Public Health | Penn Today

Four women in front of the Share food bank, and the two in the middle are waving to each other

Fighting food insecurity

Students from the Fox Leadership Program have lent their time and expertise to hunger organizations for more than a decade, and during the pandemic they’ve upped their involvement to meet the growing need.

COVID-19 vaccine volunteers share their stories, one year later

On the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 vaccine authorizations, Penn Medicine highlights the volunteers who played a critical role in providing much needed hope, in addition to crucial data showing the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines.

An ultrasound technician looks at an ultrasound on a screen in a hospital.

Pregnancy and opioid-use disorder: How to keep pregnant patients and babies healthy

At the Perinatal Resources for Opioid Use Disorder (PROUD) Clinic at Penn Family Care, patients are screened for mental health conditions and supported with integrated care before, during, and after pregnancy.

a person in a gymnasium getting a vaccine while wearing a mask

Four things to know about COVID-19 vaccine boosters

Amidst concerns about increased positivity rates and new variants, Penn Today shares expert insights on the importance of COVID-19 vaccine boosters during the current phase of the pandemic.

Pregnant person lying in a hospital bed wearing a face mask looking over a sheet of paper a doctor is showing them.

Heart Safe Motherhood Program boosts access to care for at-risk new mothers

A first-of-its-kind program created by Penn Medicine has radically altered how preeclampsia is treated. Heart Safe Motherhood enables doctors to monitor new mothers with high blood pressure remotely, from the comfort of their own home.

Don’t mock ‘tree equity.’ It has health benefits

Eugenia South of the Perelman School of Medicine co-wrote an opinion piece about the benefits of living near trees. “Many may view nature as having primarily a decorative, beautifying role,” they wrote. “But this beautification itself, the visual experience of nature, directly influences our body chemistry.”

Hand holding scissors cutting a bunch of cigarettes in another hand held over a trash bin.

Emphasizing short-term effects can help prevent and reduce youth smoking

A recent study by Annenberg researchers finds that anti-tobacco campaigns focused on tangible, short-term consequences are a promising way to prevent young people from smoking and encouraging them to quit.

Aviation expert claims ‘knee-jerk’ omicron border restrictions show countries haven’t learned much

PIK Professor Ezekiel Emanuel said the Biden administration’s latest updates to travel rules would help slow the spread of the omicron variant, but they could have gone further. “Frankly, I wish they had done a little bit more on mandates for airplane travel [and] interstate travel,” Emanuel said.

People light red candles in the shape of an AIDS awareness ribbon as darkness sets in

Access to HIV self-tests in Kenya

Marking World AIDS Day, Harsha Thirumurthy of the Perelman School of Medicine offers four takeaways from his research exploring the impact access to free HIV self-tests had on women in Kenya and on the importance of HIV awareness.

A piece of pumpkin pie on a serving spatula, a dollop of whipped cream on top.

Navigating holidays in a pandemic, again

Experts from Penn’s Center for Public Health Initiatives and Positive Psychology Center offer six tips for making the holiday season joyful, fun, and safe.

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