Colleen DeGuzman

Author's posts

Congress Considers Easing Regulations on Air Transport of Donated Organs

A little-noticed provision of sweeping legislation to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration would make it easier to fly human organs from donor to recipient.

An Outdated Tracking System Is a Key Factor in Texas’ Foster Care Shortcomings

The computer program, designed in 1996 to be a secure location for foster children’s medical and school records and histories of neglect and abuse, is older than Google — and has had far fewer updates.

As Covid Grabbed the World’s Attention, Texas’ Efforts to Control TB Slipped

Responding to covid has taken so much attention and energy that some public health workers believe it pushed tuberculosis off people’s radar.

Fentanyl in High School: A Texas Community Grapples With the Reach of the Deadly Opioid

The first fentanyl-related deaths of students in an area south of Austin, Texas, were reported over the summer. The school district, parents, and students are trying to deal with the aftermath.

For Kids With Kidney Disease, Pediatric Expertise Is Key — But Not Always Close By

A study published in JAMA leads to questions about the uneven distribution of pediatric nephrologists nationwide. Children with end-stage kidney disease feel the impact.

Medi-Cal’s Reliance on Prisoners to Make Cheaper Eyeglasses Proves Shortsighted

In California, where inmates manufacture glasses for Medi-Cal, enrollees and providers can wait months for their orders. Now, state lawmakers are considering allowing clinics to order from private labs as well.

It’s Hot Outside — And That’s Bad News for Children’s Health

An article in the New England Journal of Medicine takes a sweeping look at how heat — which can be a byproduct of air pollution and climate change — adversely affects people’s health, especially that of kids.

Children’s Vision Problems Often Go Undetected, Despite Calls for Regular Screening

Eye exams for children are required under federal law to be covered by most private health plans and Medicaid, and many states mandate school vision screenings. But a federal survey finds that a quarter of children and teens are still not getting the recommended tests.

A Deep Dive Into the Widening Mortality Gap Across the Political Aisle

Research out this week examines how an area’s political environment can affect its mortality rate.

Many children aren’t getting the vision screening they need

Vision conditions are preventable — if treatment starts early.