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Public Health
Opioids and hepatitis C: How OxyContin fed a new epidemic
A new study from LDI senior fellow Abby Alpert, with David Powell and Rosalie Pacula, links OxyContin reformulation to a national epidemic of hepatitis C, which kills more than 20,000 Americans a year and infects tens of thousands more.
To get smokers to quit, tap into their biology
How quickly nicotine clears the bloodstream determines which treatment will work best, a tool scientists at Penn Medicine are using to advance the field of tobacco research.
Community outreach at Penn Medicine
Community outreach is an integral component of Penn Medicine’s three-part mission of research, patient care, and education, and countless members of the Health System family reach out on an individual basis.
Risk and healthy behavior in the American adaptation of a telenovela
Researchers at the Annenberg Public Policy Center compare the CW Network show “Jane the Virgin” and the original Spanish-language telenovela “Juana la Virgen” and find an increase in risky adolescent behavior in the adaptation.
The art of talking about science
Paul Offit of Penn Medicine and CHOP offers five tips for better communicating tough scientific topics to the public—and standing up for science in the process.
‘Enhanced Recovery’ protocol reduces opioid use in spinal surgery patients
A new study shows that a comprehensive “Enhanced Recovery After Surgery” protocol for spine and peripheral nerve surgery patients significantly reduces opioid use.
One-third of gun injuries in America are treated in non-trauma centers
New research suggests ways to expand efforts beyond trauma centers to prevent recurrent gun injuries.
25 years of integration, innovation, and ideals
2018 marked 25 years since the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) was first established—a milestone that would undoubtedly make the institution’s founder, Benjamin Franklin, proud.
The ACA in 2019: Will it face a reckoning?
Wharton’s Mark Pauly, Eric Clemons and Robert Field discuss what lies ahead for the Affordable Care Act in 2019.
Penn Dental Medicine offering free emergency care to furloughed federal workers
As the federal government shutdown continues, Penn Dental Medicine is opening its doors to furloughed federal workers, offering them free care for emergency dental needs.
In the News
The Washington Post
The Tragedy to Communities When Church Buildings Are Demolished to Make Condos
Ram Cnaan of the School of Social Policy & Practice has piloted several studies on the economic and social benefits urban congregations offer local communities.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
As Opioid Overdoses Rise Along With Suicides, Experts Look for Links
Maria Oquendo of the Perelman School of Medicine discussed opioid addiction, noting that “anywhere between 25 and 45 percent of deaths by overdose” may actually be suicides.
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