combatting epidemics. A new strategy aims to downshift jobs to local workers to act as peer therapists.

An Afghan Success Story: Fewer Child Deaths

http://www.npr.org/2014/02/04/269551459/an-afghan-success-story-fewer-child-deaths

Sean Carberry

NPR

4 February 2014

Radio / 3-5 Minutes

Child mortality rates are decreasing in Afghanistan due to more readily available basic health care, more effective vaccinations, and locally-trained volunteer health workers.

An End to Polio in India?

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/05/an-end-to-polio-in-india

Esha Chhabra

The New York Times

5 March 2014

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India has, for years, been a hotbed of polio. Supported by the WHO as well as local health-care workers, immunizations have officially rid the country of the disease. There are still challenges in maintaining records and reaching everyone, but the message continously changes and adapts.

At Year's End, News of a Global Health Success

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/19/at-years-end-news-of-a-global-health-success

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

19 December 2012

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Child mortality rates in third-world countries are often shockingly high. But they are gradually decreasing due to efforts that target contagious diseases and more widespread health education.

Better Hand-Washing Through Technology

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/25/better-hand-washing-through-technology

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

25 April 2011

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Washing hands in between contact with patients is one of the most important things a healthcare worker can do to prevent the spread of disease and reduce the rise of superbugs like MRSA. A new technology is increasing rates of hand washing by displaying, via a sensor in an employee's badge, whether the healthcare provider has washed their hands recently.

Caring for mentally ill: 3 counties' success stories

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/caring-for-mentally-ill-3-countiesrsquo-success-stories

Brian M. Rosenthal

The Seattle Times

6 October 2013

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There is a mental-health capacity crisis gripping Washington state. The area’s response approach, crafted over two decades, centers on a set of intensive outpatient and early-intervention programs aimed at preventing hospitalizations.

For V.A. Hospitals (and Patients), a Major Health Victory

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/30/for-v-a-hospitals-and-patients-a-major-health-victory

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

30 January 2015

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Although patients go to hospitals to receive medical care, many Americans will acquire infections that did not already have them. The United States as a whole has made modest progress at reducing the rates of hospital-acquired infections. Spearheading the efforts, the Veterans Affairs Medical Centers have devised anti-MRSA strategies to keep patients safe.

In Delivery Rooms, Reducing Births of Convenience

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/07/in-delivery-rooms-reducing-births-of-convenience

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

7 May 2014

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The rate of Cesarean sections is on the rise in the United States, despite the higher risks of hysterectomy, hemorrhage, and infection, as well as the elevated expense. San Francisco General’s maternity ward, however, stands as an outlier by following evidence-based medicine that suggests decreasing C-sections and has also shifted from a pay-per-service incentive for the doctors to a salary or shift position.

In Detroit Hospital, black babies are latching on

http://womensenews.org/story/health/150417/in-detroit-hospital-black-babies-are-latching

Molly Ginty

Women's eNews

20 April 2015

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Many African American women are reluctant to breastfeed their babies. The Mother Nuture Project at Detroit’s St. John Hospital and Medical Center offers peer counseling to educate women (mostly African American) and encourage breastfeeding. Mother Nurture’s program has helped boost breastfeeding rates from 46 percent to 64 percent.

Inviting Patients To Help Decide Their Own Treatment

http://kaiserhealthnews.org/news/inviting-patients-to-help-decide-their-own-treatment

Anna Gorman

Kaiser Health News

16 March 2015

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The Patient Support Corps at UC San Francisco Medical Center pairs interns with patients to provide support during visits. The program, which now acts as a model for other hospitals, encourages patients to speak up and offers them the information needed to make decisions about their care, rather than having the doctors make the decision for them.