Sam Whitehead

Author's posts

Mental Health Courts Can Struggle to Fulfill Decades-Old Promise

Mental health courts have been touted as a means to help reduce the flow of people with mental illness into jails and prisons. But the specialized diversion programs can struggle to live up to that promise, and some say they’re a bad investment.

PrEP, a Key HIV Prevention Tool, Isn’t Reaching Black Women

New HIV infections occur disproportionately among Black women, but exclusionary marketing, fewer treatment options, and provider wariness have limited uptake of preexposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, drugs, which reduce the risk of contracting the virus.

PrEP prevents HIV infections, but it’s not reaching Black women

A significant number of new HIV infections happen among Black women, and a health education effort in Atlanta wants to make sure Black women can access the HIV-prevention medicines known as PrEP.

The CDC Works to Overhaul Lab Operations After Covid Test Flop

In early 2020, U.S. public health labs received covid-19 tests from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that were flawed, as a result of poor design and contamination. Now the CDC is overhauling its lab operations, but efforts to be better prepared for future threats won’t be easy, observers say.

As Federal Emergency Declaration Expires, the Picture of the Pandemic Grows Fuzzier

The pandemic gave federal officials expanded power to access crucial data about the spread of covid-19, but that authority will change when the public health emergency sunsets in May. That, along with the end of popular covid trackers, will make it harder for policymakers and the public to keep an eye on covid and other threats.

Congress Told HHS to Set Up a Health Data Network in 2006. The Agency Still Hasn’t.

Since 2006, federal officials have been charged with setting up a network to let various parts of the U.S. health system share information during emergencies. It still hasn’t been built or even planned, even after the communication and data-sharing failures put on display during the pandemic.

The Decision of Where to Seek Care Is Complicated by the Multitude of Options

The proliferation of care options — particularly urgent care centers and free-standing emergency departments — can make the head spin. Facilities have little incentive to clear up the confusion of where to go. But for patients, the wrong choice can mean big bills and possibly poor health outcomes.

Much of the CDC Is Working Remotely. That Could Make Changing the Agency Difficult.

Like many U.S. workplaces, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention went remote during the pandemic. Most of the agency’s staff members haven’t returned to the office full time, raising concerns about the CDC’s ability to reform itself after recent stumbles.

‘Impending Intergenerational Crisis’: Americans With Disabilities Lack Long-Term Care Plans

Many Americans with intellectual and developmental disabilities do not have long-term plans for when family members can no longer care for them. Families, researchers, and advocates worry that has set the stage for a crisis in which people with disabilities could end up living in institutional settings.

Americans with disabilities need an updated long-term care plan, say advocates

Nearly 75% of Americans with disabilities live with a family caregiver, many of them age 60 or older. Updating your care plan now, experts say, can help make sure everyone thrives.